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Choose by the kind of experience you want, not by release order. Fallout: New Vegas is the best fit for faction politics and role-playing choices; Fallout 4 for crafting and settlement building; and Fallout 76 for an online world you can explore alone or with friends. For classic turn-based RPGs, start with Fallout or Fallout 2. Bethesda says any Fallout game can be your first, so you do not need to play them chronologically.
Which Fallout game fits what you want to play?
| If you want… | Start with… | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| A classic, turn-based RPG with character builds and dialogue choices | Fallout | The Vault Dweller leaves Vault 13 to solve a water crisis in Southern California. The game features companions, build options, dialogue choices, and turn-based combat. Bethesda’s Fallout guide |
| A direct classic sequel set in a broader West Coast world | Fallout 2 | The Chosen One seeks a G.E.C.K. for a drought-stricken village in Northern California and Oregon; gameplay remains turn-based. Bethesda’s Fallout guide |
| Squad tactics rather than a typical solo RPG | Fallout Tactics | Build a Brotherhood squad and choose between real-time or turn-based combat. Bethesda’s Fallout guide |
| Ruined Washington landmarks and a personal search story | Fallout 3 | The Lone Wanderer leaves Vault 101 to search for their father in the Capital Wasteland; choices shape the region. Bethesda’s Fallout guide |
| Desert travel, rival factions, and consequential role-playing | Fallout: New Vegas | A delivery job goes wrong for the Courier in the Mojave, drawing them into a power struggle involving groups such as the NCR and Caesar’s Legion. Bethesda’s Fallout guide |
| Crafting, settlements, and exploration around Boston | Fallout 4 | The Sole Survivor searches for family in the Commonwealth, with settlement building, crafting, factions, Power Armor, and companions. Bethesda’s Fallout guide |
| Online exploration, events, or C.A.M.P. building | Fallout 76 | Set in Appalachia, this multiplayer entry supports exploring alone or with friends, as well as building a C.A.M.P. Bethesda’s Fallout 76 page |
| Vault management instead of a wasteland RPG | Fallout Shelter | A management-focused spin-off about running a Vault, not a mainline exploration RPG. Bethesda’s Fallout guide |
Pick by gameplay and story
For faction choices: Fallout: New Vegas
New Vegas centers on a Courier caught in a struggle for power across the Mojave. Choose it if you want conversations, faction maneuvering, and role-playing decisions to drive your experience more than building a home base. Bethesda’s chooser also points players who enjoy faction conflict and conversation toward New Vegas. Bethesda’s Fallout guide · Bethesda’s game chooser
For building and crafting: Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is the most direct recommendation if you want to shape settlements while exploring the Commonwealth. Its family-search premise gives the journey a personal starting point, while crafting and settlement construction provide ongoing projects alongside the story. Bethesda’s Fallout guide
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For solo or shared online exploration: Fallout 76
Fallout 76 differs structurally from the single-player story entries: it is an online multiplayer game set in Appalachia. Bethesda’s guide describes both solo exploration and playing with friends, so the online format does not mean you must approach the world as a group. Choose it for shared exploration, events, and C.A.M.P. building. Bethesda’s Fallout 76 page
#1 Best Overall
- Freedom and Liberty Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours
- Be whoever you want with the special character system. From a power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of perks and develop your own playstyle
- New next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of fallout. From the blasted forests of the common wealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage
For classic turn-based role-playing: Fallout or Fallout 2
The first two games suit players who specifically want turn-based combat and older-school character building. Fallout follows the Vault Dweller’s mission to address a water crisis; Fallout 2 is a direct sequel in which the Chosen One seeks a G.E.C.K. for a struggling village. Pick the original for the starting point of the series’ West Coast setting, or the sequel for a later chapter in that world. Bethesda’s Fallout guide
For a personal wasteland story: Fallout 3
Fallout 3 sends the Lone Wanderer out of Vault 101 in search of their father. Its Capital Wasteland setting puts ruined Washington landmarks at the center of exploration, making it a natural choice if that atmosphere and premise appeal more than faction politics or settlement building. Bethesda’s Fallout guide
Rank #2
- Freedom and Liberty Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours
- Be whoever you want with the special character system. From a power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of perks and develop your own playstyle
- New next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of fallout. From the blasted forests of the common wealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage
For tactical squad combat: Fallout Tactics
Fallout Tactics is a spin-off built around a Brotherhood squad, with combat available in real-time or turn-based modes. It is the option for tactical encounters rather than the more typical solo role-playing journey through a wasteland. Bethesda’s Fallout guide
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFor Vault management: Fallout Shelter
Choose Fallout Shelter if managing a Vault and its resources sounds more appealing than roaming the wasteland. It is a separate management experience, not a substitute for the mainline RPG format. Bethesda’s Fallout guide
Rank #3
- Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition PS3
- console-video-games
Do you need to play Fallout in chronological order?
No. Bethesda Game Studios says, “The universe of Fallout is rich and rewarding for those who love to dig deep into the lore, but any Fallout game can be your first.” The games take place across different regions and follow different protagonists, so choosing by setting or gameplay is a sensible way to begin. Bethesda Game Studios’ Fallout timeline
If you do want an in-universe sequence, the mainline chronology is Fallout 76 (2102), Fallout (2161), Fallout 2 (2241), Fallout 3 (2277), Fallout: New Vegas (2281), and Fallout 4 (2287). These are fictional setting years, not release years. Fallout 76 is earliest in the timeline, even though it is not the first game in the series. Bethesda Game Studios’ Fallout timeline
Rank #4
![Fallout 4 | Anniversary Edition | Nintendo Switch 2 [Code in Box]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41nB7eUArSL._SL160_.jpg)
- ANNIVERSARY EDITION — Celebrate ten years of Fallout 4 with the complete post‑nuclear RPG experience, winner of over 200 Best Of awards including DICE and BAFTA Game of the Year.
- COMPLETE BASE GAME INCLUDED — Experience the full Fallout 4 main campaign as the Sole Survivor of Vault 111, shaping the fate of the Commonwealth through meaningful choices, factions, and exploration.
- ALL 6 OFFICIAL EXPANSIONS — Includes Automatron, Wasteland Workshop, Far Harbor, Contraptions Workshop, Vault‑Tec Workshop, and Nuka‑World for massive story, settlement, and gameplay additions.
- 150+ CREATION CLUB ITEMS — Expand your adventure with curated Creation Club content featuring unique weapons, power armor sets, building packs, paint jobs, player homes, and Dogmeat cosmetic variants.
- OPEN‑WORLD FREEDOM — Explore hundreds of locations, craft weapons and armor, build and manage settlements, and customize your playstyle using the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system and perk progression.
Check platform and edition before buying
Platform support, storefront listings, editions, and backward compatibility can differ by game and may change. Check the current official listing for the specific title, platform, and edition you intend to use rather than assuming every entry is available in the same way. Bethesda’s game guide and chooser provide franchise-level context, but their listed platform information is not a guarantee of current availability for every buyer. Bethesda’s Fallout guide · Bethesda’s game chooser
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Best Value
- Not even nuclear fallout could slow the hustle of Sin City. Explore the vast expanses of the desert wastelands
- Feuding Factions, Colorful Characters and a Host of Hostiles
- Enjoy new additions to Fallout: Special melee combat moves have been added to bring new meaning to the phrase "up close and personal"
- With double the amount of weapons found in Fallout 3
- In a huge, open world with unlimited options you can see the sights, choose sides, or go it alone
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