Board Game Expansion Buying Guide: What to Add First
By Shop -Dead By Daylight | Published: 2026-10-16
Category: Koopgidsen
A practical buying guide to Dead by Daylight board game expansions and horror tabletop add-ons. Learn what to buy first, what to skip, and how to match an expansion to your group.
Quick answer
Start with the Dead by Daylight: The Board Game Gatekeeper Expansion if you already own the base game and want more Survivors, Killers, and replay variety. It adds five new Survivors with unique Perks and five new Killers with new Powers, and it plays in about 45 minutes for 3-5 players. If you do not own the base game, buy that first. If you want a display piece rather than new gameplay, a fine art print or figure is the better first purchase.
What the Gatekeeper Expansion actually adds
The Gatekeeper Expansion is a content expansion, not a standalone game. It gives you five new resourceful Survivors with their own unique Perks and five new Killers with horrifying abilities. That means more matchups, more perk combinations, and more reasons to keep the base game on the table after your first dozen sessions. The listed play time is about 45 minutes for 3-5 players, which fits a weeknight game night better than an all-day marathon.
Because the expansion assumes you already have the base game, the real value is variety. If your group has already memorized the base Survivors and Killers, the Gatekeeper Expansion is the fastest way to reset the discovery phase without learning a whole new rulebook.
How to choose between gameplay and display add-ons
Not every Dead by Daylight add-on changes the game. Some are made for the shelf or the wall. The Chorus of Sin – Hopeless Exile Fine Art Print is concept art from The Judgment's personal prison, available on poster, canvas, or metal in your choice of style and size. It celebrates a specific Chapter rather than adding rules. The Dead by Daylight x Youtooz – Bloody Jason figure is a 4.6-inch collectible showing Jason stepping through a pallet, and it is a display piece, not a playable component.
The practical split is simple: buy gameplay expansions when your group wants new matches, and buy prints or figures when you want to mark a favorite Chapter or character. Mixing those goals usually leads to disappointment, because a print will not fix a stale meta and an expansion will not fill an empty wall.
Order of purchase for a new collection
If you are building a Dead by Daylight tabletop collection from zero, the sequence matters more than the individual price tags. The base game comes first because every gameplay expansion depends on it. After that, one gameplay expansion gives you the biggest jump in replay value per dollar. Display items and soundtracks come last, once you know which Chapters and characters you actually care about.
This order also protects you from buying duplicates. A print, a figure, and a vinyl soundtrack each serve a different purpose, so they do not compete with each other. A second gameplay expansion, on the other hand, competes directly with the first one for table time.
Decision rules for your first expansion purchase
- Rule 1: Base game first: The Gatekeeper Expansion requires the base game. If you do not own it yet, no expansion will work on its own. Check your shelf before you check out.
- Rule 2: Match player count and time: The Gatekeeper Expansion supports 3-5 players at about 45 minutes. If your group is usually two players, or you want a longer campaign, this expansion will not fix that mismatch. Buy for the group you actually have, not the one you wish you had.
- Rule 3: Gameplay before display: If your group still plays the base game regularly, a gameplay expansion adds more value than a print or figure. If your group has moved on, a display piece is the honest purchase. One gameplay expansion, then display items.
Catalog facts that affect your decision
- Dead by Daylight™: The Board Game Gatekeeper Expansion: Players 3-5, time about 45 minutes, complexity Light. Adds 5 new Survivors with unique Perks and 5 new Killers with new Powers. This is the only listed gameplay expansion in the current catalog, so it is the default first pick for groups that already own the base game and want more match variety without a heavier rules load.
- Chorus of Sin – Hopeless Exile Fine Art Print: Chorus of Sin – Hopeless Exile Fine Art Print is available on poster, canvas, or metal, with your choice of style and size. Choose this when you want to commemorate a specific Chapter rather than add playable content. The material and size options let you match the print to a wall, a desk, or a framed display.
- Dead by Daylight x Youtooz - Bloody Jason: Dead by Daylight x Youtooz – Bloody Jason is a 4.6-inch figure posed stepping through a pallet, drenched in deep red blood. A compact display collectible for fans of the crossover. It does not change gameplay, so buy it as decoration or a gift, not as an expansion substitute.
Who should buy which add-on
Best for
- Groups of 3-5 who already own the base game and want new Survivors, Killers, and Perks
- Players who want a light-complexity expansion they can teach quickly
- Fans who want to display a favorite Chapter through a print or figure
Not for
- Anyone who does not own the Dead by Daylight board game base game
- Two-player groups looking for a dedicated two-player experience
- Buyers who want a standalone game rather than an expansion
