FFG Announces Fallout Shelter: the Board Game

I’ve been a big fan of the Fallout video game series since Fallout 3 all those many years ago (I missed the buzz when the first two came out).

I love the series so much that I was really happy to hear about the board game version of Fallout. Sadly, for me anyway, finally playing it didn’t live up to the hype.

But that hasn’t stopped Fantasy Flight Games (FFG)!

Yesterday they announced a game based on the popular Fallout app that took the world by storm prior to Fallout 4 being released a couple of years ago.

This news is so hot that there isn’t even a BoardgameGeek listing for the game yet!

Yes, Fallout Shelter: the Board Game (based on the Bethesda app) will be coming out in early 2020, and this one isn’t an adventure game. It’s actually a worker placement game that plays 2-4 players, where you are trying to increase the happiness of the denizens of your Vault-Tec vault as well as keeping them safe and making them be productive.

Let’s blurb this thing:

“The bombs have fallen, but under 2,000 feet of bedrock your Vault-Tec Vault is a thriving and joyous community—at least until the untimely death of your Overseer. Now, it’s up to you and your fellow officers to keep your Vault Dwellers safe, productive, and happy. Compete with the other players to see who can inspire the most happiness and be elected as the new Overseer!”

Each player is an officer in the Vault vying to become that new Overseer so you can exploit the folks living under your guidance!

Ok, I extrapolated that beyond the end of the game. I assume that’s what will happen once you become Overseer.

In reality, I’m sure the game ends before that.

Each officer is building their own level in the Vault, adding rooms as they can afford them. Once somebody has built their sixth room, the game will end at the end of the round.

You can send your vault dwellers out into the wasteland to get resources, or perhaps have them work in the garden or at a power plant. These resources will help you build these rooms.

Or you could send them to their living quarters to make even more vault dwellers! (I’m sensing a Stone Age vibe here)

They might also be able to scrounge some cool new items or weapons that will help you defend the Vault from interlopers!

Feral Ghouls suck! (Please don’t sic the “All Ghouls are Sacred” organization on me)

But what I find really interesting is that there’s also a “Threat” deck that will add to everyone’s problems. You may have to cooperate with your fellow officers to combat some of these trials.

From the post:

“You’ll also have to work together to deal with any threats that pop up during your time as officers. While Vault-Tec has taken every measure possible to ensure your Vault runs smoothly, accidents like fires and power outages are inevitable. In these cases, a Dweller will have to spend resources to deal with the problem, doing their part by keeping the Vault safe and secure.Threats also represent a ticking clock: when the threat deck runs out, the game is over at the end of the round.”

This is fascinating. You can’t dawdle and extend the game indefinitely by not building rooms because the Threat deck will end the game instead. It’s nice to have two ways to end things.

This looks like a really intriguing game, though I would have to see more about how everything works before making a broader determination than that.

If you’re a Fallout fan, you should definitely go check out the page for more information (and more great pictures!).

And maybe check out the game when it comes out early next year.