What are the best games like Fallout on PC? Since its creation by Interplay Entertainment way back in 1997, all the way through to the ever-changing West Virginia wasteland of Fallout 76, the Fallout series has emitted a nuclear-bright glow at the forefront of RPGs. Tracking their history is like a lesson in the evolution of the computer RPG itself, from the tabletop-inspired originals to Bethesda’s live-service, always-online latest.
Players are drawn to the series for different reasons; Some fans love role-playing. Others crave the experience of exploring a post-apocalyptic landscape. Whatever the reason you first fell in love with Fallout, we’ve put together a list of games we think you’ll love while you’re waiting patiently for a Fallout 5 release date. From the classic RPG game revival of Divinity Original Sin 2 to the gloomy post-apocalypse of the Metro series, here are the best games like Fallout for PC.
The best games like Fallout are:
Mad Max
Long before Fallout was a twinkle in the collective eyes of Black Isle Studios, George Miller brought his own Wasteland to the big screen. The Australian Outback might be half a world away from the USA, but there’s no question that Fallout borrows heavily from Miller’s “apunkalyptic” aesthetic – from its desolate, post-nuclear expanse to its dark humor and leather-clad raiders. The 2015 videogame adaptation of Mad Max from Avalanche Studios captures all that and more, while also throwing the cult classic’s staple vehicular warfare into the mix.
As the eponymous Max Rockatansky, you must fight to survive in an open world primed for explosive mayhem. Of course, there are some key divergences from Fallout’s blueprint. Mad Max’s standalone story is short but sweet, and its world design leans more towards Ubisoft than Bethesda. However, it’s the ideal choice for players looking for a game like Fallout that puts combat and exploration at the forefront of the experience. With the likes of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Far Cry as other major influences, Mad Max is a golden oldie that’s stood the test of time for Fallout fans.
Stalker 2
Stalker is a lot like Fallout in a way: a bleak, open-world playground for you to explore and (try to) survive. Where Stalker differs, really, is that is a big serious game for big serious people. More unforgiving than Fallout, you’ll have to manage hunger, radiation, the wildlife, and be very wary of any humans you see – the wasteland makes people very desperate indeed.
The gunplay feels great, the environs are atmospheric, and provided you meet the hefty recommended system requirements, it looks gorgeous. If you want that Fallout experience but also want to suffer on occasion, Stalker 2 is most definitely a game for you. Check out our Stalker 2 review if you want to know more.
Starfield
Gone is the wasteland and ghouls that may reside within — this time we’re taking Bethesda’s very specific brand of RPG into space. Starfield got off to a fairly rocky start when it launched earlier this year, but since then, the community has taken hold of the Fallout-like and is attempting to mold it isn’t something that represents their favorite.
The premise is simple, really; get a ship, and explore. You can follow the main story, if you want, or simply go off and cause mayhem. Be the change you want to see in the universe, my grandmother used to tell me. Well, now I can. Bethesda has been working on improving Starfield since its launch, but you can expedite the process by checking out our list of the best Starfield mods.
Wasteland 3
The latest entry in the franchise that started it all, Wasteland 3 is a mammoth, deeply reactive tactical RPG set in the post-apocalyptic U.S. The series isn’t just like Fallout — it’s effectively the blueprint for Fallout. While no less comical than its nuclear cousin, it generally opts for a grittier, more incisively socio-political tone than Fallout’s broad parodies.
Wasteland 2 brought back the series in a big way, but Wasteland 3 is bigger and more confident, as our Wasteland 3 review attests to, finding its feet with its newly built fan base. Fallout may have the Brotherhood of Steel, but Wasteland has massive steel spiders.
Divinity Original Sin 2
We’ve seen many reverent homages to classic CRPG’s in recent years, but Divinity Original 2 stands out as the most forward-thinking. While developer Larian’s love for isometric classics like Fallout and Baldur’s Gate is on full display here, DOS 2 doesn’t constrain itself to simply replicating the same formula. The result is magical.
Our Divinity Original Sin 2 review talks about memorable characters and engaging, witty storytelling, with loads of lovely systemic reactivity both inside and outside its challenging turn-based combat. Combat arenas can be transformed with elemental powers and abilities, and environmental features can become your greatest allies — or most troublesome foes. All this, combined with deep character creation and co-op multiplayer make this a worthy successor to OG Fallout’s legacy.
The Outer Worlds
Late-stage capitalism can have ridiculous, soul-destroying effects on the world. While we don’t always need art to remind us of this – and while not all political art needs to be too on-the-nose – sometimes it’s nice to raise a big ol’ middle finger to worker exploitation and conspicuous consumption. We’re sorry, Tim Curry, but it turns out that capitalism got space now, too.
Luckily, at least it brought with it an expansive open-world RPG with nods to beloved Obsidian gems, such as Fallout: New Vegas. The skill systems, story choices, and sci-fi environments are all noteworthy, but what shines here is the character writing. Obsidian doesn’t let the satire get in the way of populating the Outer Worlds’ planets with believable, interesting, human characters. Check out The Outer Worlds review for more information.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is one of gaming’s few true originals. A narrative that is evocative of a fever, while remaining strikingly down to earth in its presentation; Disco Elysium prioritizes folk cadence over fantasy tropes. This CRPG is every 4 am house party conversation you’ve ever had, replayed with dice rolls and stat sheets. The only difference is that it’s actually as creative, thought-provoking, charismatic, and wild as all those alcoholic beverages made you think you were.
Fans of Fallout 1 and 2 will feel at home in the tangled branches of extensive dialogue trees that have the gall to lock you out of certain story moments or choices, depending on your character build and decisions up to that point. It stands out from other RPG games by being bitingly funny, too. Our Disco Elysium review can tell you more about one of the best PC games ever.
Metro 2033
If you’re looking for something that captures the expansive bleakness and FPS systems of Bethesda’s Fallout titles, but within a more focused framework, it’s hard to go wrong with the post-apocalyptic Metro series. While Metro: Last Light has some solid ideas, and Metro: Exodus is beautiful and ambitious, neither of them quite captures the claustrophobic terror of Metro 2033.
Metro sees Fallout’s molerats and raises the stakes with bat-faced, pack-hunting Watchmen. It sees Fallout’s radscorpion, and drops a honking mutant gorilla on top of it. Owing as much to survival horror games as FPS, Metro 2033 is a tense, subterranean journey that makes every individual bullet feel precious. Don’t forget to check out the S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Pathologic series, plus Mutant Year Zero, for similar Tarkovsky-inspired post-apocalyptic survival.
Bioshock
If you’re all about the creepy ’50s, picket-fence satire of the original Fallouts, then you’ll likely have a swell time jitterbugging your way down to Bioshock’s deep-sea dystopia to give a few of its inhabitants a knuckle sandwich. Bioshock was always about exploration and atmosphere first, and gunplay second, so while the combat can feel a little wooden these days compared to other FPS games, there are still very few game settings as well realized as Rapture. Come for the party, and stay for the option to shoot bees at people.
Skyrim
We know that you’ve heard of Skyrim because you can probably run it on your cat’s electronic collar, your Fitbit, and that old pair of light-up trainers at the back of your wardrobe. If you needed reminding for any reason, though: Skyrim is the open-world RPG fantasy sibling to Bethesda’s Fallout, and is one of the best PC games ever. Even though the RPG is on the older side, an extensive Skyrim mod scene has helped this fantastic experience survive the years.
So, there are our picks for the best games like Fallout. If you’re craving that Fallout experience, keep an eye on the best upcoming games to see what’s on the horizon — like the Avowed release date, for example. Meanwhile, if you love some of Bethesda’s other offerings, our list of the best games like Skyrim is well worth a read.
