Take control of your very own vault in Fallout Shelter! Craft the perfect home for your vault dwellers and ensure they remain safe against the deadly threats of the Wasteland.
If you’re looking for plenty of advice on how to build the ultimate vault, keep on reading for we’ve got everything you need to know. We’re covering gameplay details, official PC specs, and our top PCs to play this free to play Wasteland adventure.
Free to Play Gameplay
Controlling a state-of-the-art Vault Tec dwelling takes skill. You’ll need to carefully select what to build to ensure your Dwellers are kept fed and happy, along with protecting them from the radiated Wasteland.
As you work to create the ultimate Vault, take time to get to know your Dwellers, understand what they want, their dreams, and how you can help them thrive. Provide them with stylish outfits, weaponry, and essential survival training as you find them their ideal job and continuously improve their abilities.
You’ll need to ensure your Dwellers have a mix of skills, otherwise your Vault won’t survive. Choose from a variety of modern-day rooms from Radio Rooms to Science Labs to ensure they have everything they need. You can also play matchmaker and watch sparks fly as you guarantee the future success of your Vault.
Explore the Wasteland
The gameplay in Fallout Shelter isn’t just limited to your Vault. You’ll also need to entrust your Dwellers with exploring the above ground. Send them on dangerous adventures to find must-have survival loot, powerful armour or weaponry, earn Caps, and gain experience. Your only objective is not to let them die!
You may be safely tucked underground, but you are still subject to the radiated horrors from the Wasteland. Peaceful idyllic Vault life will be occasionally interrupted by exterior or interior threats, which you’ll need to work hard to overcome.
Where Does Fallout Shelter Fall in the Timeline?
As Fallout Shelter is considered a spinoff, it doesn’t have a place within the official timeline of the Fallout franchise.
Does Fallout Shelter Include Multiplayer?
Fallout Shelter is a single-player experience only. However, this doesn’t have to stop you from showing off your thriving Vault to your friends via live stream.
Looking to perfect the art of streaming? Our collection of handy streaming guides has everything you need from top product recs to helpful tips to get you started.
Is Fallout Shelter a PC Exclusive?
Fallout Shelter is available to play on multiple platforms. This includes PC, PlayStation 4, XBOX One, Nintendo Switch, and even iOS and Android.
Official PC System Specification
| Minimum | |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Quad Core CPU or equivalent |
| Memory | 2GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 or AMD Radeon HD 6970 |
| Storage | 2GB available space |
| Additional | Steam Client now requires Windows 10 or later |
Top PCs to Play Fallout Shelter
Whilst managing your own Vault doesn’t require too much firepower, you can never have too much. If you’re looking for your next great PC or laptop upgrade, we’ve got our top faves highlighted below that we think are perfect for playing Fallout Shelter.
If our choices don’t quite meet your needs or aesthetic, you can also browse the full range by clicking the buttons.
Refract Gaming Amber Pre-built PC
- Pre-built gaming PC
- Designed for casual gaming
- AMD Ryzen 5 7500F CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060
- 16GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB M.2 SSD
MSI Cyborg 15 Gaming Laptop
- 15.6” FHD display
- 144Hz refresh rate
- Intel i5 12450H CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060
- 16GB DDR5 RAM
- Windows 11 Home
OcUK Radiance Frosty MK2 Configurable PC
- Configurable gaming PC
- Adjustable base hardware specification
- Includes an Intel i5 11400F CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060
- 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Optional secondary storage drive
OcUK Gaming Tanto Configurable PC
- Configurable gaming PC
- Customisable base hardware spec
- As standard includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti
- Up to 32GB DDR5 RAM
- Integrated RGB lighting
OcUK Gaming Hawk Configurable PC
- Configurable gaming PC
- Adjustable base hardware specification
- Includes an Intel i5 14600KF CPU and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT
- 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Optional M.2 and 2.5” SSDs
Check Out Even More from the Wasteland
Can’t enough of Fallout? You can find even more content over on the Overclockers UK blog, from coverage of all the franchise to Fallout-themed hardware.
Have You Played Fallout Shelter?
Have you tested your management skills in Fallout Shelter? Did your Vault succeed or succumb to the Wasteland? Let us know your thoughts on the gameplay in the comments.
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 4 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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