How to Play a Custom Match with Survivor Bots in Dead by Daylight

Open Custom Game in Dead by Daylight, take the Killer slot or invite a friend to play Killer, and add a bot to each empty Survivor slot you want filled. Use the private trial to practice one mechanic at a time. Survivor bots can give you targets to chase and other characters to track without waiting for a public match.

Set up the private lobby

1. Select Custom Game from the main menu.
2. Choose the Killer role if you want to practice alone. If you want to practice as a Survivor, arrange for a friend to fill the Killer slot.
3. Select the add control in an empty Survivor slot and choose Add Bot. Repeat for the remaining slots you want filled.
4. Confirm the roles and loadouts before starting. If you invited a friend, verify that they're in the slot you planned to use.
5. Ready up and start the trial. Pick a small goal for the first match so you know what you're testing.

A bot fills one Survivor slot. If you want a friend to take that slot, remove the bot before asking the friend to join. Check the lobby after changing roles so you can see which slots are filled and which one still needs a player.

Choose equipment that supports your test. For a first attempt at a Killer power, start with a straightforward loadout so you can recognize the effect of the power itself. Once you can use it, add one perk or add-on and repeat the same exercise. Changing the map, loadout, and goal at the same time makes it harder to tell what helped.

Practice a Killer power without racing the generators

Pick one interaction to repeat. For example, if you're learning a ranged attack, choose a chase where you can see when the target changes direction. Try the power from different distances and observe what happens when an obstacle gets between you and the Survivor.

If you miss, review where the target was and whether the attack was ready. Try again with a shorter distance or a clearer approach. Don't spend the whole trial chasing the same bot if the route gives you no useful opportunity. Break off and find a new position where you can test the interaction.

Use part of the match to practice normal movement as well. Follow a Survivor through a tile and notice where you lose sight of them. Try approaching the next chase from the opposite side. The goal is to learn the space and timing, even if the bot responds differently from a player.

Use friends to test Survivor decisions

Ask a friend to play Killer if you want to learn Survivor movement. Fill the remaining Survivor slots with bots and agree on what you want to repeat. For instance, ask the Killer to approach a specific loop so you can practice when to vault or leave it. You can then repeat it with a different starting angle.

For a hook recovery drill, agree on which person will be chased and where the other human player will wait. Watch how the bots behave, but use your friend's cues to coordinate the part you're actually trying to learn. A bot can keep the trial moving while you and your friend practice the interaction.

If the goal is to compare two loadouts, keep the rest of the setup consistent. Use the same role and activity in each trial. Give yourself enough attempts to see the behavior instead of judging from the first chase.

Fix a lobby that won't start

Check that someone is playing Killer, that you added bots to the Survivor slots, and that the required players are ready. If the add option is unavailable, check whether that slot is already occupied. Confirm that you entered Custom Game rather than a public matchmaking lobby.

If a bot leaves you with an unrealistic drill, add a human friend for that part of the test. Bots can be useful for repeated chases and map practice. Human opponents let you test changes in timing and reactions that aren't predictable from a bot run.

End the session by repeating the first exercise once more. Compare what you can now do reliably with what gave you trouble at the start. Carry that one improvement into the next real match before moving on to a new drill.