Look, we've all been there. You’ve got three thousand hours on Nurse or Blight, you know every tile on Blood Lodge by heart, and the "horror" part of the game has basically turned into a stressful math equation. You aren't scared of the Killer anymore. You're just annoyed they’re running Pain Resonance for the fifth match in a row. When people start hunting for a game like Dead by Daylight, they usually aren't just looking for another 4v1 repair-sim. They’re chasing that specific, high-octane shot of adrenaline that Behavior Interactive captured back in 2016 before the meta became so rigid.
The asymmetrical horror genre has exploded, but honestly? Most of these games die within six months. Remember Video Horror Society? Or Propnight? Gone. To find something that actually sticks, you have to look at how different developers handle the power imbalance. Some lean into the comedy, some go full "stealth or die," and others just try to out-gore the competition. If you’re burnt out on generators and pallets, there’s actually a pretty weird, diverse world of horror out there waiting to wreck your heart rate.
Why The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the closest rival (and why it's different)
If you want a game like Dead by Daylight that doubles down on the cinematic tension, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (TCSM) is the immediate heavy hitter. Sumo Digital didn't just copy the homework here. Instead of one killer, you’ve got the Family—a three-person team working together to hunt down four Victims.
This changes the social dynamic completely. In DBD, if the Killer is bad, the game is a snooze. In TCSM, the Family has to communicate. If Leatherface doesn't destroy the barricades, Sissy can't chase through the gaps. It feels less like a game of tag and more like an actual hunt. The maps are sprawling, multi-layered nightmares like the Family House or the Gas Station. You aren't fixing generators; you're looking for fuse valves, battery cables, and lockpicks while trying not to wake up Grandpa.
Grandpa is a literal mechanic. You feed him blood to level up his "sonar" ability. It’s gross, it’s loud, and it forces Victims to move. But here’s the kicker: the learning curve is a vertical wall. While DBD is easy to pick up, TCSM requires you to memorize basement layouts that look like a bowl of spaghetti. If you don't mind the frustration of getting lost in a dark cellar while a chainsaw-wielding maniac breathes down your neck, this is the one.
The chaos of Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Maybe you’re tired of being miserable. Horror can be funny, right? Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game is basically the "party game" version of the genre. It’s 3v7, which sounds insane, but it works because the tone is so campy.
🔗 Read more: Daily Jumble in Color: Why This Retro Puzzle Still Hits Different
You’ve got Klowns using popcorn guns to track humans and cocoons to trap them. The humans can actually fight back pretty effectively with bricks, bats, and guns. It lacks the "I’m going to have a heart attack" tension of early DBD, but it replaces it with pure, unadulterated chaos. Honestly, sometimes it’s nice to play an asymmetrical game where a loss doesn’t feel like a personal insult to your bloodline. It’s about the spectacle.
The "Prop" genre and the legacy of Garry's Mod
We can't talk about a game like Dead by Daylight without mentioning Prop Hunt roots. Propnight tried to fuse DBD with Prop Hunt and failed, but the concept lives on in titles like Midnight Ghost Hunt.
It’s 4v4. Ghosts hide as lamps, chairs, or grandfather clocks. Hunters use tech to find them. At midnight, the tables turn—the ghosts become supercharged and hunt the hunters. It’s a brilliant flip of the script. It removes that "bully squad" feeling because the power dynamic is on a literal timer. You aren't just a victim; you're a ticking time bomb.
The hardcore alternative: GTFO and the "We vs. It" shift
Sometimes, the reason you want a game like Dead by Daylight isn't the PvP—it's the feeling of being trapped with a monster. If you're willing to ditch the "versus" aspect, GTFO is the most stressful thing you will ever play.
It’s a 4-player cooperative tactical horror game. It is brutal. It is unapologetic. You spend 45 minutes sneaking through a dark, industrial complex, praying your flashlight doesn't wake up a "Sleeper." One mistake—one missed swing of a sledgehammer—and the entire room wakes up. It captures that "stealth-based survival" feeling better than DBD ever could, mainly because the monsters (Sleepers) are genuinely terrifying and the resources are incredibly scarce.
💡 You might also like: Cheapest Pokemon Pack: How to Rip for Under $4 in 2026
- Coordination is mandatory. You cannot solo-carry in GTFO.
- Atmosphere is king. The fog and lighting effects make the DBD maps look like a playground.
- The "Rundowns." The developers (10 Chambers) release sets of levels that eventually disappear, keeping the experience fresh but also punishing.
Identity V: The mobile giant you're probably ignoring
It’s easy to dismiss Identity V because of its "Coraline-esque" button-eye art style or the fact that it's huge on mobile. But it’s actually developed in collaboration with Behavior Interactive. It’s basically DBD’s weird, gothic cousin.
The mechanics are almost identical—ciphers instead of generators, chairs instead of hooks. However, the character abilities are way more "anime." Survivors have pets, owls, portals, and magnets. The meta is fast, aggressive, and highly competitive. If you can get past the touch controls (or play the PC port), you’ll find a game with a massive player base and significantly faster queue times than DBD.
The psychological horror of White Noise 2
This is a deep cut. White Noise 2 is an older game like Dead by Daylight, but it understands horror better than most modern titles. One player is a creature, four are investigators. The investigators have flashlights that burn the monster, but flashlights run out of batteries.
When a survivor dies, they don't leave the game. They become a ghost that can help the living survivors find clues or slow down the monster. It solves the "I died first and now I’m bored" problem that plagues the genre. It’s cheap, it’s indie, and it’s haunting. It’s the kind of game you play with three friends at 2 AM when you want to actually be scared of the dark again.
Why most "DBD Clones" fail
The graveyard of asymmetrical games is huge. Evolve died because the balancing was impossible. Deathgarden (Behavior's own project!) crashed and burned. Friday the 13th: The Game was killed by a messy legal battle over the IP rights.
📖 Related: Why the Hello Kitty Island Adventure Meme Refuses to Die
The reason Dead by Daylight survives isn't because it's the "best" designed game. It's because it’s the "Museum of Horror." Having Michael Myers, Ghostface, Chucky, and Nicolas Cage in one place is a licensing moat that no other developer can cross. When you look for a game like Dead by Daylight, you have to decide if you care about the licenses or the gameplay loop. If you want the loop, look at The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. If you want the horror vibe but a different loop, try Phasmophobia or Lethal Company.
Lethal Company deserves a mention here even though it isn't asymmetrical. It captured the "DBD community" because it’s built on emergent gameplay. The monsters aren't controlled by players, but they are terrifying, and the proximity voice chat creates moments of comedy and horror that scripted games just can't touch.
Actionable Steps for your next horror session
If you're staring at the DBD campfire and feeling nothing, it's time to pivot. Don't just look for a clone; look for a game that fixes the specific thing you hate about the current DBD meta.
- If you hate "looping" and want more stealth: Pick up The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The focus on hiding in shadows and managing noise is much more prominent.
- If you want to play with a huge group of friends: Killer Klowns from Outer Space or Midnight Ghost Hunt are your best bets for larger lobbies.
- If you want a challenge that makes Rank 1 Killer look like a joke: Download GTFO. Bring three friends you actually trust, because you’re going to be screaming at each other by the second floor.
- If you’re on a budget: Try Deceit 2. It’s free-to-play and focuses on social deduction mixed with asymmetrical combat. Think Among Us but with more blood and ritual sacrifices.
- If you miss the "scary" days: Play White Noise 2 or Phasmophobia. Sometimes the best way to enjoy a game like Dead by Daylight is to stop playing "competitive tag" and go back to hunting ghosts in a haunted asylum.
The genre is shifting. We’re moving away from "four people fixing a box" and toward more complex, multi-objective hunts. Whether you're a survivor main or a bloodthirsty killer, the "Dead by Daylight" formula is just the foundation. The real scares are usually found in the games that aren't afraid to make you feel powerless again.