•Filip Premuš• 15 min read
Games
Top 8 Games Like Dead by Daylight (2026)
Few multiplayer horror games have remained as successful as Dead by Daylight. The asymmetric survival game from Behaviour Interactive places four Survivors against one Killer, creating tense matches built around pursuit, stealth, teamwork, map knowledge, and competing objectives.
Survivors must repair generators and escape while the Killer tracks, captures, and sacrifices them. Different characters, powers, perks, items, maps, and player strategies ensure that two trials rarely unfold in exactly the same way.
Not every alternative copies that formula directly. Some introduce several killers, hidden traitors, firearms, or cooperative horror missions, but they all preserve important parts of Dead by Daylight’s appeal.
Here are the best games like Dead by Daylight to play in 2026:
# | Game | Best For |
|---|---|---|
1 | Stealth-focused asymmetric horror | |
2 | Wind-up bunnies versus one monster | |
3 | Chaotic team-based horror | |
4 | Armed survivors fighting back | |
5 | Accessible 4v1 matches |
1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is one of the closest overall alternatives to Dead by Daylight. Based on the 1974 film, it places four Victims against three members of the Slaughter Family rather than using the familiar four-versus-one format.
Victims begin imprisoned beneath the Family’s property and must search for tools, unlock routes, manage noise, and escape before they are discovered. Running carelessly, disturbing objects, or interacting with certain parts of the environment can reveal a Victim’s position to the Family.
Each Family member has different hunting abilities. Leatherface can destroy obstacles, the Cook can listen for moving Victims, and other characters specialize in traps, pursuit, tracking, or controlling escape routes. Cooperation is therefore important on both sides of the match.
Why It’s Similar:
Asymmetric multiplayer horror
Separate hunter and survivor roles
Stealth, pursuit, and escape objectives
Characters with unique abilities
Teamwork between survivors
Map knowledge and route management
Repeatable online matches
Available on: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S
My Verdict: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the strongest recommendation for Dead by Daylight players who want a serious, stealth-focused experience. Having multiple killers changes the balance considerably, but the tension of hiding, escaping, and controlling routes remains familiar.
Buy The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on GameBoost
2. Carnival Hunt
Buy Carnival Hunt for one of the most direct recent interpretations of Dead by Daylight’s asymmetric formula. Five players become fragile wind-up Bunnies while another controls the Carnival Monster hunting them through a mechanical carnival.
Every Bunny depends on a limited wind-up charge. Players must find keys, share resources, wind one another up, complete objectives, and reach safety before their charge expires. Using a key creates noise that can alert the Monster, forcing the team to decide when and where it is safe to help someone.
Bunnies can also pretend to be inactive toys and hide among groups of identical bodies. The Carnival Monster must inspect suspicious Bunnies, capture active players, and consume their keys to maintain its own charge. Both sides are therefore racing against time rather than simply waiting for the other team to make a mistake.
Why It’s Similar:
First-person asymmetric horror
One Monster hunting a survivor team
Cooperative objectives and escape
Hiding and extended pursuit
Limited resources shared between players
Distinct Monsters with unique abilities
Repeatable online matches
Available on: PC
My Verdict: Carnival Hunt is practically Dead by Daylight with mechanical bunnies and an additional survivor. Its wind-up system creates a clever connection between teamwork, noise, and survival, although it is much newer and less established than Behaviour’s game.
Buy Carnival Hunt on GameBoost
3. Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game provides a more chaotic interpretation of asymmetric horror. Three Killer Klowns invade Crescent Cove while seven human players search for equipment, open escape routes, and attempt to survive the invasion.
The Klowns use bizarre weapons and abilities to capture humans inside cotton-candy cocoons. Their team must patrol a much larger area than a Dead by Daylight Killer, coordinate attacks, and prevent survivors from using the map’s different exits.
Humans are more capable of defending themselves than Dead by Daylight’s Survivors. They can find weapons, fight Klowns, rescue captured teammates, and potentially eliminate enemies temporarily. Escape opportunities are limited, however, so players must decide whether to cooperate or secure a route before someone else uses it.
Why It’s Similar:
Asymmetric horror matches
Killer and survivor teams
Multiple escape routes
Chases and environmental obstacles
Characters with different strengths
Cooperation and rescue mechanics
Progression and cosmetic customization
Available on: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S
My Verdict: Killer Klowns is less frightening and considerably more unpredictable than Dead by Daylight. Its larger teams, unusual weapons, and ability to fight back make it an entertaining choice for players who want asymmetric horror without taking every match too seriously.
Buy Killer Klowns from Outer Space on GameBoost
4. Predator: Hunting Grounds
Get Predator: Hunting Grounds if you want asymmetric hunting with firearms, alien technology, and military objectives. One player controls the Predator while four Fireteam members complete missions and attempt to reach an extraction point.
The Predator can move through trees, activate camouflage, scan for targets, and attack with recognizable weapons such as the Plasma Caster and Combistick. Success depends on separating Fireteam members, choosing the right moment to attack, and retreating before sustained gunfire becomes overwhelming.
Fireteam players must complete objectives while fighting AI-controlled enemies and watching for the Predator. Unlike Dead by Daylight’s Survivors, they can directly injure or kill their hunter. The result is still a dangerous game of pursuit, but the hunted team is considerably more aggressive.
Why It’s Similar:
One-versus-four multiplayer
Powerful hunter with unique abilities
Cooperative survivor team
Tracking, hiding, and ambushes
Objectives followed by an escape
Character loadouts and progression
Short, repeatable online matches
Available on: PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S
My Verdict: Predator: Hunting Grounds is the best alternative for players who like Dead by Daylight’s Killer role but want more direct combat. Its matches retain the hunter-versus-team structure while allowing the Fireteam to become a genuine threat.
Buy Predator: Hunting Grounds on GameBoost
5. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Ecto Edition offers a lighter and more approachable version of the four-versus-one formula. Four Ghostbusters enter a haunted location while one player-controlled Ghost attempts to frighten civilians and completely haunt the building.
Ghostbusters use PKE Meters to track supernatural activity before weakening the Ghost with Proton Packs and trapping it. Staying coordinated is important because the Ghost can move quickly, pass through walls, possess objects, slime opponents, and create distractions across the map.
The Ghost wins by completing the haunting and avoiding capture, while the Ghostbusters must locate and destroy rifts before trapping their opponent. Matches still revolve around tracking, pursuit, abilities, and controlling objectives, but the tone is comedic rather than terrifying.
Why It’s Similar:
Four-versus-one multiplayer
Distinct hunter and opposing-team roles
Tracking and chase mechanics
Map-based objectives
Unique supernatural abilities
Character and equipment upgrades
Online and bot-assisted play
Available on: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch
My Verdict: Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is the best beginner-friendly alternative to Dead by Daylight. It offers less tension and punishment, but its asymmetric objectives are easy to understand and enjoyable from either side.
Buy Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed on GameBoost
6. Secret Neighbor
Buy Secret Neighbor if you want asymmetric horror combined with social deduction. A group of children enters the Neighbor’s house to collect keys and unlock the basement, but one member of the group is secretly the Neighbor in disguise.
The children have different abilities that support exploration, healing, carrying items, or defending the team. Players must search the house, share information, and decide when it is safe to separate. The disguised Neighbor can pretend to help before transforming and attacking isolated targets.
Because the killer initially looks like another survivor, communication becomes as important as movement or mechanical skill. A convincing Neighbor can encourage false accusations, waste the group’s time, or lure players away from their teammates.
Why It’s Similar:
Asymmetric multiplayer horror
Survivor team completing objectives
Player-controlled antagonist
Chases, traps, and rescue attempts
Characters with different abilities
Progression and cosmetic rewards
Short online matches
Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and iOS
My Verdict: Secret Neighbor is a good choice for Dead by Daylight players who want deception added to the formula. Its smaller maps and hidden killer create a different kind of tension because the threat may be standing beside you before the chase even begins.
Buy Secret Neighbor on GameBoost
7. The Outlast Trials
The Outlast Trials is the best alternative if you enjoy Dead by Daylight’s survivor gameplay but do not need another player controlling the killer. Up to four test subjects enter Murkoff Corporation facilities and complete disturbing assignments while dangerous enemies patrol the environment.
Players must perform objectives, avoid detection, hide inside containers, manage limited resources, and help incapacitated teammates. Different Rigs provide abilities related to healing, stunning enemies, seeing through walls, or deploying defensive equipment.
Its enemies are controlled by the game rather than other players, making each trial more structured than a Dead by Daylight match. However, the combination of pursuit, hiding, teamwork, rescues, progression, and repeated horror missions creates a similar cooperative experience.
Why It’s Similar:
Cooperative survival horror
Teams completing objectives under pressure
Hiding and chase sequences
Rescue and revival mechanics
Character abilities and upgrades
Repeatable missions
Regular events and additional challenges
Available on: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S
My Verdict: The Outlast Trials is the strongest recommendation for players who mainly queue as Survivors. It removes competitive killers but provides more elaborate objectives, stronger environmental horror, and meaningful cooperative progression.
Buy The Outlast Trials on GameBoost
8. Project Winter
Get Project Winter for a multiplayer game focused on survival, cooperation, and betrayal. Eight players are stranded in a frozen wilderness and must gather resources, repair objectives, and call for rescue before the environment or hidden traitors kill them.
Survivors need to explore together, share supplies, and communicate about their movements. Traitors can sabotage objectives, steal resources, spread misinformation, and attack isolated players. Because the roles are hidden, every failed repair or missing item can turn the group against itself.
The game lacks Dead by Daylight’s extended chase mechanics, but it creates similar pressure through limited time and competing objectives. It also gives survivors more freedom to defend themselves, investigate suspicious behavior, and eliminate players they believe are working against the group.
Why It’s Similar:
Survivors working toward an escape
Hidden player-controlled enemies
Cooperative objectives
Communication and teamwork
Sabotage and misdirection
Limited resources and environmental danger
Repeatable multiplayer sessions
Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch
My Verdict: Project Winter is a strong alternative for groups that enjoy Dead by Daylight’s teamwork more than its chase mechanics. Hidden traitors create plenty of tension, especially when voice chat turns a simple repair objective into a full interrogation.
Buy Project Winter on GameBoost
Best Games Like Dead by Daylight on Each Platform
Best Games Like Dead by Daylight on PC
PC players can access every game on this list. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Carnival Hunt provide the closest serious asymmetric horror alternatives, while Killer Klowns creates larger and more chaotic matches.
Secret Neighbor adds hidden roles and social deduction, and The Outlast Trials is the strongest cooperative option. More multiplayer and horror releases can be found through PC game keys.
Best Games Like Dead by Daylight on PS5
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Predator: Hunting Grounds, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and The Outlast Trials are available on PS5.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre offers the closest survival-horror experience, while Ghostbusters is the most accessible option for casual groups. Players can explore the broader PlayStation game keys category for other horror and multiplayer games.
Best Games Like Dead by Daylight on Xbox
Xbox players can choose from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Predator: Hunting Grounds, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, Secret Neighbor, The Outlast Trials, and Project Winter.
The Xbox game keys selection includes games for different generations and regions, so compatibility with Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S should always be checked before buying.
Best Games Like Dead by Daylight on Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch has fewer direct Dead by Daylight alternatives. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed provides the closest asymmetric structure, while Secret Neighbor adds a hidden antagonist to team-based exploration. Project Winter is a stronger choice for social deception and survival.
Players can browse Nintendo Switch game keys for other multiplayer, survival, and horror releases available on Nintendo hardware.
FAQs About Games Like Dead by Daylight
Final Words
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the closest established alternative to Dead by Daylight, particularly for players who want another serious asymmetric horror game built around stealth, pursuit, and escape. Carnival Hunt follows the one-monster-versus-survivors structure more directly and introduces an unusual wind-up system that connects teamwork, noise, and survival.
Killer Klowns provides a larger and more chaotic version of the formula, while Predator: Hunting Grounds gives the hunted team enough firepower to become dangerous. Ghostbusters offers a more casual experience, Secret Neighbor introduces deception, and The Outlast Trials concentrates entirely on cooperative survival.
None has Dead by Daylight’s enormous roster of Killers and licensed horror characters, but each provides a different reason to leave the Fog for a few matches.
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“ Filip Premuš is a seasoned gaming content writer specializing in titles like Steal a Brainrot, Old School RuneScape, and other popular online games. With a sharp focus on accuracy, updates, and in-game strategy, he creates comprehensive guides that help players stay ahead of the meta and make informed decisions.”
