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

Despite having only a handful of titles, Fallout has become a surprisingly influential and well-known series in popular culture.

From the first Fallout game in 1997 to the recent TV series, and including popular titles like Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Fallout 4, it’s been an exciting journey for fans of the franchise.

Fallout 5 isn’t out yet, but that means you have plenty of time to enjoy the existing Fallout games – or revisit your favorites!

If you’re just starting the Fallout series, revisiting old favorites, or planning to play through the games as the story happens, here’s a complete list of Fallout games, shown both by when they were released and in the order the story takes place.

What’s the best Fallout game to play first?

We posed this question to a developer from Bethesda, the creators of the Fallout series, while at the BAFTA Games Awards 2024. Check out the video below to hear his response!

If you’re thinking about playing all the Fallout games, it’s good to know that the first two are different from the newer ones. They’re classic RPGs with a top-down perspective, while the later games are more action-focused.

We recommend that new viewers begin with one of the more recent installments of this post-apocalyptic series.

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

We think Fallout 4 is the best place to start playing, as it’s the most recent version and came out in November 2015.

Each game features a unique story you can enjoy on your own, so starting with the newest one is a great idea. It will have more user-friendly controls and is readily 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

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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

Every Fallout game takes place in the United States. With the exception of Fallout 76, the games were released and are set in the same chronological order.

Fallout 76

As a huge Fallout fan, I’m really excited about Fallout 76! It’s set in West Virginia, specifically the Appalachia region, about 25 years after a nuclear war wiped out most of the world – so we’re looking at the year 2102. You play as someone leaving the safety of Vault 76 to explore the wasteland, facing all sorts of dangers. What’s really cool is it’s the earliest story we’ve ever seen in a Fallout game, and you can play it all by yourself or team up with other players online!

Get Fallout 76 at Amazon

Fallout

The original Fallout game is set in 2161, and follows the story of people living in underground vaults in Southern California. As a classic role-playing game, it challenges players to survive against mutants, gangs, and robots, where every choice you make matters.

Get Fallout at CDKeys

Fallout 2

Set eighty years after the first game and 164 years after the bombs fell, Fallout 2 takes place in Northern California in the year 2241. Players become The Chosen One, the grandchild of the original game’s hero, and must save their village of Arroyo from a severe drought. To do so, they embark on a quest to find a Garden of Eden Creation Kit (GECK) before time runs out.

Get Fallout 2 at CDKeys

Fallout 3

Okay, so Fallout 3 takes you to Washington, D.C. in the year 2277, which is a really cool setting! You start as someone who grew up in Vault 101, and the main story is all about finding your dad after he suddenly leaves the vault. It’s a bit of a mystery, and honestly, it’s awesome that Liam Neeson does the voice acting for him – it really adds to the experience!

Get Fallout 3 at Amazon

Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas takes place in the Mojave Desert, just four years after the events of the previous game, now set in 2281. Players control The Courier, also known as Courier Six, who miraculously survives a gunshot to the head and embarks on a quest for revenge, facing numerous obstacles along the way.

Get Fallout: New Vegas at CDKeys

Fallout 4

Fallout 4 takes place in Boston in the year 2287. You play as the sole survivor of Vault 111, searching the ruined city for your missing son. During your journey, you’ll meet several groups, including the Brotherhood of Steel, The Railroad, The Institute, and the Commonwealth Minutemen.