Play Order (Release = Chronological)Recommended
0 / 9 playedThe games in release order, which is the recommended play order. DLC and expansions are grouped under each base game.
- 1 Fallout Isometric original. Short by modern standards and still playable.
- 2 Fallout 2 Direct sequel from Black Isle. Larger and stranger than the first.
- 3 Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel Tactical combat spinoff. Loose canon status.
- 4 Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Non-canon console action spinoff. Skippable.
- 5 Fallout 3 Bethesda reboot. DLC grouped: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, Mothership Zeta.
- 6 Fallout: New Vegas Obsidian entry. Good alternate entry point. DLC grouped: Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, Lonesome Road.
- 7 Fallout Shelter Free vault management sim. Non-canon and optional. Released June 2015.
- 8 Fallout 4 Commonwealth adventure. DLC grouped: Automatron, Far Harbor, Vault-Tec Workshop, Nuka-World and both workshop packs.
- 9 Fallout 76 Online prequel. Major free updates grouped, starting with Wastelanders (2020).
About Fallout
Fallout is a post-nuclear RPG series that moved from Black Isle's isometric originals (1997-1998) to Bethesda's open world first-person games (2008 onward), with Obsidian's New Vegas (2010) in between. Newcomers who want modern systems should start with Fallout 3 or New Vegas. Purists who want the origins can start with Fallout 1, which is shorter than most people expect.
This play order follows release order. Story links are loose, so release order is about seeing systems evolve rather than following one plot. The TV show has its own post and is not listed here. DLC for Fallout 3, New Vegas and Fallout 4 is grouped under each base game.
Good to know
Fallout Tactics (2001) is a tactical combat spinoff with loose canon status; Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004) is a non-canon console action game and is skippable. Fallout Shelter (June 2015) is a free vault management sim and is non-canon. Fallout 3 DLC is Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta (all 2009). New Vegas story DLC is Dead Money (2010) plus Honest Hearts, Old World Blues and Lonesome Road (all 2011). Fallout 4 DLC is Automatron, Wasteland Workshop, Far Harbor, Contraptions Workshop, Vault-Tec Workshop and Nuka-World (all 2016). Fallout 76 is an online prequel set in 2102; its major free updates start with Wastelanders (April 2020). Bethesda said on July 17, 2026 that Fallout 5 is in preproduction, an Obsidian Fallout spinoff is in development, and Fallout 3 plus New Vegas remasters are planned, all with no dates.
