What is tunneling in Dead by Daylight? Explained

Dead by Daylight is arguably one of the most popular online survival horror games. Because of this popularity, players have adopted all sorts of tactics to try and gain an advantage (both fair and unfair), including a tactic known as tunneling.

Games in Dead by Daylight consists of five players, with one of them taking on the role of the Killer while the other four players survive and escape. The goal for the Killer is to impale all four of the Survivors onto hooks, while the Survivors need to avoid the hooks and—if they do get caught—attempt to escape before they die. 

A particularly well-known tactic in the game is tunneling, but what does it entail? Let’s take a closer look at tunneling in Dead by Daylight. 

What is tunneling in Dead by Daylight?

Tunneling is a strategy that those playing as the Killer can use. It involves focusing on one single Survivor and not letting up on them until you have killed them. If they are hooked and then saved by their fellow Survivors, the Killer will continue to only focus on that one person. The name of the tactic itself comes from the saying “tunnel vision”, relating to having a strong focus on one particular goal. 

What is the difference between tunneling and facecamping in Dead by Daylight?

There is a similar practice to tunneling used by players in Dead by Daylight called facecamping, but they are not the same. Facecamping refers to the tactic wherein the Killer will put a Survivor on a hook and then stand in front of them and wait until they are dead. This prevents any other Survivors from helping them down, meaning you are sure to get at least one sacrifice in the bag. 

Facecamping is different from tunneling, as in tunneling, the Killer won’t necessarily simply block the Survivor on the hook by standing there. They will also continue to follow their chosen Survivor even after they have been taken down from the hook. Facecamping is equally irritating for the Survivor that the Killer targets, but it is not exactly the same as tunneling. 

Is tunneling Fair in Dead by Daylight?

While tunneling isn’t something that can get you banned, as there is no specific rule against it, it isn’t the fairest tactic, particularly for the one unlucky soul on the receiving end. If you are focusing on one person and constantly hooking them, you are pretty much preventing that player from playing the game properly. They won’t get a chance to do anything or engage in the match if you are simply stalking them and hooking them over and over again. 

Honestly, I tend to think this is a pretty toxic strategy as it focuses on making life miserable for one person rather than playing the game the way that it was intended. The goal of the Killer is to hook all four of the Survivors and thwart their attempts to fix generators so that they cannot power the exit gates and escape. If you are singling out one Survivor, then you are allowing the other three Survivors to get on with their tasks without any problems. 

Tunneling isn’t even an effective strategy, as it can’t be justified if you want to win until much later in the game, at the point where the Killer only needs one victim when the Survivors have fixed all the generators. Even then, it seems like a pointlessly long-winded method to take on. 

How to avoid tunneling in Dead by Daylight

The developer of the game has implemented certain Perks for different Survivor characters that can be a great help if you find yourself the victim of tunneling. Let’s take a look at some of these Perks and how they can help you fight tunneling.

Decisive Strike

This Perk is available for the Survivor Laurie Strode and can be unlocked at Bloodweb level 40. Decisive Strike is a Perk that seems almost purposely made for victims of tunneling, as when you have been unhooked but grabbed again by the Killer, the Perk will activate a Skill Check. 

Successful Skill Checks can stun the Killer for 5 seconds. You can immediately escape from the Killer when they are stunned, but keep in mind there is a greater chance of becoming the Killer’s Obsession when you activate this Perk. 

Not only that, but there are several factors that will also deactivate the Decisive Strike Perk. These factors include unhooking other Survivors, repairing a Generator, cleansing a Totem, healing others or yourself, or sabotaging a hook. The skill will also deactivate once you have succeeded or failed the Skill Check. 

Guardian

This Perk lets you see the aura of the Killer after you have been unhooked, giving you an advantage against them. The Perk can also suppress scratch marks and noise, and boost the speed and duration of a Survivor’s Haste after they have been unhooked. 

Parental Guidance

This Perk—accessible when playing as Survivor character Yoichi Asakawa—can make you undetectable for a short amount of time after stunning the Killer, as it hides blood marks and scratches while also suppressing moans. This is a short Perk, lasting for five, six, or seven seconds, but it can give you an opening to get the hell out of there and avoid being immediately tunneled.

Borrowed Time

This is considered to be one of the very first Perks to tackle tunneling, and it can be accessed by playing as Bill Overbeck. The Borrowed Time Perk is a simple one that extends the Haste Window and Endurance of a Survivor once they have been unhooked, allowing for a quick and clean getaway. 

Off the Record

Off the Record is another perk that can give a Survivor some particularly useful boosts after unhooking themselves. The Perk is for Survivor Zarina Kassir, and it includes a buff to Endurance (though be aware that Conspicuous Actions will cancel the Endurance buff), noise suppression, and protection from the aura readings that the Killer can use to detect you. 

These are just a few of the useful Perks that you can use as part of a strategy to avoid tunneling in Dead by Daylight. If you find yourself falling victim to tunneling, take note of some of these Perks, and you should be able to deter the Killer from targeting you for at least a little bit. 

All in all, tunneling is a practice that tends to be frowned upon by players, and for good reason. It can ruin the fun of the game, especially for the unlucky Survivor who becomes the target. If you are playing as the Killer in Dead by Daylight, avoid tunneling. If you are a Survivor, remember the above Perks, as they will help you out should you find yourself dealing with a tormenting tunneler.