Dead by Daylight Devs Revisit the Game’s Origins, 10 Years On

Shacknews recently published an article titled Embrace Chaos: The Origin of Dead by Daylight. It takes a nostalgic look back at the early 2010s through the eyes of some of the game’s original developers. This piece arrives a decade after Behaviour Interactive released the asymmetric horror game on June 14, 2016.

The article comes out while the game remains popular. Right now, Dead by Daylight has 37,509 players on Steam, with its review tally sitting at 377,122, 78% of which are positive. That means about 294,000 players have given a thumbs-up to a title that started as a multiplayer horror experiment.

The Shacknews feature describes the game’s beginnings as a trip back to the early 2010s. Those years, long before the 2016 launch, are when the earliest developers say the project began to take shape. The summary for the piece doesn’t include specific design decisions, so readers should check out the full article for the developers’ firsthand stories.

Behaviour Interactive isn’t just relying on nostalgia, though. Bleeding Cool reports that The Archives, Tome 19, is now available, continuing the game’s seasonal content. Earlier this year, the studio also announced a movie and a Scooby-Doo crossover as part of its decade-long expansion.

While the game’s critical reception lags behind its player numbers, Metacritic shows a score of 72, which is solid but not outstanding. However, Steam players have been much kinder. The game still retails for $19.99 on Steam, with Koch Media acting as the publisher.

By The Numbers

Release date	June 14, 2016
Steam reviews	78% positive (377,122 reviews)
Metacritic score	72
Current Steam players	37,509
Current price	$19.99 on Steam

Community Pulse: Sentiment across 10 tracked signals appears mixed. One negative Steam review claimed that the “game is progressing backwards. Community is toxic and just sucks overall.” Despite this complaint about community behavior and the game’s direction, the 78% positive rating indicates that many players remain loyal, even amid the friction.

What To Watch

• Tome 19 uptake: Keep an eye on whether The Archives content boosts the 37,509 concurrent player count in the upcoming weeks.
• The decade expansion: The movie and Scooby-Doo crossover will test if licensed content can attract a broader audience.
• Community health: Concerns about toxicity and the game’s direction might impact the 78% Steam score if they gain traction.