Fallout: main games in chronological order

The main Fallout timeline, in order

For the six main games covered in Bethesda’s official timeline, use the following in-universe sequence. These are story years, not release years. Fallout 76’s original starting point is listed; this is not a claim that all later online updates stay in that year.

1. Fallout 76 — 2102
2. Fallout — 2161
3. Fallout 2 — 2241
4. Fallout 3 — 2277
5. Fallout: New Vegas — 2281
6. Fallout 4 — 2287

Chronology is not a required play order

Choose a timeline run if placing the stories on a calendar is your priority. You do not need to buy the whole series before choosing a first game. Our recommendation is to compare the play style, platform and edition first, then pick one entry you actually want to play. A date list is a reference, not a quality ranking or a purchase checklist.

The original Fallout is a single-player classic RPG. Its Steam listing is separate from the Classic Collection, so check the included products rather than assuming every offer named Fallout contains the same games. This is particularly important when comparing a single game, a bundle and an expansion.

Where do spin-offs and editions fit?

This list deliberately covers the six main entries, not every spin-off or piece of DLC. Bethesda discusses Fallout Tactics and Brotherhood of Steel separately. A complete chronology of those side stories needs its own scope; do not insert them into this list using release dates.

For current offers, compare Fallout 76 with the separately identified Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition. Read each page’s platform, region, delivery format and included content. An edition name is not proof of compatibility with a particular account, nor a promise that all future content is included.