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Play OverviewPlay Overview

Fallout Shelter (2015) is a time management simulation game. Set in the Fallout wasteland after a nuclear war, you play as an Overseer of an underground bunker. You accrue currency to build rooms, attract people and train them to provide resources, craft weapons and go on dangerous missions. It's an unusual combination of simple endless strategy set in a wider universe drawn from the other Fallout games.

Gameplay involves selecting rooms and persons to upgrade, repair or build. You can select individuals to move around the vault, assign them jobs, train them up, or send them on missions. You can name your inhabitants and even encourage relationships that provide babies that grow up quickly to be useful workers. You need money that is gained by levelling up your dwellers, exploring the Wasteland, going on missions, completing achievements, as well as finding the mysterious stranger that randomly appears and disappears in your vault.

Missions provide your vault with weaponry, outfits, pets (which improve statistics of their owner), junk to build weapons and outfits in the vault, and currency when they return. They are often multi-part and follow a simple storyline. The game uses real-world time to get to missions, although you can accelerate this with purchasable cola bottles or take a risk on a negative outcome by "rushing" the room.

Combat is automatic. Creatures and other enemies randomly enter the vault and will attack your people. If they are armed they will fight them off. Pregnant dwellers and children will run away. Dead dwellers can be revived if you have enough money. Dwellers out on missions automatically attack what is in the room and you monitor their health and give them syringes and radiation medication as needed to prevent them dying. If you lose all your people out on a mission, then it will fail.

The Fallout Series started in 1997 as a PC turn-based adventure game and has developed into a vast multi-console open world experience. Other games in the series include:
  • Fallout 1997 (Mac, PC)
  • Fallout 2 1998 (Mac, PC)
  • Fallout 3 2008 (Windows, Xbox 360, PS3)
  • Fallout: New Vegas 2010 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
  • Fallout 4 2015 (Windows, PS4, Xbox One)
  • Fallout Shelter 2015 (Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) (a spin off Time Management game set in the same universe)
  • Fallout 76 2018 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

The result is an unusual way to dip into the Fallout universe. The cartoon style of the game matches the tutorials in the main game of Fallout and fans will recognise characters and creatures from those games but it's not necessary to have played Fallout to play this.

Our examiner, Andrea Walney, first checked Fallout Shelter 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 22 months ago.
Kids not old enough for this yet? There are lots of games similar to Fallout Shelter (Series). Here are some similar younger-rated games:

Play StylePlay Style

This is a Simulation and Strategy game with Collecting, Creative and Fighting elements. This is a single-player game.

 
You can play this game in the following styles:

DurationDuration

Play Time: It takes between 10 minutes and half an hour to play a round of this game. The game has no end point and you can play this forever. Duration mentioned here is an average play session time.

Age RatingsAge Ratings

Content Rating

Rated PEGI 12 for Violence and Sex. This game features depictions of non-realistic violence towards human-like and animal-like characters, they have little to no reaction to the violence, impacts from weapons are shown with bright lights and no blood/gore is shown. There is also some mild sexual innuendo, players can put a male and female dweller into a dormitory, and after some flirting with pick-up lines, the character’s kiss and embrace before running off into a bedroom. The characters are not seen but smiley face images can be seen coming out from the room, before the couple emerge with the female character being noticeably pregnant and dressed in maternity wear.

Rated for younger players in Australia. Rated Parental Guidance (PG) for Mild Violence, Mild Themes, Mild Sexual References, Online Interactivity.

Skill Level

10+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it's important for parents and guardians to consider the maturity required to process the game content. It's also important to ensure children understand in-game purchases and have spending limits set-up. Players need skills in logical thinking and planning.

CostsCosts

Fallout Shelter

XBox Store Xbox One Free
PlayStation Store PS4 Free
Steam Store PC Free
Steam Store PC Free
Switch Store Switch Free
App Store iOS Free
Android Store Android Free

Fallout Shelter: Bundle Of 5 Pet Carriers

PlayStation Store PS4 £3.29
This game is free to play, but there are other costs associated with this game:
  • In-Game Purchases: Additional in-game purchases are offered for items that enhance the experience.
 
Although you can buy things for your vault with real money, this is not necessary as long as you are patient enough. You can buy cola bottles to get to missions more quickly. 
 
It's important to set up your accounts and devices appropriately. More information is on our Financial Resources page.
 

DetailsGame Details

Release Date: 14/06/2015, updated in 2016

Price: Free

Out Now: Android, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Players: 1

Genres: Simulation, Strategy (Collecting, Creative and Fighting)

Accessibility: 16 features

Components: 2D Side-On, Persistant World and Pixels

Developer: Bethesda (@Bethesda)


Taming Gaming Book Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.

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