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With the release of the Amazon Prime Fallout show, many new fans have come to appreciate the zany post-apocalyptic world of this franchise. Fallout is one of the most iconic brands in the gaming world, spanning well over two decades and ten games. Naturally, for a newcomer, this franchise has a lot to chew into.
In this article, we will go through all the Fallout games - including all the spinoffs, and rank them in terms of merit as a 'Fallout' game. That means well they convey the sordid fallen world of Fallout, as well as how well they hold up today as a game.
The sole exception we are making for this otherwise comprehensive list is Fallout Pinball (2016). Currently available in Pinball FX3, this is purely a cash-grab spinoff - which is oddly a meta-commentary on the consumerism that Fallout often satirizes.
Every Fallout game ever, ranked
10) Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004)
- Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox (first-generation)
- Developer: Interplay Entertainment
Not to be mistaken with the Fallout Tactics game with a near-identical name, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is a PS2-era top-down action game. This Jet-fueled fever dream of a game provides a uniquely interesting frame, complete with heavy metal riffs from Slipknot.
The quirky undertone is where the strong points end, as the overall linear narrative is not good enough to warrant a serious playthrough in 2024. The only interesting thing going on with the storyline is a cameo from Harold, an important character appearing in the first three games.
9) Fallout Shelter (2015)
- Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, Switch, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Released as a promotional tie-in game to drum up hype for Fallout 4, Fallout Shelter is considered the black sheep of the franchise. The concept itself just makes sense - a base management-simulation hybrid fits well into a Vault-Tec establishment, as do its statsmaxxing incentives.
Unfortunately, an otherwise serviceable idea falls apart due to some questionable design and progression choices. If you like mobile sim games, Fallout Shelter can be a fun few hours of fanservice, but not much more.
8) Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel (2001)
- Platforms: Windows
- Developer: Micro Forte
Fallout Tactics is an odd game to rank in a list of all Fallout games. For those who like the genre of military turn-based combat championed by XCom, Fallout Tactics can be a fun few hours.
On the one hand, it polishes up the turn-based combat in the legacy games and gets the 'Tactics' part right. On the other hand, its jankiness and linearity bring down its reputation. If you liked the combat in the first Wasteland game, Fallout Tactics may feel worth trying out.
7) Fallout Shelter Online (2019)
- Platforms: Android, iOS
- Developers: Shengqu Games, Gaea Mobile
A spiritual successor to Fallout Shelter, Fallout Shelter Online takes the same gameplay mechanics to the Commonwealth as seen in Fallout 4. It is hands-down a better game than Fallout Shelter - save for some Gacha mechanics some may find unsavory.
It polishes up the base management gameplay loop and introduces guild systems and multiplayer elements including PvP. Only one big problem: it is not available outside of China, Japan, Korea, and some Asia Pacific regions.
6) Fallout 3 (2003)
- Platforms: Windows, PS3, Xbox 360
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Fallout 3 is the first game to bring the Fallout franchise from an isometric CRPG to a first-person 3D combat paradigm. In doing so, some things are lost in translation. While Bethesda's attempts were commendable, the shooter mock-up gameplay aged poorly.
If you are coming from the Fallout TV show, the story beats of Fallout 3 are eerily similar. You experience the closeted adolescence of a vault dweller, and step out in the open world in search of your father.
While a perfectly good RPG in its own right, Fallout 3 is no longer the best in any category. Everything it attempts has been done better by its successors, and sometimes even its predecessors.
5) Fallout 2 (1998)
- Platforms: Windows
- Developer: Black Isles Studios
Over two decades later, Fallout 2 still holds up. To older Fallout fans, this ranking will seem controversial. After all, part of its mixed critical reception was admonishment for retreading many of the original's ideas.
While it does not manage to top the charm of the first game, Fallout 2 is still a significantly better-written game than any of the modern ones, sans New Vegas.
It also upgrades a lot of the barebones gamification of S.P.E.C.I.A.L. in the first game. Fallout 2 is a good entry point into this franchise's world, provided you have:
- the patience to take it at its deliberate pace,
- and shrug off some of the frustratingly punishing elements of its gameplay design.
Alternatively, you can wait till the release of Project Arroyo, a DLC-sized Fallout 4 mod that remakes Fallout 2 in the new engine.
4) Fallout 76 (2018)
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Fallout 76 is the latest title in the franchise - and a very different one from the others. This one is a multiplayer experience with a live service model.
Fallout 76 was hit with one fiasco after another on release - but in 2024, the game is more than worth trying. There are now NPCs and surprisingly well-written story content that got drip-fed to the game gradually through seasonal updates.
If you ignore the online-only part, it is even possible to treat Fallout 76 as a single-player game. Moreover, the gunplay in this game is good enough to stand toe-to-toe with trending shooters in 2024.
3) Fallout (1997)
- Platform: Windows
- Developer: Interplay Entertainment
The one that started it all. The dated CRPG mechanics from 1997 will take some calibration from a young modern gamer, but it is more than worth it. Fallout 1 remains peerless in creating a narrative that eases you in with a simple hook into a vast network of complete world-building.
The action point combat system gets a bad rep, but after the success of Divinity Original Sin 2 and Baldur's Gate 3, CRPG combat trappings are not so old-school anymore. Just don't forget to find the water chip - the Vault will actually die if you dally.
2) Fallout 4 (2015)
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Treated as the industry-standard modern Fallout classic, fan sentiments are very divided on Fallout 4. On the one hand, it addresses many of Fallout 3's common criticisms and goes the extra mile to make the gunplay feel more modern.
On the other hand, it disappoints with shallow writing in the main quest, lack of roleplay opportunities, and the dreaded Mass Effect dialogue wheel. Thankfully, Fallout 4 is saved by the grace of the Bethesda modding community, fixing most of these issues with numerous Wabbajack modlist options.
1) Fallout: New Vegas
- Platform: Windows, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One
- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Some would call Fallout: New Vegas the unbeatable quintessence of what a role-playing game should be, others would call it an acquired taste. What we can call it for sure is a miracle, given its short-strung 18-month development time.
You will need some modding to fix up the buggy mess of an engine the game is based on. But once you get through this rough crust of combat jank and crash-fixes, Fallout New Vegas provides a post-apocalyptic Mojave desert with unparalleled world-building and a colorful detritus of the Vegas Strip with memorable factions.
