Fallout Shelter

 iOS
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 219 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 107 out of 219
  2. Mixed: 65 out of 219
  3. Negative: 47 out of 219
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  1. logfromblammo
    Aug 23, 2015
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When I first saw it, I was elated to see the Fallout franchise come to mobile.

    But then I played it, on both Android and on iOS. None of the elements that made me love Fallout are present in Fallout Shelter. This game embodies everything that is wrong with mobile gaming.

    The essence of gameplay is tap and wait. The pay-to-win elements will allow you to tap automatically or wait less between taps. As such, it is much like every other mobile single-player freemium game. First, you take a simple resource management game, then you find a way to make it less fun. Then you add paid elements to temporarily remove the mechanisms that make it less fun.

    Even if you pay to remove the anti-fun, the maximum amount of fun is still very low. There is no plot. There are no quests. There are only the same four negative random events that can largely be mitigated by just two simple strategic practices: build in a checkerboard pattern, and keep six strong, heavily-armed vault guards on duty in the power station adjacent to the door on the entry level.

    I want to assemble a party of Vault Dweller, Chosen One, Brotherhood Warrior, Lone Wanderer, and Courier Six, crack open this vault, and teach the inhabitants how to actually have fun in the Wasteland. I'm disappointed, Bethesda, very disappointed.    … Expand
  2. Doc_Sci-Fi
    Aug 14, 2015
    1
    I was quite enthusiastic at first, but the game have rapidly disappointed me: there is no aim, feels like farming resources restlessly, the rhythm is too slow, making new dwellers takes literally 6 hours, your people die while you are not in the game. "Wasting time" resumes it perfectly. The only good thing is the nice interface, but it is not enough to convince me. Paying for bonus areI was quite enthusiastic at first, but the game have rapidly disappointed me: there is no aim, feels like farming resources restlessly, the rhythm is too slow, making new dwellers takes literally 6 hours, your people die while you are not in the game. "Wasting time" resumes it perfectly. The only good thing is the nice interface, but it is not enough to convince me. Paying for bonus are not even worthy.

    They have everything to make a good game but they are obviously lazy. What a shame!    … Expand
  3. Cantosix
    Oct 25, 2015
    6
    This game starts out being all kinds of awesome, but very quickly becomes all kinds of boring. I like the idea of it, I like the graphics, I like the overall goal. I like the tone of the game. I like many things about it. I deleted my first vault and didn't miss it in the slightest. Following an update I reinstalled and started again, but 'completed' the next vault within a week and willThis game starts out being all kinds of awesome, but very quickly becomes all kinds of boring. I like the idea of it, I like the graphics, I like the overall goal. I like the tone of the game. I like many things about it. I deleted my first vault and didn't miss it in the slightest. Following an update I reinstalled and started again, but 'completed' the next vault within a week and will be deleting that one too. How is it possible to simultaneously like and loathe this App? Because it's bursting with potential, but resiliently fails to deliver.

    Getting the shelter up and running is great, but after that it is self-sufficient and there is zero incentive to keep playing. The recent updates have responded to this by increasing the range and severity of attacks, but this is more annoying than engaging and does nothing to tackle the fundamental problem of the vault just becoming dull and repetitive. Despite the updates the game still struggles with poor controls, and each update leaves you with a sense that the game designers don't really have a clue what they should be aiming for. If any developers are reading this then I can provide a summary:

    - Bigger range of rooms. Why not add a cinema? A pool? A go-kart track? Make it harder to achieve 100% happiness. Stop the workers slogging away endlessly at the same tedious, limited range of jobs (why should that make them happy?!) and add a splash of variety.

    - If you're going to limit the game to 200 Dwellers, then add a life-cycle. When the Dwellers get old, why not let us stick them in a retirement room, thereby giving an incentive to actually call new Dwellers in from the Wasteland or breed more? (Plus, WTAF with the 'have 18 Dwellers pregnant challenge? Honestly??)

    - Put a pause button in. You are currently not able to play this game if you might be interrupted by, say, your train getting to its stop, because there is a risk of all your dwellers being killed by a random attack whilst you are dealing with a real-life event.

    - Wasteland mini-games? Why not move away from the tedium a little by literally leaving it behind?

    I really hope that there is a Fallout Shelter II, and that the scope is broader and produces less of a Marxist approach to Vault building.    … Expand
  4. game_over
    Jun 27, 2015
    0
    The game goes from "This is the best mobile game ever made." to "WTF. This sucks" over time.

    No pause button Guys dying when you are offline unless you conform your real life schedule to the game Later stages of the game are annoying e.g., Rad Roaches spawning in multiple rooms , attacking in waves , and killing entire rooms full of dwellers. Poor controls being annoying early    The game goes from "This is the best mobile game ever made." to "WTF. This sucks" over time.

    No pause button

    Guys dying when you are offline unless you conform your real life schedule to the game

    Later stages of the game are annoying e.g., Rad Roaches spawning in multiple rooms , attacking in waves , and killing entire rooms full of dwellers.

    Poor controls being annoying early on, become game breaking later during Rad Roach attacks.

    Other Bethesda games e.g., Fallout 3 and Skyrim, start out fun and become more enjoyable as you play them. This game starts out fun and then starts to suck big time. No thanks. Uninstall. Do game players have a lower standard for fun gameplay for mobile apps?    … Expand
  5. nalomeli
    Jul 3, 2015
    0
    This game is only fun at first. Eventually as your game gets more complicated interface issues become more and more pronounced and you end up wasting all of your time trying to complete simple tasks while your resources drain. Its the most frustrating game play experience I've ever had and I feel stupid for having wasted my time.
  6. Zri
    Aug 8, 2015
    6
    Nice interface, feels very Fallout, fails to be a satisfying game.

    You start out with the struggle of figuring out the right balance of game mechanics to be able to successfully play, get to the point where you can send people out into the wasteland to scavenge for caps and gear, and then the game stops being fun and turns into yet another game that you open for a few minutes a day to    Nice interface, feels very Fallout, fails to be a satisfying game.

    You start out with the struggle of figuring out the right balance of game mechanics to be able to successfully play, get to the point where you can send people out into the wasteland to scavenge for caps and gear, and then the game stops being fun and turns into yet another game that you open for a few minutes a day to cycle jobs, dump dwellers into a bedroom to breed, check on your foragers to see if you need to bring them home.    … Expand
  7. Captiosus
    Jun 18, 2015
    6
    At the Bethesda E3 Press Release, Todd Howard, the Chief of Bethesda Studios, said that this was the mobile game they always wanted to make. If that's the case, they certainly didn't set the bar very high. Fallout Shelter is little more than a typical timed resource, timed follower game that is set in the Fallout Universe. Like every other resource/follower game, it becomes boring afterAt the Bethesda E3 Press Release, Todd Howard, the Chief of Bethesda Studios, said that this was the mobile game they always wanted to make. If that's the case, they certainly didn't set the bar very high. Fallout Shelter is little more than a typical timed resource, timed follower game that is set in the Fallout Universe. Like every other resource/follower game, it becomes boring after only a few short sessions of play. The only difference is this one doesn't make you pay if you want to speed things along, though there are optional in app purchases that, according to the latest news, is making Bethesda tons of money (currently outpacing Candy Crush Saga and other in-app purchase games).

    This might have been the game they always wanted to make when the iPhone was new (which was when Howard said this game concept came to be), but now it's just another game in an overcrowded genre. At least it gives my 5th gen iPod Touch something else to do besides music, I guess.    … Expand
  8. LeftZer0
    Sep 3, 2015
    3
    The controls in this game are bad. Really bad. Insanely bad. Seriously, they're terrible, horrible. Even if all the rest were perfect, the controls are reason enough to cap this game's score at 5. I saw myself time after time having to try multiple times to select a dweller, or selecting one and sending him to another room when I wanted to move the camera. Selecting them to heal or applyThe controls in this game are bad. Really bad. Insanely bad. Seriously, they're terrible, horrible. Even if all the rest were perfect, the controls are reason enough to cap this game's score at 5. I saw myself time after time having to try multiple times to select a dweller, or selecting one and sending him to another room when I wanted to move the camera. Selecting them to heal or apply radaway is the same annoyance. The controls are already bad at the start, when the Vault starts to grow they turn the game into chaos. Everything has to be microed, you can't auto-assign dwellers, you can't auto-fill rooms, the UI for both things suck and you'll be soon with 50+ dwellers having to deal with that with every single one. And if they die in a room and you pay to revive them you have to reassign them to that room - result, I just uninstalled the game after a Deathclaw attack killed 10 of my dwellers and demanded me to throw them around until everyone's back at their right room. No, thank you.

    The pace of the game, even when everything is going well, is too slow. As a mobile game, the idea that you can stop playing at any time and come back later to see things finished exist, but to gather caps (the currency) you still have to be clicking things, so from time to time your gameplay consists of looking at the screen and clicking at the green things that appear - and it's still extremely slow.

    The resource management is a pain in the ass, there is no way to instantly know if you have enough of one of the resources or if with the new expansion you will run out, and when you find out you're not producing enough it's too late and your dwellers are suffering from the lack of it, which leads to unhappiness, which leads to less production, which leads to less of the resource you need - WHO THOUGH THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?

    Lastly, the game still consumes your resources for some time after being "closed", so it's not rare to leave my vault with everything perfectly fine and return to a slight lack of food or water, which made my happiness go from 90% to 10%.

    About the rest: graphics OK, sound/OST are nice, the ideas are good, no issues with glitches, bugs or crashes.

    Overall, decent (but generic) concept, exceedingly bad controls, bad execution. With some more thought and much better controls could be a decent game on PC, where we do have enough space for a decent UI to manage hundreds of dwellers. But as a mobile game, it's trash - just wait for Fallout 4.    … Expand
  9. miniwolfen
    Jul 2, 2016
    9
    The best free to play game out there is this one. Its easy to play and get into, fun and enjoyable. Fallout shelter is fun because no one is competing against you other than yourself. It is the best free to play game. Pick it up if you can!
  10. dkaizer
    Aug 20, 2015
    4
    I gave this game a relatively low score because of one reason; **** MOLE RATS. THEY SPREAD TOO DAMN FAST! Within a matter of seconds they have spread from one room to three to four rooms. Where is the fairness in that??? Don't waste your time playing this game because **** mole rats will just overwhelm you and waste five days of effort.
  11. BrushedRed
    Jun 17, 2015
    9
    Think Tiny Tower without being a total rip-off. Surprisingly, and I could be wrong, they haven't tried to make me pay for extra coins or anything. It's kinda like Tiny Tower in that you build a shelter, but overall it's so much more. You can get characters to explore the wasteland as others grow up and work in the shelter. It's kinda hard to first get into and can seem overwhelming butThink Tiny Tower without being a total rip-off. Surprisingly, and I could be wrong, they haven't tried to make me pay for extra coins or anything. It's kinda like Tiny Tower in that you build a shelter, but overall it's so much more. You can get characters to explore the wasteland as others grow up and work in the shelter. It's kinda hard to first get into and can seem overwhelming but it's also very adaptable. I love this game series and it's a fun little addition to get me prepared for Fallout 4… Expand
  12. Mrandom
    Jun 19, 2015
    5
    It is an average game, but it certainly can't match the quality of a Bethesda game. Very boring, just another free game where you build and waste money on useless cards and coins. It is essentially nothing about the Fallout world or post apocalyptic wasteland.
  13. DapperDanMan
    Aug 14, 2015
    0
    Game was fun until the update. Right after the update my vault went on the fritz. I got into my vault one time and watched all of my resources drain right after the update. My Vault Residents health status dropped across the board and my production rooms ceased their intended purposes...production! Enter DEATHCLAWS! This all happened within 20 minutes. Three deathclaws attacked my vault. IGame was fun until the update. Right after the update my vault went on the fritz. I got into my vault one time and watched all of my resources drain right after the update. My Vault Residents health status dropped across the board and my production rooms ceased their intended purposes...production! Enter DEATHCLAWS! This all happened within 20 minutes. Three deathclaws attacked my vault. I had 177 residents at the time of the attack. I have 75 residents left. You read that right. The deathclaws took out 102 residents. I liked the game as a 10-15 minute time-suck. Also I purchased one of the lunchbox packages (one of the cheaper ones) against my better judgement. The items you get can be taken from you throughout the game. Example, you get a card for 500 caps, raiders come and take caps (after update). You pay Bethesda (?) for stuff. They give stuff. They take stuff back after giving stuff.… Expand
  14. colacastell
    Jun 19, 2015
    0
    Can not enjoy the title as it appears to be completely pay-to-win. I now have played two individual vaults, and after a time everything simply falls apart, even though you are doing everything as good as possible. That means you end up needing to buy these boxes for real money in order to sustain a healthy vault.
    I had a totally fine population and had all facilities balanced and    Can not enjoy the title as it appears to be completely pay-to-win. I now have played two individual vaults, and after a time everything simply falls apart, even though you are doing everything as good as possible. That means you end up needing to buy these boxes for real money in order to sustain a healthy vault.
    I had a totally fine population and had all facilities balanced and completely filled with the best workers according to their S.P.E.C.I.A.L. skills, meaning all the strongest to the generator and so on. At the same time I was smartly using the speed boosts, which always bring the risk of an accident, but I was able to avoid many and only used boost with low risk when available. Also, I had many inhabitants reproduce so that I was able to grow, get more resources and eventually more things to build, while keeping everything afloat (all resources in green area).
    At some point everyone was working, every facility I had was fully upgraded and I used boost. However, resources went away, and I was already doing everything I could. I had everyone working, again, everything upgraded to the maximum, and I could not stop the trend. After a time everything was almost on zero, and I could not do anything to avoid it, which leads me to the assumption that even though you plan as good as possible, your population is not able to provide itself in the long term. Which means you have to pay and get these boxes so you can play. That is just a completely bad approach and disrespectful for anyone wanting to play the game. That results in 1 point.    … Expand
  15. Righter
    Jun 19, 2015
    5
    It's a blatant rip-off of "This War of Mine" - only not half as good. IAP are optional, and I've basically finished the game without them. I refuse to pay Bethesda a dime for a game that they ripped off from another developer, and I'll be uninstalling it. It really is a shameless rip-off, only with cartoon graphics instead of the realistically somber B&W look that TWOM uses. Anybody whoIt's a blatant rip-off of "This War of Mine" - only not half as good. IAP are optional, and I've basically finished the game without them. I refuse to pay Bethesda a dime for a game that they ripped off from another developer, and I'll be uninstalling it. It really is a shameless rip-off, only with cartoon graphics instead of the realistically somber B&W look that TWOM uses. Anybody who says it's play to win isn't trying hard enough. If anything, I found the game too easy. Which is why I've practically finished it already and I've only had it two days and been playing on and off. Once you've got 100 dwellers and have built all the unlocked rooms, its replay value goes to ZERO.… Expand
  16. busbfran
    Jun 18, 2015
    8
    It's addictive simulation game play and stylish graphics are worth the free installation, however its slow paced and action lacking game play does the fallout series no justice. Fallout Shelters is fun but I doubt the game will have the buzz in a weeks time.
  17. nutzip
    Jun 20, 2015
    9
    Great game if you love fallout!!! a little slow paced but fun beng an oversear of a vault.Learn peoples stats and put them in the right job to get good resources
  18. Skarwind
    Aug 19, 2015
    8
    I'm reviewing the Android version of this game since metacritic has yet to add that to the list. Thankfully the game was ported over to the Android OS and I have to say that it is a very well made game. The first thing that hit me when I loaded it up was that there were micro transactions. At first I was upset that Bethesda had chosen to take this route in the free to play market, but thenI'm reviewing the Android version of this game since metacritic has yet to add that to the list. Thankfully the game was ported over to the Android OS and I have to say that it is a very well made game. The first thing that hit me when I loaded it up was that there were micro transactions. At first I was upset that Bethesda had chosen to take this route in the free to play market, but then I realized that unlike most FTP games on mobile devices, this one wasn't pay to win.

    The lunchbox idea seems like something a Pay to win game would use but thankfully Bethesda decided not to screw over its customers. You technically never even need to open one up in order to do well and in a timely fashion. Most games seem to feel like they are geared towards being a more rewarding experience when you support the company, but Bethesda make it feel more like you are tipping a waiter or waitress a well deserved tip.

    Now moving on to the game. It's a simple micro manage your own civilization style of game. You build rooms deeper and deeper into the mountain side as you gain more vault dwellers by having your dwellers do the dirty deed or gaining them as they show up at your doorstep. You need to manage food, power, and water to keep them happy and productive. The game sticks to the traditional Fallout motif in using the SPECIAL system to benefit different rooms/wasteland exploration (should you choose to send your people out into the wild for supplies, caps, and exp). It also keeps the art aesthetic and music of the series.

    The graphics shouldn't test the limits of your smart phone or tablet and according to some websites the game can even be emulated on PCs using an Android emulator (so yay for that). Many are complaining about the controls being a little testy on the smart phone side of the game but over time these should be fixed. For now you may encounter the occasional bug where you can't select a vault dweller unless you close and reopen the game or even a bug where your vault door will stay open (I have no idea if this actually affects the game or not as I didn't want to test it out).

    It's an addicting game that will make you constantly want to keep an eye on your little mountain side village. You'll encounter Rad Roach invasions, Raider attacks, and if you are very unlucky, a Devil Claw attack. You'll have to equip your people with the appropriate weapons and clothing to survive and move them room to room based on threats and other situations.

    Ultimately this is a free to play game that requires nothing other than your time. There are no in game ads (for those who don't want to pay) and the only thing you ever may want to give Bethesda other than your cash is a vote on the game's respective marketplace. So give it a try and I think you will be surprised how refreshing it is to actually have a FTP game that doesn't force you to dish out your hard earned money.    … Expand
  19. ITZZZPERRY
    Aug 7, 2015
    8
    Fallout is an enjoyable distraction available on the App Store. It's addictive and fun, although it could also be seen as limited in capacity. This is definitely worth a pickup, though, as it is free.
  20. tsakiym
    Jun 23, 2015
    8
    Great game. Free, Offline, no pay to win and super addictive. I spent many hours on this game. It's super simple and enjoy full. Good job Bethesda :).
  21. benjiman75
    Aug 4, 2015
    10
    Great game that captivates and keeps you glued to the screen with its simpleness yet difficulties you can be stuck to this game for a day and only think its been an hour! Defiantly recumbent it
  22. X_Gizmo_X
    Aug 12, 2015
    10
    This is one of the best mobile games I have ever had the honor to play. It is unlike any other building game. In my case I find the game to be unique with an art style perfectly suited for what the game is.
  23. janlopes
    Aug 19, 2015
    4
    I can't handle freemium anymore! After 4 hours your vault is destroyed and it is impossible to rebuild it without spending a lot of money. Charge me 15 bucks for a full game!!! Stop making money machines!!!
  24. rodericrinehart
    Jun 19, 2015
    8
    Very fun mobile game with no pay-to-win and can be enjoyed completely offline. As far as mobile games go (which I score differently than console and PC), it is pretty damn good. Other great ones: Hearthstone, Hitman Go, Plants vs Zombies, Plague Inc., Kingdom Rush, Monument Valley.
  25. NeoMorph
    Jun 17, 2015
    3
    It's an addictive game WHEN IT WORKS... When it doesn't it's a pile of doggy doodoo. They should make it clear it isn't supposed to run on older hardware like my iPad 2 or iPhone 4s.
  26. FrostGames
    Jun 29, 2015
    10
    The best game of this kind just for one reason: completely optional IAP, in contrast to the "Tiny..." series that are full of it. And also has the FallOut vibe. RECOMMENDED.
  27. XDavidX
    Nov 23, 2015
    10
    The game is just amazing. I love play this game. For me this game is amazing ! Nothing more to comment because this game is amazing ! I rate this 10/10
  28. c0ld3st
    Aug 19, 2015
    10
    This is a really fun game with a great personality. I really like that you can equip and rename and train individual dwellers. It really adds something to the simple resource generation basis of the game. It makes the experience much more 'personal', if you want to make it that way.

    Ignore all the people who are complaining that it's p2w. You get enough lunchboxes from completing in    This is a really fun game with a great personality. I really like that you can equip and rename and train individual dwellers. It really adds something to the simple resource generation basis of the game. It makes the experience much more 'personal', if you want to make it that way.

    Ignore all the people who are complaining that it's p2w. You get enough lunchboxes from completing in game 'quests' that you can easily build a successful vault. My first vault was over 120 occupants without spending any money. You just have to take the time to plan and resist the temptation to build too quickly and over extend your power.

    My second vault I bought lunchboxes. Usually, If I spend several hours on a free game, I try to give back a little. The purchase made everything very easy, as my dwellers were well equipped and I had more 'rare' dwellers.

    I would recommend this game strongly to anyone who likes builder type sims, and also anyone who likes the fallout universe.    … Expand
  29. JoshLuck1995
    Jun 19, 2015
    9
    This is the best mobile game ever made. I am playing it on my iPhone 5s, I do not own an ipad so i cannot say how performance is on that but from what ive played (a few days worth now) its simply amazing. This is the first mobile game i have ever got into as im not really a fan of iOS games but this has me hooked and i even spent 17 pound in game! IF this game has this effect on me then iThis is the best mobile game ever made. I am playing it on my iPhone 5s, I do not own an ipad so i cannot say how performance is on that but from what ive played (a few days worth now) its simply amazing. This is the first mobile game i have ever got into as im not really a fan of iOS games but this has me hooked and i even spent 17 pound in game! IF this game has this effect on me then i cannot imagine what it will do if your a hardcore mobile gaming fan!!!!!!!… Expand
  30. TheQuietGamer
    Jul 24, 2016
    9
    An interesting spin-off for the Fallout franchise that puts you in control of your very own vault. It's your job to build it, grow it, and keep the inhabitants happy. Things like crafting, collecting supplies, and sending your vault dwellers out on quests really capture the feel of the Fallout universe.

    The free-to-play nature of it is handled incredibly well. You really can do    An interesting spin-off for the Fallout franchise that puts you in control of your very own vault. It's your job to build it, grow it, and keep the inhabitants happy. Things like crafting, collecting supplies, and sending your vault dwellers out on quests really capture the feel of the Fallout universe.

    The free-to-play nature of it is handled incredibly well. You really can do everything and not spend any money. The microtransactions are barely noticeable. You can still feel like you are making progress while waiting on the timers.

    Various updates have removed the need for almost constant attention the game required before. Now you can take some time off and not have to worry about your vault being in horrible shape when you return. They finally fixed it where you can pick up play it whenever you feel like rather than having your time with it being dominated by the game's needy nature.

    It's a completely free-to-play spin-off that feels completely part of the Fallout universe. Building and managing your very own vault can be a blast. The pick up and play at your own leisure nature of it makes it worth a look for any Fallout fan. It's also worth a look for those who enjoy these kinds of building sims and don't want to feel like it's constantly shaking you down for money.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2015
56
#56 Most Shared iOS Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 39
  3. Negative: 1 out of 39
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Sep 1, 2015
    85
    Fallout Shelter is a decent free-to-play title, as it never begs for money and you can play it relatively easily without spending a dime. It's also a prime example of marketing. By releasing the game just after the announcement of Fallout 4, Bethesda made an excellent example of capitalizing the IP. [Aug 2015]
  2. Attack of the Fanboy
    Aug 23, 2015
    70
    Fallout Shelter is an enjoyable but ultimately shallow experience. It’s set apart from others of its ilk by making its transactions truly and completely optional — though sorely tempting.
    Read full review
  3. TheAppzine
    Aug 20, 2015
    70
    Thankfully, Fallout Shelter's nostalgic aesthetics (which imitate signs and other written materials seen in Fallout 3 and New Vegas) mostly outshine the issues of the game's shallow nature.
    Read full review
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