Fallout has quickly become one of the best-reviewed TV series based on a video game. If you want to scratch that itch and play a similar game, but you’ve already finished all the entries in the Fallout series from Bethesda Softworks, then here’s my list of the top 10 best games like Fallout.
Top 10 Best Post Apocalypse Games Like Fallout
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Series
Both the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout series of video games are set in a post-apocalyptic open world. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, while the Fallout series is set in various post-apocalyptic locations across the United States. I recommend the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games mostly to players who want more of a survival horror experience but with similar features to the Fallout games, such as an ability to align yourself with different groups and make choices that impact the game world and story.
Metro Series
One of my favorite elements of the Fallout games is the underground vaults, which are always fun to explore. If you’re in the same boat, then you’ll love the Metro series of video games, which are set entirely in the Moscow Metro system. But I must warn you that the Metro series is more linear and story-driven, and there’s no open world like in the Fallout games. I find the lore of the Metro series absolutely fascinating, with its rich social and political commentary.
RAGE
RAGE is another unique product of the Bethesda camp, re-introducing a new take on the dystopian action that worked so well in the Fallout games. But RAGE is more linear in its design with optional side quests, focusing more on the first-person shooter gameplay with only a few limited RPG elements. The setting is very similar; although the catastrophe in RAGE was caused by a fallen asteroid rather than a nuclear fallout, the game does feature mutants, so it’s all good in that regard.
The Technomancer
Now, what if Fallout events took place on Mars instead of Earth? The result would be The Technomancer, a rather unusual dystopian RPG with a very deep and sophisticated combat system. The game offers four different skill trees dedicated to three independent combat styles. But most importantly, it introduces a number of destructive electrical powers that have become the game’s trademark feature. On top of that, the game has a similar system to Fallout, where player choices have consequences.
ELEX Series
If you like a unique mixture of genres, blending elements of medieval fantasy and post-apocalyptic fiction, then be sure to check out both games in the ELEX series. The events of these games take place during a war in which various factions fight for scarce resources, very much like in the Fallout series. Many of your choices will impact the course of the events, and combat is brutal, although a bit clunky, in my opinion. But other than that, it’s truly a unique experience that you don’t want to miss.
Mad Max
Most players, including myself, prefer to move on foot in the Fallout games, as there’s always a chance to encounter something unusual. However, if you like fast cars, then Mad Max is the game for you! It features all sorts of post-apocalyptic vehicles with a huge reliance on finding and gathering oil, gas, and water. The scavengers will give you lots of trouble but also exciting action moments. Although the game doesn’t have a deep RPG system, it’s quite engaging in the best sense of the word.
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 is hands-down one of the best games ever released. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world, where you become Gordon Freeman, a fighter in the resistance against alien invaders. The setting of Valve’s masterpiece is similar in tone to the Fallout games, but the gameplay is quite different. Half-Life 2 is a much more straightforward shooter with a clear and very linear story and gameplay.
Borderlands Series
Borderlands is another video game series getting the live-action treatment from Hollywood in the form of an upcoming film from Lionsgate Films. Although the Fallout and Borderlands games are set on different planets, with the latter one taking place on an alien planet called Pandora, they feature very similar shoot-and-loot gameplay.
Wasteland Series
Players who remember the first two Fallout games know that they were top-down, turn-based tactical Western RPGs that had nothing in common with the Bethesda games that came much later. Well, if you’re looking to go back to that kind of experience, then be sure to unlock the beauty of the Wasteland series that’s been recently remastered for HD experience.
Starfield
The latest release from Bethesda Softworks is basically “Fallout in Space.” Both Starfield and Fallout feature very similar base-building and combat mechanics, as well as NPC interactions, companions, factions, and, most importantly, the same game engine. So I like to think of Starfield as Fallout 5, but only until the actual fifth installment in the series inevitably comes out.
That’s it for my list of the top 10 best games like Fallout. Stay tuned for more top lists and the best game selections in our culture hub.
