Twelve names, not a thirteenth banana
Each survivor ships with a signature item that bends one rule. The Survivor starts with a pistol and no extra rule, which is why one 1.0 tier list calls that kit the safest first clear. Death, Carver, the astronaut, and the banana costume have their own unlock write-ups. This page is the roster. It does not pretend every unlock step is equally documented.
A second wiki says you meet a condition and then pay duct tape at the base. That payment is one source. I do not print a price the patch notes never gave.
Where the roster is thin
Sheriff “win one run” and Chicken “craft three legendaries” come from a September 2025 guide. I mark them as a single Early Access source. Santa’s holiday condition and the Vampire’s Shady Merchant visit are also single-source or unfinished. Präsident Knabe arrived with a collaboration code at Early Access; the code string was not in the press release I could read. The 1.0 notes do add Vampire: bats that grow, melee, and lifesteal.
Two tier standards, not one ranking
gamewiki ranks by how well a kit feeds itself: Vampire, Penny, and Surfer as strong; Carver, Bushy, Santa, and Astronaut as situational. deadlydayroadtrip.wiki ranks by first-clear odds and puts Survivor, Bushy, and Carver at S, with the Reaper at C. I am not averaging those letters. Use the filter on the table to scan signature items, then open the tier page if you want both grids in full.
| Sources | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Survivor | Pistol | Default survivor | Confirmed (default survivor) |
|
| The Sheriff | Sheriff Star | Win one run (EA source) | 1 source (KosGuides, EA); not re-confirmed for 1.0 | |
| Death (The Reaper) | Reaper kit / scythe | Overstay a stage; Reaper encounter/being killed (disputed) | Spawn: 2 sources; unlock condition: 3 conflicting accounts; studio undocumented |
|
| The Chicken | Challenge character | Craft three Legendary Items (EA source) | 1 source + achievement; 1.0 unlock not re-confirmed |
|
| The Astronaut | Astronaut suit / armour kit | Defend the space shuttle (Canyon; location reports differ) | 2–3 sources; location conflict; defend-the-shuttle is consistent |
|
| Präsident Knabe | Knabe Kola | Special collaboration code (string not published in accessible sources) | Official collaboration confirmed; code string unverified |
|
| The Carver | Pumpkin Turrets | Pumpkin + knife on Fields/Meadows until the map boss dies | 2 sources confirmed; achievement The First Cut (19.0%) |
|
| Bushy | Trap Seeds | 1000 rifle kills (Sharp-Shooter) | 2 sources confirmed; achievement 20.3% | |
| Penny the Clown | Funny Balloon | Three active Rubber Balls (Juggler) | Official 0.21 notes + 2 wikis; achievement 14.6% |
|
| Santa | Presents | Holiday update condition (exact step undocumented) | 1 source; unlock gap | |
| The Surfer | Surfboard | Six dashes of stamina | 2 sources confirmed | |
| The Vampire | Bats | Meet the Shady Merchant (hint; unconfirmed) | Official 1.0 notes; unlock unconfirmed |
|
Questions
How many characters are there?
Launch articles from Famitsu and AUTOMATON say 12. The Pixelsplit page still says 10+, which matches the Early Access copy.
Is the banana a character?
No. Both 1.0 wikis call the banana a costume. The Banana Banana achievement, at 58.5% on Steam’s public list, is finding that costume.
Who should you clear with first?
deadlydayroadtrip.wiki puts Survivor, Bushy, and Carver in S for a first clear. gamewiki instead calls Vampire, Penny, and Surfer strong. Those are different questions, so both tables stay.
Sources
- Famitsu launch article — checked 2026-11-02
- AUTOMATON — checked 2026-11-02
- Pixelsplit product page — checked 2026-11-02
- deadlydayroadtrip.wiki characters — checked 2026-11-02
Limitation: public sources can omit conditions or change after the date shown; source counts and disagreements are recorded below.