Fallout games in order: What's the best way to play Fallout?

It would then be another decade before Fallout returned, taking it to new levels in the more action-orientated Fallout 3.

A brief handing over of the IP to Obsidian Entertainment (now known for The Outer Worlds) resulted in the much-beloved Fallout: New Vegas, before another five years would pass before Fallout 4 hit in 2015.

Sure, there have been spin-offs in between, and a load of DLC - but those mainline entries take years to build.

Who knows how long we'll be waiting for Fallout 5? Well, at least we have the Amazon Fallout TV show to keep us occupied.

Outside of that, it's a great time to bunker down and make your way through the RPG series, whether it be the first time or the 18th. We're not here to judge.

What we are here to do is list out all of the Fallout games in chronological order, so you know where to begin.

What’s the best Fallout game to play first?

We actually asked this question to one of the developers from Bethesda, makers of the Fallout games, at the BAFTA Games Awards 2024. See what he said in the video below!

While you might naturally be drawn to the first Fallout game when considering playing the lot, it's worth noting that the first and second entries are more top-down classic RPGs, as opposed to the modern action RPGs of today's standards.

That's why we would advise anyone approaching the post-apocalyptic series for the first time to start with one of the titles from the 21st century.

This then comes to Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4.

Since the latter is the latest iteration and was launched in November 2015, Fallout 4 is the best starting point, in our opinion.

Every game has its own single-player adventure that stands by itself, so it makes sense to jump into the most modern of the lot. Not only will the controls be easier to pick up, but it's much easier to access, being available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.

Get Fallout 4 at Amazon

Fallout games in release date order

Fallout mainline

• Fallout – 1997
• Fallout 2 – 1998
• Fallout 3 – 2008
• Fallout 4 – 2015
• Fallout 5 – Upcoming (release date TBC)

Fallout spin-offs

• Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel – 2001
• Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel – 2004
• Fallout: New Vegas – 2010
• Fallout Pinball – 2016
• Fallout 76 – 2018

Fallout DLC

Fallout 3 DLC came out in this order:

• Operation: Anchorage (Fallout 3) – January 2009
• The Pitt (Fallout 3) – March 2009
• Broken Steel (Fallout 3) – May 2009
• Point Lookout (Fallout 3) – June 2009
• Mothership Zetra (Fallout 3) – August 2009

Fallout: New Vegas DLC came out in this order:

• Dead Money (Fallout: New Vegas) – December 2010
• Honest Hearts (Fallout: New Vegas) – May 2011
• Old World Blues (Fallout: New Vegas) – July 2011
• Lonesome Road (Fallout: New Vegas) – September 2011

Fallout 4 DLC came out in this order:

• Automatron (Fallout 4) – March 2016
• Wasteland Workshop (Fallout 4) – April 2016
• Far Harbor (Fallout 4) – May 2016
• Contraptions Workshop (Fallout 4) – June 2016
• Vault-Tec Workshop (Fallout 4) – July 2016
• Nuka-World (Fallout 4) – August 2016
• High Resolution Texture Pack (Fallout 4) – February 2017

Fallout games in story order

All Fallout games are set in the US, and apart from Fallout 76, have been released in timeline order as well as release order.

Fallout 76

Twenty-five years after a nuclear war devasted Earth, Fallout 76 is set in Appalachia and takes place in the year 2102. As a member of Vault 76, players leave the comfort of their homes to scour the wastelands and take on its greatest threats, either in solo or online multiplayer. This is the earliest timeline for the Fallout series.

Get Fallout 76 at Amazon

Fallout

The first Fallout picks up in the year 2161, with these vault dwellers being residents of Southern California. The classic top-down RPG gameplay sees players facing mutants, gangsters and robotic enemies - with every decision vital to their survival.

Get Fallout at CDKeys

Fallout 2

Eighty years on from the original and 164 years since the nuclear bomb was dropped, Fallout 2 switches to Northern California in the year 2241. Players take control of The Chosen One, the grandchild of the first game's protagonist who attempts to save their village of Arroyo following a record drought. To do this, they must journey to retrieve a Garden of Eden Creation Kit (GECK) before it is too late.

Get Fallout 2 at CDKeys

Fallout 3

Pushing forward to the year 2277, Fallout 3 goes capital, with the game's story centred around Washington, DC. As an inhabitant of Vault 101, players venture to the Capital Wasteland to find their father after he disappears from the vault under mysterious circumstances. It's also worth noting that the father is voiced by Liam Neeson.

Get Fallout 3 at Amazon

Fallout: New Vegas

The Mojave Desert is home to Fallout: New Vegas, with only four years separating this game and the previous one, now set in the year 2281. Taking control of The Courier (or Courier Six), who survives a bullet to the head, they set out on a journey of revenge while going head-to-head with all that stands in their way.

Get Fallout: New Vegas at CDKeys

Fallout 4

The most recent iteration of Fallout heads to Boston in the year 2287. As the only survivor of Vault 111, players search the wastelands for their kidnapped son. Along the journey, they encounter the Brotherhood of Steel, The Railroad, The Institute and the Commonwealth Minutemen.

Get Fallout 4 at Amazon

Read more on Fallout:

• Best Fallout 4 mods - and how to use them
• Fallout 4 cheats - the full list
• When is Fallout 4 set? Timeline explained
• Is Fallout 76 cross-platform?
• How to get Fallout 76 free - Prime Gaming deal
• Fallout: New Vegas cheats
• Fallout: New Vegas explained - how will TV address it?
• Fallout London release date - latest news
• Will there be a Fallout 3 Remastered? What we know
• Fallout 3 cheats
• Fallout 5 release date speculation
• Fallout 4 next-gen update - key details
• Fallout season 2 - will the TV show continue?

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