Playing the Fallout Games in Chronological Order

Envisioning an alternate-universe, retro futuristic apocalypse teeming with mutated monsters, soldiers in hulking power armor and sinister human experiments disguised as bomb shelters, the Fallout franchise has spent over two decades establishing one of the richest settings in video games.

With reports of a new Fallout game in the works at Obsidian, there’s never been a better time to strap a Pip-Boy to your wrist and reacquaint yourself with the post-apocalyptic world. But where’s the best place to start? Below, we’ll run through the franchise’s entire chronological history, as well as some advice on where to start for those embarking on their first-ever Fallout adventure.

In total, there are nine main Fallout games - eight on home console and two on mobile devices. There are also thirteen major expansions spread across Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4. The Fallout franchise is a core Bethesda game that will likely continue to receive support.

Amazon's Fallout TV series takes place in 2296, 219 years after the Great War. That puts both season at the 'latest' end of the Fallout timeline, picking up around 9 years after the main story of Fallout 4.

These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.

One thing to note before we get started: We will not be counting two games on our chronological timeline. The first is the mobile (and now online) vault management simulator, Fallout Shelter. Although the game does follow the lore of Fallout’s vaults, it also features characters and items hundreds of years before they appear in the Fallout storyline, making it non-canon.