Last updated: 3 July 2026

Dead by Daylight How to Loop Killers Pallets, Windows & Chase Fundamentals

Looping is the core survival skill in Dead by Daylight. The idea is simple: lead the Killer in circles around obstacles — pallets, windows, and environmental structures — to waste as much of their time as possible while your teammates repair generators. A Survivor who burns 60 seconds in a single chase has given their team time to complete a generator. This guide covers pallet mechanics, window vaulting, the most important loop structures, and the perks that extend how long you last in a chase.

01What Is Looping?

Looping means running a repeated circular path around an obstacle — usually a pallet or a building — to keep yourself out of the Killer's melee range. The Killer must destroy a pallet to get through it, and cannot vault windows as quickly as Survivors, which creates time gaps you exploit by staying on the other side of these obstacles.

The goal of a loop is not to escape the Killer permanently — it is to delay them long enough that the match objective (generators) progresses in your team's favour. A survivor who lasts 40 seconds in a chase bought their team time to complete half a generator. One who lasts 90 seconds may have bought an entire one.

Looping is a learnable skill but it takes practice. Beginners will waste pallets quickly, mistime vaults, and run into dead ends. The improvement curve is steep but steady — the principles are consistent across all maps.

02Pallet Mechanics

Pallets are wooden structures scattered across the map that can be dropped to block the Killer's path or stun them. Every pallet is a one-use resource — once dropped and either used as a stun or destroyed by the Killer, it is gone for the rest of the trial.

• Dropping a pallet: Press the action button while near a standing pallet to drop it. The pallet stuns the Killer if they walk into it immediately after it falls (this is called a stun). The stun lasts about 2.5 seconds and gives you significant distance.
• Pallet blocking: Even without a stun, a dropped pallet blocks the Killer's path and forces them to either destroy it (taking several seconds) or go around. This alone provides valuable distance.
• When to drop vs when to hold: The key decision in every loop. Dropping too early wastes the pallet — you lose its value as a looping tool. Dropping too late means the Killer hits you before you can benefit. The general rule: drop the pallet when the Killer is close enough that their attack would connect in the next step or two, not the moment you feel pressure.
• Mindgaming pallets: Killers can "mindgame" a pallet — they stop and wait rather than committing to the loop, trying to bait your drop or push you to the other side. If the Killer stops at a pallet, you can sometimes loop back around to the same side, forcing them to follow and resetting the chase on your terms.
• God Pallets: Certain pallets in specific structures — most famously the Killer Shack pallet — are called God Pallets because of their uniquely strong position. A God Pallet completely cuts off the Killer's path and gives you a window vault as a secondary escape. Do not waste God Pallets early.

03Window Vaulting

Windows are permanent loop elements that cannot be destroyed. Every window has a vault, and survivors vault them faster than Killers — though the exact speed depends on the type of vault and the window position.

• Vault types: There are three vault speeds. A fast vault (also called a running or diving vault) takes approximately 0.5 seconds and occurs when you vault while sprinting directly into the window at speed. A medium vault takes around 0.9 seconds. A slow vault (crawl) takes approximately 1.5 seconds. In a chase you almost always want fast vaults — anything slower can let the Killer catch up.
• How to get a fast vault: Sprint directly toward the window and press vault at full running speed. Approaching at an angle or slowing down before the window reduces your vault speed. Practice the approach angle until fast vaults become automatic.
• The Killer's vault speed: Killers vault most windows at a slower base speed than Survivors on a fast vault, and some Killers cannot vault at all (the Nurse, for example). This gap is what makes window loops viable — you gain distance every time you clear the window cleanly.
• Window exhaustion: If you vault a window too many times in quick succession during a chase, the game may briefly block the vault (the window becomes blocked). This forces you to move to a different structure or hold W (run away from the Killer) to reset the window cooldown. The exact frequency before exhaustion depends on the individual window.

04Key Loop Structures

Maps are generated with recurring template structures. Learning which structures exist and how to use them is the foundation of consistent looping.

• Killer Shack (the Shack): A small building that appears on almost every map. The Shack contains one or two windows and a pallet at the door. It is the most iconic loop in DbD — run circles inside and outside using the windows and the pallet (save the pallet for as long as possible). Once the Shack pallet is used, the Shack provides much weaker value.
• Jungle Gym: A modular structure of low walls and a pallet that creates an L or T-shaped loop. The loop is smaller than the Shack, but there are usually several Jungle Gyms on each map. Use the walls to block line of sight and force the Killer to commit to one side.
• Main Building (realm-specific): Some realms have a large main building (for example, the main building on the Coldwind Farm maps or the Thompson House on the Backwater Swamp) with multiple windows and pallets. These offer the most loop potential but are also contested resource points.
• Deadzone: Deadzones are areas on the map with no pallets or windows nearby. If a chase starts in a deadzone, you need to run toward the nearest loop as quickly as possible. Running straight at the Killer's gap in terrain is the "hold W" technique — sprint away from the Killer until you reach a structure rather than attempting to loop in open space.

05Key Chase Principles

• 45-degree rule: When a pallet is between you and the Killer and they are chasing from the same side, moving at roughly a 45-degree angle away from the pallet rather than running straight allows you to arrive at the next safe point (or force the Killer to commit) without sprinting into a wall.
• Line of sight breaks: Every moment the Killer cannot see you, you can change direction unpredictably. Break line of sight around corners, crouch briefly behind obstacles, and change your running angle. Killers who know exactly where you're going can predict your path and cut it off.
• Don't run in a straight line: A Killer's base movement speed (4.4 or 4.6 m/s depending on the Killer) is faster than a Survivor's running speed (4.0 m/s). Running in a straight line means the Killer closes the gap every second. Every turn, corner, and loop structure you introduce costs the Killer more steps and slows their approach.
• Learn the Killer's attack range: Each Killer's basic attack has a reach and lunge animation. Knowing how far their swing extends lets you time your vault just far enough out of range. This is especially critical at pallets, where you want to drop the pallet at the moment they begin the swing.

06Best Perks for Looping

• Windows of Opportunity (Kate Denson): Shows the auras of all pallets, breakable walls, and windows within 32 metres for 10 seconds. This is the most impactful learning perk for new loopers — you always know where the next safe structure is without needing map memorization.
• Resilience: While injured, all actions (including vaulting) are 9% faster. The faster vault speed means you clear windows slightly ahead of what the Killer expects, which can turn a borderline catch into a clean escape.
• Sprint Burst (Meg Thomas) or Lithe (Feng Min): Sprint Burst gives 150% speed when you start running — useful for reaching the nearest loop fast. Lithe activates after a fast vault, giving 150% speed for 3 seconds, which is ideal for loop-heavy play because it rewards successful window clears with an immediate distance burst. Both are exhaustion perks — pick one.
• Dead Hard (David King): The Endurance effect allows you to absorb a hit at a pallet or window without going down, extending the chase by at least one more loop. Best used at the moment the Killer commits to a swing near your loop structure.