Dead by Daylight‘s recent Sinister Grace update adds two new characters inspired by Thai culture and mythology: the Krasue, a fearsome new Killer that can shift between human and monstrous forms; and Vee Boonyasak, the game’s latest Survivor and an energetic young drummer. This also marks the first time Southeast Asian culture is folded into the terrifying world of Dead by Daylight.
We recently had the opportunity to interview Dave Richard, Senior Creative Director on Dead by Daylight, who shared some of his insights on the exciting new update.
1. What led the team to explore Southeast Asian folklore for the first time in this new update?
Southeast Asian folklore has fascinated us for a long time. The monster stories are so rich, the protagonists are complex and human all at once; visually, they are breathtaking and intricate. Plus, we knew we had amazing Thai and South East Asian players who would love to see such an important element of their culture represented.
Horror has the power to bring people together and we are thrilled that we’ve been able to introduce the Krasue to many new eyes and have made Southeast Asian folklore accessible to a new audience.
2. How many Southeast Asian monsters did the team “audition” before landing on the Krasue, and what ultimately led to that decision?
We explored two Southeast Asian monsters – the Krasue being one of them. Very quickly though we landed on the Krasue because she is so powerful visually, she elicits such visceral reactions that we knew that we had landed on our next Killer.
3. Compared to your previous experience adapting more Western horror stories, was there anything about adapting Southeast Asian folklore that felt immediately distinct?
While it is the first time that we are adapting a Southeast Asian monster, we’ve had nearly 10 years of experience in adapting monsters from cultures the world over and while each culture is unique, there are similarities between the stories that are told.
In the case of the Krasue, what felt very distinct for us was how it was also telling of Thailand’s, and more generally South East Asia’s, desire to embrace modernity while still being steeped in tradition. We also wanted to reflect this dichotomy in how we approached Burong and Vee, our Survivor.
Lastly, we had the pleasure of working with a consultant to insure that our interpretation of the Krasue was on point and of course, done with the utmost care.
4. How did you balance translating the Krasue’s abilities into gameplay while staying true to the original folklore?
We have attempted (and I hope have succeeded) in staying true to the original folklore, hence why it was important to us to have two forms for the Krasue: her human and monster form. Of course, we also wanted the monster form to be on point visually, with the floating organs.
That being said, the Krasue’s abilities were predominantly influenced by Burong Sakapat, who is the human behind the Krasue. The screams the Krasue makes and the poisoning that she is able to inflict are based on Burong’s life before being cursed.
5. If the Krasue represents tradition and Vee Boonyasak represents modernity, what elements of modern Thai culture were infused into Vee’s survivor design?
For us Vee really embodies Thai modernity; through her fashion sense and also through the instrument that she plays. As for her personality, we also wanted her to be a representation of Thai culture: friendly, welcoming and kind.
6. How has the reception been from the Thai Dead By Daylight community so far?
Phenomenal. Truly – we’re so grateful for the amazing reaction from our Thai community.
7. Is the team looking to adapt more Southeast Asian folklore in future updates, e.g. the Pocong, the Tikbalang?
We certainly would love to!
We’d like to once again thank the Dead by Daylight team for sharing their thoughts with us! You can learn more about the game and catch up with the latest updates via the official Dead by Daylight website.
