Ever been mid-chase, heart hammering against your ribs, only to glance at a wall and see a crayon drawing of a stick figure screaming? It’s a specific kind of chill. Dead by Daylight isn't just about loops and generators. It’s about the environmental storytelling that makes you feel like you’re trespassing somewhere you really shouldn't be.
When people talk about dbd maps with kids picture put up, they’re usually looking for that specific intersection of "innocence" and "slaughter." It's a trope as old as horror itself, but Behavior Interactive uses it to anchor some of the darkest lore in the game.
Whether you’re a lore hunter or just someone who got spooked by a drawing in the basement of Badham, those pictures aren't just random assets. They're breadcrumbs.
Where to Find the Most Infamous Kids' Drawings
You won't find these in the MacMillan Estate or the Coldwind Farm. The Entity seems to reserve the "creepy child art" vibe for maps tied to domestic or institutional trauma.
Badham Preschool (Springwood)
This is the big one. Honestly, if you're looking for dbd maps with kids picture put up, Badham is the gold standard. Since the map is literally a school, the walls are plastered with them.
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But look closer.
The lore tells us this isn't the real Badham where kids "laughed and learned." It’s a "dark echo" created from the nightmares of Freddy Krueger’s victims. In the basement—Freddy’s actual boiler room—the contrast is sickening. You’ll see these crude, colorful drawings right next to rusted pipes and torture devices. It’s meant to remind you that for the children who went here, the preschool was a literal hunting ground.
Midwich Elementary School (Silent Hill)
Midwich is a maze of corridors and lockers, but the artwork here is even more surreal. Because this map is based on the Silent Hill license, the drawings often represent the psychic trauma of Alessa Gillespie.
You’ll find posters that look suspiciously like real-world 90s educational materials—fun fact, some are actually references to the movie Kindergarten Cop—but they’re warped. The "drawings" here often feel less like art and more like a manifestation of a child being bullied by both teachers and supernatural forces. It’s gritty. It’s messy. It’s Silent Hill.
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Why the Entity Keeps These Pictures
Lore-wise, why does a cosmic spider-god care about kindergarten art? Basically, the Entity feeds on emotion. Hope, fear, and especially the corruption of something pure.
- Emotional Anchors: The drawings act as a "memory trigger" for survivors like Quentin Smith or Cheryl Mason.
- The Contrast Effect: Horror works best when you show something safe (a child’s drawing) next to something lethal (a hook).
- The Kid's Drawing Add-on: It’s actually a common add-on for Freddy (The Nightmare). It reduces the penalty for Dream Snares but increases the Deviousness points you get. It’s literally a piece of paper that helps a child-killer hunt better. Dark, right?
The "Greenville Square" and Haddonfield Detail
Recently, players have noticed more "lived-in" details in the newer map reworks. Haddonfield (Lampkin Lane) used to be a blue, empty mess. Now? The houses actually have interiors that feel like homes. You can find kids' pictures on the fridges or near the stairs.
It makes the map feel more grounded. When you’re playing as Michael Myers, walking past a child’s drawing of a sun and a house before you stab a survivor through a window... well, it hits different.
Hidden Gems: Lery’s Memorial Institute
Lery's is usually associated with the Doctor and his "treatment" theatre. You wouldn't expect kids' stuff there. However, if you scour the side rooms—the ones with the gurneys and the flickering TV screens—you’ll occasionally spot remnants of "pediatric" areas.
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It’s subtle. Most people miss it because they’re too busy trying to find a window that isn't a dead end. But those small, faded pictures on the walls suggest that the "GIs returning from the Korean War" weren't the only ones being "rehabilitated" in that hellhole.
Is It More Than Just Decoration?
Some players swear that looking at certain drawings gives a hint to where the hatch or the basement might be. Honestly? That's probably just a myth. Behavior Interactive loves their Easter eggs, but they usually keep the gameplay mechanics separate from the wall textures.
That said, if you find yourself in the "House of Pain" in Badham, looking at those drawings might be the last thing you do before a Dream Demon pulls you into the basement.
Your Next Steps in the Fog
If you want to really appreciate the environmental storytelling in these maps, try this:
- Custom Game Exploration: Start a private match by yourself. Pick a high-mobility killer like Billy or Blight so you can zoom around.
- Focus on Badham I-V: Since there are five variations of this map, the "picture" placement changes slightly. Check the classroom areas specifically.
- Read the Add-ons: Go into the Killer menu and read the flavor text for the "Kid's Drawing." It gives a surprisingly deep look into how these items transition from the real world into the Entity’s realm.
- Compare with Silent Hill 1: If you’re a real nerd for this stuff, look up the original Midwich textures from 1999. You’ll be shocked at how many of those "kids' pictures" were lifted directly from the PS1 classic to maintain authenticity.
Next time you’re looping a killer around a desk, take a split second to look at the wall. You might just see a piece of lore staring back at you.