Quick answer
New player wants to know what scratch marks and blood pools mean and how to use or hide them.
What scratch marks mean
Scratch marks are one of the first tracking clues every new player should learn. Survivors usually create them when they run, and killers use the marks to understand direction, recency, and whether a survivor turned, doubled back, or left the tile.
- Running creates a trail that can reveal your route to the killer.
- Walking or crouching can reduce the obvious trail, but it costs time.
- A broken or scattered trail often means the survivor changed direction.
What blood pools add
Blood pools can appear around injured survivors and help killers continue a chase when direct vision is lost. They are not a perfect arrow, but they are especially useful when a survivor cuts through corn, tall grass, dark rooms, or cluttered structures.
- Blood is most useful after the killer loses line of sight.
- Survivors should avoid running in a straight injured line through dead zones.
- Killers should check blood, sound, and scratch marks before guessing.
Common beginner mistakes
New survivors often run everywhere and wonder why the killer always finds them. New killers often stare at one clue and miss the rest of the match. Strong tracking is a small checklist: recent marks, injured sounds, blood, generator noise, crows, and likely routes to safety.
- Do not sprint across the map when the killer is nearby but not chasing.
- Do not assume old scratch marks mean the survivor is still there.
- Do not follow a trail into an empty corner if generators are flying.
Recommended next pages
These pages split scratch marks, blood, sound, and role-specific tracking into practical survivor and killer habits.
Do survivors always leave scratch marks?
No. Running usually creates scratch marks, but walking, crouching, perks, powers, and some situations can reduce or change the trail.
Should survivors walk everywhere to hide scratch marks?
No. Walking everywhere wastes too much time. Hide tracks only when the killer is close, you are near a rescue, or you need to break chase cleanly.