Top Lists

The 10 Best Games Like Fallout

Published

7 months ago

October 2, 2023

What are the best games like Fallout?

The Fallout franchise has a long history dating back to 1997, when the first game was released by Interplay Entertainment.

Since being acquired by Bethesda in 2007, it has quickly become one of the most iconic post-apocalyptic RPG series in the world.

However, if you’re in the mood for something different yet similar, look no further than these great Fallout-like games.

The 10 Best Games Like Fallout

In order to create this list, we looked at many different titles, their themes, and gameplay mechanics.

We then rounded up the ones that were the most similar to Fallout, though unique enough to provide a new experience.

So, sit back and crack a Nuka Cola while enjoying our list of the 10 best games like Fallout:

10. The Last Of Us 2

Kicking off our list is The Last of Us 2, set five years after the events of the first game in a post-apocalyptic world.

This game follows Ellie, who, after losing Joel, is out for revenge, a mission that brings her into conflict with a large militia and a religious cult.

While there are no super mutants or feral ghouls to worry about here, there are clickers, fungus-infected former humans who act like zombies.

There are many different types of clickers, each of which needs to be handled a little bit differently.

Combat is very much about stealth, and players need to make use of improvised weapons to take out enemies.

The Last of Us 2 really shines when it comes to the story, which is split into two parts between Ellie and her target, Abby.

Although the decision to split the story was a divisive decision, it worked well overall to show how the apocalypse has changed the world through various factions.

Instead of having a black-and-white villain, things in this game are different shades of grey, and it certainly works well for the story.

While the TV show’s second season isn’t releasing until 2025, we’re definitely eager to see showrunners tackle this amazing game.

9. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 started out rough, but it has quickly become an excellent game that is well worth checking out.

Not only does it have a huge amount of customization, but the gritty game world of Night City has a unique fallout-esque flair.

Although it isn’t set in the post-apocalypse, it follows the story of a cybernetically enhanced mercenary named V.

However, things really kick off when a cybernetic implant threatens to erase V’s mind and take over their body.

Played in first-person, players have the option of highly customizing their character’s appearance and abilities.

There are numerous classes to play and three different backstories to start out with, all of which offer their own pros and cons.

The huge open world also gives players a ton of room to explore, and there is even a dynamic weather system that impacts how NPCs act.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an incredibly gorgeous game, and it seems like few details were spared when it came to creating the world.

With mega-corporations ruling the city, homelessness running rampant, and gangs vying for control, there is no shortage of rich conflict to find.

8. The Division 2

Set in an apocalyptic version of future Washington D.C., The Division 2 is an online action RPG set after the release of a devastating virus.

In this game, players take up the mantle of a Strategic Homeland Division agent trying to rebuild the city.

As a cover-based third-person shooter, up to four players can take on missions together or just explore the huge open world map.

Players can also recruit NPCs to the cause by helping them out or providing supplies to their settlements.

However, unlike in Fallout 4, you won’t have to worry about Preston Garvey constantly telling you that another settlement needs your help.

Once players hit level 30 and finish the game’s main campaign, the world will become divided into different tiers.

These tiers serve as different chapters, increasing the world’s difficulty so that you never have to worry about running out of challenges.

Easily one of the best open-world PS4 games like Fallout, The Division is a fantastic game that offers a lot to do in the apocalyptic wasteland of D.C.

7. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl

If you’re a fan of Fallout, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a game you absolutely need to check out.

This first-person shooter is a survival horror game set in an alternate reality version of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

Following a second disaster at the nuclear site, the game places players inside the Zone as an amnesiac trying to kill a mysterious figure.

Inside the Zone, radiation is prevalent, and it has caused mutations in the inhabitants as well as anomalies that alter physics.

The Zone itself is a large area that contains both the city of Pripyat, deep wilderness, and traces of humanity trying to rebuild.

Players will need to deal with radiation poisoning quickly, or else it will gradually wear down their health bars.

There is also hunger to contend with, as well as bleeding, which can occur if a severe enough injury is obtained.

It is arguably much more challenging than New Vegas’s Hardcore mode or Fallout 4’s Survival mode.

However, the irradiated landscape, gunplay, and mutated creatures are sure to make any Fallout fan feel right at home.

6. Dying Light 2

Dying Light 2 is an action RPG, and it quickly became one of the best PS5 RPG games upon release.

Set after a zombie outbreak in a post-apocalyptic world, Dying Light 2 follows Aiden Caldwell as the main protagonist.

Throughout the game, players can use a variety of parkour skills to navigate the city, staying high above the hordes that swarm the streets at night.

The map in Dying Light 2 is over four times larger than the one in the previous game, and there are tons of regions for players to explore.

While exploring, players can scavenge for materials and resources to make new weapons and survival items.

Like Fallout, there are also many factions of NPCs to meet, and the decisions you make while interacting with them can have long-lasting consequences.

In this game, players will have the ability to make a settlement prosperous or completely destroy it, depending on the choices they make.

Dying Light 2 even comes with co-op multiplayer, which allows up to four players to work together.

5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Of course, we have to mention Skyrim, one of Bethesda’s most popular and most re-released games.

Although Elder Scrolls VI is still a long way off, Skyrim has managed to keep gamers satisfied for over a decade now.

Following the Dragonborn throughout the Nord province of Skyrim, this game offers literally thousands of hours of content.

Not only is it one of the biggest open-world games, but it is filled with locations to discover, dragons to slay, NPCs to help, and flowers to pick!

It may not have a post-apocalyptic setting, but Skyrim has a lot of the same gameplay that’s made Fallout so successful.

While the main story is fairly linear, players can largely choose to ignore it in favor of exploring the vast array of caves, castles, and ruins that dot the landscape.

There are several factions to join and take control of, as well as a load of skills to work on leveling up.

Skyrim has remained popular for many good reasons, and we can’t imagine its popularity waning any time soon.

Between the extra content added in the Anniversary Edition players and the thousands of mods, you’ll never run out of things to do!

4. Mad Max

Released in 2015, this action-adventure game is perfect for fans of Fallout since the franchise was largely inspired by the films.

While this game isn’t based specifically on any of the films, it is set in a large open post-apocalyptic world.

Players take control of the game’s namesake as he searches the Plains of Silence for fuel.

A large portion of this game revolves around driving, and to encourage exploring, materials can be scavenged to upgrade your ride, aptly called Magnum Opus.

While driving around may not seem very interesting, the vehicular combat is definitely badass.

You can attach a ton of weaponry to Magnum Opus, including flame throwers to light your enemies up!

Max is also very customizable, with players being able to change his appearance, clothes, fighting skills, and weapons.

Best of all, there is a dog you can befriend, just like in Fallout, and while its name isn’t Dogmeat, it is still a very good boy.

Mad Max is a must-play for fans of the Fallout franchise, and it definitely is able to capture the same gritty apocalyptic charm that fans have come to love.

3. Horizon Zero Dawn

Featuring one of the best female video game characters of all time, Horizon Zero Dawn is the first game in the Horizon series.

Set in a world overrun with terrifying machines, the plot focuses on Aloy, a young woman seeking information about her past.

Throughout the game, players will have to take on a number of robotic creatures using their bows, spears, and traps.

Harvesting machine components is important for survival as they can be used to craft helpful items to stay alive.

Outside of combat, there is a ton of land to explore, including dense forests, deserts, and snowy mountainous regions.

There are also a number of tribes to interact with, many of which will provide side quests that involve taking out bandits, gathering resources, or solving mysteries.

While Horizon Zero Dawn doesn’t treat players to a radiation-filled wasteland, it certainly has more than enough to keep Fallout fans interested!

2. Metro Exodus

The third installment in the Metro trilogy, Exodus is a first-person shooter with survival horror elements.

With a post-apocalyptic setting that takes place in the former Russian Federation, players must learn to survive in the harsh environment.

However, it isn’t just the environmental hazards you have to watch out for, as hostile humans and mutated creatures also stalk the land.

Players will need to maintain hand-made weapons, all of which can be customized using scavenged materials.

While the world is largely open, there are also a few linear levels scattered throughout.

Other features include dynamic weather, a day and night cycle, and environments that change with the seasons.

Metro Exodus is a visually impressive game with tons of themes and elements that will feel familiar to Fallout fans.

This is an unforgiving game set in a world ravaged by nuclear war, and here, you won’t even have Dogmeat to keep you company.

1. The Outer Worlds

Taking our number one spot is The Outer Worlds, an action RPG created by Obsidian Entertainment.

If that name sounds familiar to you, you’re probably a fan of New Vegas, as Obsidian was the developer behind that Fallout installment!

What’s more is that Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, the creators of the original Fallout games, served as the directors for The Outer Worlds.

You can definitely feel the influences of the first Fallout games, as well as New Vegas, when you play this space-themed RPG.

Set in an alternate timeline that diverged from ours in 1901, megacorporations have since taken over everything, resulting in a highly corporate and class-divided society.

Now, players have to navigate through this corruption to try and revive the dying colonies in the Halcyon star system that have been decimated by the corporation’s incompetence.

Like Fallout, players have the ability to slow down time in combat, sort of like VATS, while customizing stats depending on the type of character you want to build.

Similar to New Vegas, every quest in this game seems to have several different ways to approach it, leading to various outcomes that are anything but linear.

If you’re a fan of the Fallout series, particularly New Vegas, you will absolutely love The Outer Worlds!