Death Penalty Survival Checklist

Print this mentally—or leave the tab open. Death Penalty rounds move too fast for improvisation every spin. This checklist turns How to Survive, Volts and Boosts, and the Experiment Danger Tier List into actions you can tick off before and during a match.

Pre-match checklist

Complete these before the first wheel click.

Account and loadout

• Confirm you know your Volt balance and whether you still need Immunity Collar (or equivalent random-death protection). Survival gear outranks cosmetics—see the Collar & Item Tier List.
• Set a Force Experiment budget: one preferred skill force (often Duel ~400 Volts if that is your win condition) plus a late-game reserve. Do not enter broke.
• Warm up reaction: if you plan to Force or contest Duel, do a quick click-timing practice outside the lobby.
• Rehearse Simon Says traps: move only on real Simon lines; never fire on the unprefixed “kill someone” finale.
• Audio on. Announcer lines and footsteps matter in Murderer, Chaos, and Showdown.
• Keybinds comfortable: move, crouch, jump, shoot/reload. Misclicking green-light Duel is a self-kill.

Mental contract

• Decide your social persona for this lobby: helpful early (Favorites insurance) or silent lurker (lower drama, fewer allies). Mixing randomly confuses voters.
• Accept that Random Execution and Five Buttons can delete you with no skill expression. Plan around variance instead of raging queue.
• Skim All Experiments only if a new mode appeared after a patch; otherwise trust the Experiment Reference mid-fight.

Map priming

• Note at least two hide pockets away from main halls for Murderer / Chaos panic.
• Remember Water Tank pad locations so you are never the clueless stomper—or the ignored victim with no plea.
• Mark Force Experiment purchase area near the cell block so you are not hunting UI while the wheel is already spinning.
• If you use revive windows near the coffin area after death, know the timing so a ~500 Volt spend is not wasted.

Mid-match checklist — early lobby (many alive)

• Survive opening Random Execution energy: stay calm, do not waste Force yet.
• Be visible enough to earn Favorites goodwill—help Water Tank victims or Challenge clarity when it does not endanger you.
• Track loud betrayers from Split or Steal; they become Dropper / Last Pick targets later.
• Keep Volts unless an obvious +EV force appears (example: you are a Duel demon and two problem players remain in the pool).
• When Murderer rolls, break line of sight immediately—checklist item one is leave the atrium.
• Timebomb on you: pass within seconds; do not invent a cinematic run.

Mid-match checklist — social spins

• Favorites: Type a short save pitch if nominated; vote with your bloc; never go AFK during ballots.
• Split or Steal: Default distrust in public lobbies unless you have a pre-made. Mutual Steal is still a double death—know why you click.
• Last Pick: Nominate someone already radioactive; keep allies in the chain; do not freeze on the timer.
• Dropper: If you hold the choice, decide early so you do not become the failed timer death.
• Linked: Play as a unit; remember shared death risk until late breaks—do not drag a partner into Chaos ego plays.

Deep social reads stay in How to Survive; this list only forces the habits.

Mid-match checklist — skill spins

• Duel: Eyes on light, no early spam, commit on green. Review Duel between games if you whiff.
• Simon Says: Obey prefix rules; guns out ≠ free kills. See Simon Says.
• Showdown / Chaos: Grab cover, listen for reloads, prefer headshots when firearms appear. Do not Force Chaos into a circus lobby—tier logic on Experiment tiers.
• Challenge: Blue pad to skip; orange only if your obby is trustworthy. First clearer lives; nobody finishes = challenger wipe.
• Handout / Finders Keepers: Respect the disposable revolver. If you are unarmed, break LOS with the holder.

Force Experiment budget rules

Tick these before every purchase:

• Does this force remove a threat or put me into a mode I win?
• Is survivor count low enough that the force matters?
• Will I still have Volts for a final pivot?
• Am I tilting? If yes, do not buy.

Useful spends usually mirror A/S items on the Collar & Item Tier List and skill modes on the danger list. Panic forces into Timebomb, Massacre, or full-lobby Chaos are almost never on this checklist.

Late-game checklist (final ~8 to Showdown)

• Swap from “avoid RNG” to “win contested modes.” Hiding forever loses when the wheel demands Duel or Showdown.
• Recount Volt reserve; one clean Force can decide the final table.
• Refresh hide spots—Murderer in a tiny lobby is personal.
• Expect Showdown at two survivors: weapon roulette, lights down, no participation trophy.
• If Revive brings a ghost back, reassess who the new favorite threat is.
• After you win or die, note the failure tier (RNG / skill / social / panic) and open the matching guide—not another instant queue flame.

Post-match micro-review (60 seconds)

• Did I die to something Immunity would have stopped? Adjust collar priority.
• Did I lose a skill mode I should farm? Drill Duel / Simon.
• Did social votes delete me? Fix early-lobby reputation.
• Did I waste Volts? Reread Volts and Boosts.
• Need a one-line refresh next round? Keep Experiment Reference docked.

Quick link rack

• Tools Hub — all utilities
• Getting Started — onboarding
• All Experiments — full rules
• Tier List Hub — rankings index
• Scripts Hub / Executor Safety — if you are tempted by shortcuts, read safety first

Run the checklist until it is muscle memory. The prison will still roll cruel numbers—but you will stop donating free deaths to panic, empty wallets, and unread Simon lines.