Fallout Shelter is a captivating facility-building game set in the Fallout universe, offering players a unique twist on the post-apocalyptic genre. Developed by Bethesda Studios in partnership with Behaviour Interactive, this free-to-play, single-player game debuted in 2015 on iOS and Android, eventually expanding to consoles and PC. Despite being a mobile spin-off, Fallout Shelter provides an engaging experience akin to managing your own underground vault, a world of chaos and survival.
Fallout Shelter’s Gameplay: Build, Manage, and Survive
Set in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, Fallout Shelter invites players to take on the role of the Overseer. This powerful figure is responsible for managing a vault, which consists of various rooms where residents, known as dwellers, carry out their daily activities. As the Overseer, your primary mission is to build rooms, maintain resources (like power, water, and food), and ensure that your dwellers are safe from the dangers of the wasteland above.
Each dweller has unique skills and abilities based on the SPECIAL attributes system, a hallmark of the Fallout franchise. These attributes, including Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck, determine how well a dweller performs specific tasks. Over time, your dwellers level up, increasing their effectiveness in their assigned roles, which in turn strengthens the vault.
The vault’s main resources include power, food, and water. Without these, your vault will fall into disarray. You need to constantly balance production and usage to ensure that you have enough supplies for your growing community. Dwellers can also reproduce, creating more individuals to work within the vault and sustain its expansion.
Rare and Legendary Dwellers
Dwellers come in various types and rarities. Some are ordinary, while others are rare or legendary. These rare and legendary dwellers are often obtained through the game’s lunchboxes, which are collectible items that grant a mix of valuable resources, including outfits, weapons, and dwellers themselves.
- Rare Dwellers: There are 20 rare dwellers, each equipped with a unique outfit that can also be used to boost the stats of other dwellers.
- Legendary Dwellers: There are 27 legendary characters, including some from Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, each equipped with powerful weapons and rare outfits that provide significant advantages in gameplay.
- Quest Characters: These 39 characters come with special roles and are tied to quests that help progress your story.
Fallout Shelter Platforms and Availability
Initially launched for iOS and Android, Fallout Shelter has expanded to other platforms over time, including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It’s also available as a free-to-play title on these platforms, though players can opt to make in-game purchases. The gameplay on different platforms remains largely consistent, with the same mechanics of vault-building and resource management.
Cheat Codes and Methods for Fallout Shelter
While Fallout Shelter does not include traditional cheat codes, there are several methods players can use to gain an advantage. Some of these cheats are officially recognized, while others are unapproved third-party methods. These include save editing and cheat trainers.
Save Editing
Editing your save file can provide access to unlimited resources, weapons, and other perks. To use this method, players upload their save file to a website that offers save editing tools. These tools allow you to tweak various aspects of the game, such as healing dwellers, increasing caps, or granting instant upgrades. After making changes, the edited file can be downloaded and used to replace the original save.
Cheat Trainer for PC
For PC players, there’s the option to use a cheat trainer, such as Wemod or Plitch. These programs provide mods that can be toggled on and off, offering a variety of benefits such as:
- Unlimited health for your dwellers
- Maxed-out resources (power, food, water, etc.)
- Instant level-ups for your dwellers
- Unlimited caps (the in-game currency)
- Unlimited Nuka-Cola and Radaway
- Instant quest completion
- No rush failure or disasters
These cheat trainers are not officially endorsed by Bethesda, so using them comes with the risk of destabilizing your game or violating the terms of service. Players should use them cautiously.
Cheat Codes for PC
For Fallout Shelter on PC, additional cheat codes can be implemented through tools like Plitch. Some of the cheats available for repeat input include:
- Add 1000 Caps
- Max Dweller stats
- One-hit kills during quests
- Infinite resources (food, water, electricity)
- Add 10 Nuka-Cola Quantum
Fallout Shelter Tips: How to Optimize Your Vault
In addition to cheats, there are many strategies that can help you excel in Fallout Shelter.
The Mysterious Stranger
A familiar face in the Fallout universe, the Mysterious Stranger appears randomly in your vault. If you hear a specific musical cue, take a moment to locate him and claim the reward. The Mysterious Stranger typically offers caps, with rewards ranging from 100 to 2,000. Don’t miss the opportunity to boost your cap reserves!
Sell Excess Items
As you progress in the game, you’ll accumulate more items than your vault can use. Rather than hoarding them, sell off your excess supplies. You can access your item storage by tapping the Pip-boy icon and selecting “item storage.” Sell off old outfits, weapons, and other unnecessary items to earn additional caps.
Focus on Dwellers for Caps
In Fallout Shelter, dwellers are a primary source of caps. Each time a dweller levels up, you earn caps as a reward. By recruiting new dwellers and leveling them up, you’ll amass a steady income of caps. It’s best to level up dwellers before sending them on exploration trips, as this maximizes the rewards you receive.
Boost Luck for Exploration
Sending dwellers outside the vault on exploration missions can yield valuable items and caps. Dwellers with high Luck stats are more likely to return with valuable resources. To improve Luck, construct a game room where dwellers can train. Focus on boosting the Luck of your most capable dwellers to maximize exploration rewards.
Use Objectives for Quick Caps
Completing objectives is an efficient way to earn caps. These objectives appear under the radio icon and vary in difficulty. Some objectives are simple and reward small amounts of caps, while others are more complex and offer larger rewards, including lunchboxes.
Fallout Shelter Cheat Code FAQs
What Are Lunchboxes in Fallout Shelter?
Lunchboxes are a crucial item in Fallout Shelter. They contain five cards, one of which is guaranteed to be a rare or legendary card. Lunchboxes can be earned in several ways, including completing objectives, keeping happiness at 100% for weekly reports, and purchasing them in the store for $0.99.
How Do You Get Unlimited Lunchboxes?
To earn unlimited lunchboxes early on in the game, avoid completing the first two objectives, “Equip 1 Dweller with an Outfit” and “Sell 1 Weapon or Outfit.” Instead, complete the third objective, which will give you a consistent stream of easy-to-complete objectives that reward you with lunchboxes.
Can You Prevent Raiders from Attacking Your Vault?
While you can’t completely eliminate raiders, you can prepare your vault to fend them off. Use reinforced doors and position armed dwellers near the vault entrance to slow or stop raiders. Proper defenses can minimize damage and protect your dwellers.
Does Fallout Shelter End?
Fallout Shelter does not have a specific ending. The game continues indefinitely, with no real “finish line.” Your vault can keep growing and evolving as long as you continue to play, ensuring an ongoing challenge.
Conclusion
Fallout Shelter offers a deep and engaging experience, blending resource management, character development, and strategic planning. Whether you’re building a thriving vault or using cheats to gain an advantage, the game provides endless entertainment. With these tips and cheat codes, you can master the vault, create a thriving community of dwellers, and enjoy everything this exciting post-apocalyptic world has to offer.