There’s no arguing against it, the Fallout universe 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 76 is actually set right at the very beginning of the timeline in terms of the Fallout games. 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 released Fallout game was, until Fallout 76 hit the scene, also the earliest part of the timeline seen in game form. Set 59 years after the events of Fallout 76, Fallout sees 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 after Fallout 2, the events of Fallout Tactics occur 36 years after the events of Fallout and 44 years before the events of Fallout 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 after Fallout Tactics, the events of Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel take place just 9 years later, although Todd Howard would confirm that neither Tactics nor Brotherhood were considered part of the canon when making Fallout 3, saying, “For our purposes, neither Fallout Tactics nor Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel happened.”
Fallout 2 (Set in 2241)
Prior to the release of Tactics and Brotherhood of Steel, Fallout 2 would indeed have been a direct sequel to the original Fallout. The story of Fallout 2 sees 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 first Fallout game developed by Bethesda, Fallout 3 sees events occurring 36 years after the events of Fallout 2. This is likely the Fallout game 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 of Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas sees 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 Shelter takes place immediately before the events of Fallout 4, though the exact year has never been confirmed. As a mobile game, Fallout Shelter is 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 4 was the furthest into the future of the Fallout universe that we actually saw until the addition of the new Fallout TV show. Events in Fallout 4 take place only one year after the events of Fallout Shelter, 195 years after the events of the original Fallout game and 210 years after the Great War. Where Fallout 3 saw you head out in search of your father, Fallout 4 sees you head out in search for your son after he was stolen during your stint in Vault 88, held under cryogenic stasis.
All Fallout games in release order
Here are all of the Fallout games ordered by release date:
- Fallout (1997)
- Fallout 2 (1998)
- Fallout Tactics (2001)
- Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004)
- Fallout 3 (2008)
- Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
- Fallout Shelter (2015)
- Fallout 4 (2015)
- Fallout 76 (2018)
What order should you play the Fallout games in?
The order you choose to play the Fallout games 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 the Fallout universe, it’s not a requirement to do so.
It is entirely possible to dive straight into Fallout 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.
