Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical horror multiplayer from Behavior Interactive built around a stark, brutal conceit: one imposing Killer hunts four Survivors across a nightmarish arena while the Survivors scramble to power generators and flee. Captured players are strung up on hooks and offered as sacrifices to the Entity — a sinister spider-like god that governs the purgatorial world. Since its June 2016 debut, the title has ballooned into a sprawling franchise, welcoming genre staples such as Michael Myers and Ghostface to its roster.
Beyond character crossovers, the game has inspired a wealth of ancillary material: animated shorts, long-form YouTube analyses, and even a narrative spin-off that digs into the Entity’s mythology. These expansions enrich the universe and give fans more ways to explore its dark corners.
Jared Cline’s 17-minute short The Trapper isn’t just an adaptation of the game’s premise — it distills what makes Dead by Daylight resonate. The film recreates small, affectionate details that fans recognize instantly, from Dwight (portrayed by Eric Hanson) nervously biting his nails the same way his in-game avatar does, to the metallic snap of a bear trap. Those touches make the short feel authentic to the source material while still standing on its own as a piece of filmmaking.
Cline also translates in-game mechanics into cinematic beats with clever fidelity. Claudette’s first time through the trial is handled like an in-game tutorial: she leans on teammate Meg (Crystal Cook) for direction, a flashlight briefly stuns the Killer and buys Survivors time, and a health kit becomes the means of patching allies up. And then there’s the hook: the film delivers a visceral close-up that captures the dread players feel when a Survivor is about to be sacrificed.
For a fan production, The Trapper is strikingly well-executed — thoughtfully lit, tightly edited, and staged so the camera knows when to linger on small horrors (Dwight’s shattered glasses, metal shards embedded in the Trapper’s skin) and when to pull back and reveal the desolate landscape. It reads as a true love letter to players and fans of the game.
Where to watch: YouTube
Polygon’s annual Halloween Countdown offers a curated, 31-day lineup of standout horror films, TV episodes, and online specials to stream throughout the spooky season. You can view the full calendar here.
Source: Polygon
