Fallout timeline

Release order

1. 

   1997

   Fallout

   PCRPGClassic

   Fallout (1997) is the isometric RPG that locked the wasteland’s 1950s retro-future tone—SPECIAL builds, Action Points, and moral gray choices over power fantasies.

   Overview

   Interplay wrapped a non-linear Western RPG around SPECIAL and turn-based AP combat. Tim Cain’s team made Vault-Tec satire and radiation horror feel like one package.

   In-game setting

   Story year 2161: leave Vault 13 for a water chip, then face the Master’s FEV plot at Mariposa.

   Should you play it?

   Essential for classic West Coast lore, but the UI feels dated—many newcomers start with Fallout 3 or New Vegas instead, then circle back.

   Release date

   US PC launch September 30, 1997 (Windows). No console version at release; later digital reissues keep the original isometric presentation.

2. 

   1998

   Fallout 2

   PCRPGClassic

   Fallout 2 doubles the map and sharpens the satire as the Chosen One crosses Northern California seeking a GECK before the Enclave closes in.

   Overview

   Bigger world, deeper companions, and town-by-town reputation that remembers your choices—still a high-water mark for classic isometric Fallout writing.

   In-game setting

   Story year 2241: Arroyo’s drought, the GECK hunt, and the oil-rig Enclave finale. Twelve ending slides rank among the series’ densest consequence charts.

   Should you play it?

   Direct Story sequel.

   Release date

   US PC launch September 30, 1998—one year after Fallout, same developer window. Digital reissues remain the practical way to play.

3. 

   2001Optional

   Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

   PCSpin-offOptional

   Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel swaps open-world RPG wandering for squad tactics in the Midwest—optional, debated canon, and safe to skip on a mainline lore run.

   Overview

   Real-time squad tactics and vehicle missions replace SPECIAL dialogue webs—a sharp genre detour that still wears Brotherhood iconography.

   In-game setting

   Story 2197–2198: a crashed Midwestern Brotherhood airship unifies settlements against mutants and robots. Later games rarely require knowing the outcomes.

   Should you play it?

   Optional on both tabs. Skip unless you want every Brotherhood branch; not required for Fallout 3, New Vegas, or Fallout 4.

   Release date

   US PC launch March 14, 2001. No modern remaster; treat it as a curiosity purchase, not a required campaign.

4. 

   2008

   Fallout 3

   PCXbox 360PS3RPGFPS hybrid

   Fallout 3 is the first-person reboot that pulled most modern players into the Capital Wasteland—VATS, ruined D.C., and Bethesda’s open-world formula.

   Overview

   3D exploration with real-time shooting plus VATS pause-and-target bursts keeps RPG builds relevant while selling a console-friendly wasteland.

   In-game setting

   Story year 2277: leave Vault 101 searching for James. Project Purity and a returning Enclave drive the arc before you branch into DLC.

   Should you play it?

   Usual modern entry point. Finish the main campaign before Broken Steel and other DLC; then decide if West Coast classics or New Vegas come next.

   Release date

   US launch October 28, 2008 on Xbox 360 and PC; PS3 followed. Gamebryo engine; first main Fallout on home consoles.

5. 

   2010

   Fallout: New Vegas

   PCXbox 360PS3RPGSpin-off

   Fallout: New Vegas is often called the series’ writing peak—a Mojave faction war where NCR, Legion, Mr. House, or independence actually change the ending.

   Overview

   Built on Fallout 3 tech but pushed faction reputation, hardcore survival options, and four major ending paths with Obsidian’s dialogue density.

   In-game setting

   Story year 2281: a courier shot in the head is pulled into Hoover Dam politics. Recommended DLC order: Dead Money → Honest Hearts → Old World Blues → Lonesome Road.

   Should you play it?

   Same generation as Fallout 3 but a separate story. Play the main game first, then DLC with Lonesome Road last.

   Release date

   US launch October 19, 2010 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3). Roughly eighteen months on shared Fallout 3 tech; community patches help on PC.

6. 

   2015

   Fallout 4

   PCPS4Xbox OneRPGSettlement

   Fallout 4 shifts to the Commonwealth with a voiced protagonist, settlement workshops, and tighter gunplay—Boston’s synth paranoia as the main hook.

   Overview

   Voiced dialogue, workshop building across the map, and Creation Engine gunplay define the numbered jump to PS4/Xbox One-era Fallout.

   In-game setting

   Story year 2287: the Sole Survivor wakes in Vault 111 after 210 years, hunting Shaun. Far Harbor and Nuka-World add major side regions after the main ending.

   Should you play it?

   Standalone story—fine as a first game. Play the campaign before Far Harbor and Nuka-World. TV connections feel richer after New Vegas or Fallout.

   Release date

   US launch November 10, 2015 (PC, PS4, Xbox One). Creation Engine; later next-gen upgrades exist on supported platforms.

7. 

   2018

   Fallout 76

   PCPS4Xbox OneOnlinePrequel

   Fallout 76 is the always-online Appalachia RPG—earliest lore setting, latest main release—rebuilt after launch by Wastelanders into a co-op quest game.

   Overview

   First always-online Fallout RPG. 2018 launched without human NPCs; the 2020 Wastelanders update restored full quest givers and reframed the loop.

   In-game setting

   Story starts 2102 in Appalachia—twenty-five years after the bombs. Vault 76 residents face Scorched Plague and early faction rebuilding.

   Should you play it?

   Earliest lore, latest release-order titles—put it first on Story or last on Release depending on whether you prioritize chronology or offline comfort.

   Release date

   US launch November 14, 2018 (PC, PS4, Xbox One). Requires internet; seasonal updates still expand Appalachia.