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How It Works • Games & Tech

Fallout (video game)

Fallout, also known as Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game and sometimes called Fallout 1, is a 1997 role-playing video game developed and published by Interplay Productions.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Fallout is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Interplay Productions. It is set in a retro-futuristic post-apocalyptic world in the year 2161.

What it is

Fallout, also known as Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game or Fallout 1, is the first entry in the Fallout series. It was released on October 10, 1997 for MS-DOS, Windows, and later Mac systems. The game is widely considered the spiritual successor to Interplay's earlier title Wasteland.

Key details

Players control the Vault Dweller, a resident of Vault 13, who must explore the wasteland after a nuclear war known as the Great War. Gameplay uses turn-based combat and an isometric perspective, with choices that affect the story. The setting is a retro-futuristic United States in 2161.

Why it matters

Fallout established the core themes and tone of the entire franchise. It has a long-standing player base in Canada and elsewhere, and the 2024 television adaptation renewed interest in the original game. Later entries expanded the series into a major media property.

In short

  • First game in the Fallout series, released in 1997.
  • Set in a post-apocalyptic retro-futuristic US in 2161.
  • Players control the Vault Dweller from Vault 13.
  • Spiritual successor to Interplay's Wasteland.
Canadian angle

Fallout has a long-standing Canadian player base, and the franchise is widely known in Canada through PC gaming, later console releases, and the 2024 television adaptation that renewed interest in the original game.

Quick questions

What is Fallout 1?
Fallout 1 is the first Fallout video game, formally titled Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game.
Who developed Fallout?
It was developed and published by Interplay Productions.
When was Fallout released?
It was released on October 10, 1997.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_(video_game)
    Supports: Title, developer, publisher, release date, platform, and general game description.
  2. Fallout Wiki — https://fallout.wiki/wiki/Fallout
    Supports: Setting, year 2161, Vault 13, Great War background, and turn-based/isometric gameplay.
  3. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_(franchise)
    Supports: Fallout as the first entry in the franchise and first release date.
  4. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction — https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fallout
    Supports: 1997 videogame, designers, platforms, isometric perspective, and post-holocaust setting.
  5. Simple English Wikipedia — https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_(video_game)
    Supports: First game in the series, 1997 release, and common name Fallout 1.
  6. Fallout Wiki (Fandom) — https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Fallout
    Supports: Direct sequel relation and publication details.