Fallout Shelter: Dark, Post-Apocalyptic Survivalist Game

Lately, I’ve taken to playing Fallout Shelter on my phone a great deal. It’s a game from Bethesda that is part of the post-apocalyptic Fallout series.

In the game, you play as an Overseer for a “vault,” dictating all the tasks of the inhabitants. Your job is to make sure there’s enough power, food, and water for everyone. All the while, building new rooms, and trying to keep humanity alive and running for another day.

One fun element is that you get “lunchboxes” from time to time, as achievement awards. Each one contains a series of cards that give you more money (bottlecaps), more of a specific utility, or armor/weapons. This portion fo the game reminded me of Hearthstone, and their extra card mechanics.

The happiness of your dwellers also matters, though it seems like they’ll still go about their lives even if they’re unhappy. You can increase the number of people in your Vault by creating a radio room and attracting folks from the Wasteland outside… or you can pair men and women together, who will eventually have offspring.

It’s a bit like the Sims, but much darker. I love the screenshot (above), as these two were just utterly miserable, yet trying to slow dance with one another and talking about their “future” together. I’m a terrible Overseer, but hey – my vault, my rules.

Last Saturday, when we met up with Liz’s family for a Father’s Day dinner… I learned that Cameron had this game as well. Though his vault was running so much better than mine.

I’ve had a fun time so far, but it always seems that my resources get all lopsided… and some big disaster happens to wipe out the whole population, leaving me to start all over again.

Which I guess, in some ways, is what this game is all about. Starting over.

Related:
Fallout 3