If Amazon’s Fallout has bedazzled you, you may want to play the games the show was based on, but in which order should you play them? With so many games in the Fallout series, this can get confusing.
There are two correct ways to play all the Fallout games in order: the order of release date and the chronological order, and we are going to cover both.
How to play the Fallout games in release date order
If you want to play the entire Fallout series in the order the games originally came out, then this is the way. We won’t be covering non-mainline games, so games like Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel and Fallout Shelter aren’t included.
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game (1997)
The original Fallout game was released in 1997 by Black Isle Studios, a division of Interplay Entertainment. This humble yet ambitious, post-apocalyptic isometric role-playing game captivated PC players all over the world with the number of ways you can play. If you plan to give this one a try, don’t forget to save often—the classic Fallout games can be very unforgiving.
Fallout 2 (1998)
Fallout 2 is essentially the same game as its predecessor but with a few more gameplay options and funnier dialogues. Just like the first game, it can be quite unforgiving, so absolutely save often.
Fallout 3 (2009)
11 years after Fallout 2, with only a few spin-off games in between, Bethesda bought the rights to the Fallout series and turned it into an open-world 3D RPG, similar to The Elder Scrolls series. This completely rejuvenated the Fallout franchise and brought many new fans. Despite some criticism from die-hard Fallout fans, Fallout 3 is the reason the franchise is alive and well, and why we have the Fallout TV show.
Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
A year after Fallout 3 came New Vegas. It has the same gameplay, same engine, same graphics, and yet, many (ourselves included) think this is the best modern Fallout game. Why? Because the original creators were behind it. Obsidian Entertainment, which consists of previous Black Isle Studios developers, created a more authentic Fallout experience while using Bethesda’s engine. In a way, you get the best of both worlds with Fallout: New Vegas—modern gameplay, original ideas, and design.
Fallout 4 (2015)
Six years after releasing Fallout 3, Bethesda is back with Fallout 4, and fans loved it… at first. Despite receiving great reviews at launch, as time went on, many considered Fallout 4 to be a watered-down version of the Fallout experience. Gone was the morality system, dialogue choices were fewer, and the once-unforgiving wasteland was now filled with friendlier inhabitants.
Fallout 76 (2020)
When it came out, Fallout 76 was not a good game. Instead of making another single-player Fallout experience, Bethesda decided to make it a multiplayer live-service game, and absolutely everything went wrong. The game was plagued with bugs and connection issues, the leveling system didn’t make sense, the multiplayer was broken, and there was little hope for the game.
Fortunately, after several mega patches and updates, the game is in a much healthier state now.
How to play the Fallout games in chronological order
If you want to follow the Fallout timeline, this is the way to go:
Fallout 76 (2102)
After the bombs dropped, you play as one of the first settlers to leave the very first vault (76). Originally, the game wasn’t supposed to have any human NPCs, but they got added later after a few updates. Experience what the Fallout world turned into almost immediately after the nukes fell in Fallout 76—complete with microtransactions.
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game (2161)
In Fallout, you play as a lonely wanderer who has just emerged from his underground vault and is looking for a Water Chip to save his fellow Vault dwellers. Even today, it’s amazing how many options you had in the first Fallout game. Kill everyone or talk your way out of difficult situations while trying to survive the unforgiving wastelands.
Fallout 2 (2241)
Fallout 2 takes place after the events of Fallout. This time, instead of saving your fellow Vault dwellers, you are looking for a way to help your tribe by finding a G.E.C.K. (Garden of Eden Creation Kit). Venture yet again into the unforgiving wilderness and see how the world has (read: hasn’t) changed since the first game.
Fallout 3 (2277)
In Fallout 3, you play as a child born inside a Vault who steps out to look for their father. Despite having super-mutants and ghouls, the world is much friendlier than previous Fallout games. Still great fun.
Fallout: New Vegas (2281)
In Fallout: New Vegas, you play as a courier who gets shot at the beginning of the game only to get yourself involved in a complete gang war of all factions. Just like Fallout 3, New Vegas is still fun to this day.
Fallout 4 (2296)
In Fallout 4, you play as a concerned mother or father who goes on a journey to save their offspring, only to be distracted by side quests and the very addictive crafting and base-building system. While it hasn’t aged as gracefully as some of the other titles on this list, Fallout 4 is still a fun experience.
