There’s no arguing against it, theFalloutuniverse is huge. With a canonical timeline spanning over 1,000 years, there’s a lot of history packed into relatively few games. Thankfully, the games don’t span the entire timeline, instead spanning a 195 year period between 2102 and 2287.
Fallout 76 (Set in 2102)
Despite being the latest game to be released,Fallout 76is actually set right at the very beginning of the timeline in terms of theFalloutgames. Set just 25 years after the events of the Great War, the residents of Vault 76 are among the first people to resurface into the Wastes, leaving the safety of the Vault for Reclamation Day.
Fallout (Set in 2161)
The first releasedFalloutgame was, untilFallout 76hit the scene, also the earliest part of the timeline seen in game form. Set 59 years after the events ofFallout 76,Falloutsees the main character set out in search of a water chip before time runs out, and everyone in Vault 13 perishes. The main character goes through untold hardship, only to end up exiled for their troubles.
Fallout Tactics (Set in 2197)
Despite being released three years afterFallout 2, the events ofFallout Tacticsoccur 36 years after the events ofFalloutand 44 years before the events ofFallout 2. Gameplay is very different from both games, with the focus being more on tactical combat, as the name suggests.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (Set in 2208)
Released three years afterFallout Tactics, the events ofFallout: Brotherhood of Steeltake place just 9 years later, althoughTodd Howard would confirmthat neitherTacticsnorBrotherhoodwere considered part of the canon when makingFallout 3, saying, “For our purposes, neitherFallout TacticsnorFallout: Brotherhood of Steelhappened.”
Fallout 2 (Set in 2241)
Prior to the release ofTacticsandBrotherhood of Steel,Fallout 2would indeed have been a direct sequel to the original Fallout. The story ofFallout 2sees you playing as a direct descendant of the exiled main character from Vault 13, who must leave the safety of Arroya in search of a G.E.C.K.
Fallout 3 (Set in 2277)
The firstFalloutgame developed by Bethesda,Fallout 3sees events occurring 36 years after the events ofFallout 2. This is likely theFalloutgame which most people have the most vivid memories of; where you begin the game as a child in Vault 101, aging up and taking the G.O.A.T. before leaving the Vault in search of your father.
Fallout: New Vegas (Set in 2281)
With events set just four years after those ofFallout 3,Fallout: New Vegassees you playing as a courier who, after being shot in the head, goes on a fairly violent quest across the state of Nevada to find who did this, why, and what happened to their final delivery.
Fallout Shelter (Set circa 2286)
Fallout Sheltertakes place immediately before the events ofFallout 4, though the exact year has never been confirmed. As a mobile game,Fallout Shelteris markedly different from all of the other games mentioned here, with gameplay focusing more on Vault management than combat or exploration.
Fallout 4 (Set in 2287)
Fallout 4was the furthest into the future of the Fallout universe that we actually saw until the addition of the newFalloutTV show. Events inFallout 4take place only one year after the events ofFallout Shelter, 195 years after the events of the originalFalloutgame and 210 years after the Great War. WhereFallout 3saw you head out in search of your father,Fallout 4sees you head out in search for your son after he was stolen during your stint in Vault 88, held under cryogenic stasis.
Here are all of theFalloutgames ordered by release date:
What order should you play the Fallout games in?
The order you choose to play theFalloutgames in is entirely up to you, and your preference for graphics and play style. While playing chronologically is the best way to learn everything there is to know about the lore and history of theFalloutuniverse, it’s not a requirement to do so.
It is entirely possible to dive straight intoFallout 4, for example, without having too much knowledge of the lore and history. While the story is undoubtedly connected to other games and you’ll miss out on a lot of easter eggs and lore tidbits, you can enjoy the experience of the game without having to worry too much.
Of course, if you want to play by release order, you will be able to appreciate just how far these games have come in terms of development and graphics, while being gradually introduced into the universe and the concepts therein.
