Fallout Shelter

Last updated

Fallout Shelter
Fallout Shelter Icon.png
App icon
Developer(s)
Publisher(s) Bethesda Softworks
Producer(s) Craig Lafferty
Designer(s)
  • Emmanuelle Hardy-Senecal
  • Tomas Henriquez
  • Janick Neveu
Programmer(s)
  • Federico Cicchi
  • Daniel Amthauer
Artist(s)
Writer(s) Emil Pagliarulo
Series Fallout
Engine Unity
Platform(s)
Release
June 14, 2015
    • iOS
    • June 14, 2015
    • Android
    • August 13, 2015
    • Windows
    • July 14, 2016
    • Xbox One
    • February 7, 2017
    • Nintendo Switch, PS4
    • June 10, 2018
Genre(s) Construction and management simulation, survival
Mode(s) Single-player

Fallout Shelter is a free-to-play construction and management simulation video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, with assistance by Behaviour Interactive, and published by Bethesda Softworks. Part of the Fallout series, it was released worldwide for iOS devices in June 2015, for Android devices in August 2015, for Windows in July 2016, for Xbox One in February 2017, and for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in June 2018. The game is also available on Tesla vehicles. The game tasks the player with building and effectively managing their own Vault, a fallout shelter.

Contents

Upon release, Fallout Shelter received mostly positive reviews. Critics enjoyed the game's extension of the Fallout universe, the core gameplay, and its visual style. Common criticisms included the game's lack of depth, its use of unnecessary microtransactions, and its lack of an ending. The game grossed US$5.1 million (equivalent to about $6.6M in 2023) in microtransaction sales in the first two weeks after its release.

Gameplay

Ant farm view. Vault resources are shown along the top of the screen. A notification appears when a room produces resources. Fallout Shelter gameplay.jpg
Ant farm view. Vault resources are shown along the top of the screen. A notification appears when a room produces resources.

In Fallout Shelter, players build and manage their Vault as an Overseer, its leader and coordinator. Players guide and direct the citizens of the Vault, known as dwellers, and need to keep them happy through meeting their needs such as power, food, and water. [1] [2] They rescue dwellers from the wasteland and assign them to different resource-generating buildings in the Vault, using the SPECIAL statistics system from the other Fallout games. Each character's SPECIAL profile affects their ability to generate different resources, [3] and their statistics can be increased by training them in rooms devoted to each stat. [4] The dwellers can level up over time, increasing their health, and can be given items and weapons to help with various tasks. [1] The number of dwellers can be increased by waiting for dwellers from the wasteland to arrive or by pairing a male and a female dweller in living quarters to produce children. [2] [3]

Balancing resources such as food, water, and power is an important aspect of the game. [2] Many different rooms can be built in the Vault, providing different items or stat bonuses. Players are not required to spend money in order to accelerate long timers or processes, [2] [5] instead having the option to rush the room at the risk of triggering an incident – such as fires or "radroach" infestations. [5] [6] Players are sometimes rewarded with lunchboxes that contain cards, that could give them items, resources or dwellers, which can be purchased separately through microtransactions. [2] [5] [7] [8]

Development and release

In a 2009 interview with Engadget , while talking about a possible Fallout game for iOS, Bethesda's Todd Howard said that the world of Fallout was "unique enough that it could translate to any platform", revealing that several designs of an iOS Fallout game were pitched and rejected. [9] On November 5, 2009 John Carmack, who at that time worked for id Software, said that while it was nothing official yet, he had an internal proof of concept made for a Fallout iPhone game. Carmack said that he would likely be personally involved in making the game, although at the time he was working on other projects. He added that "at the very least I'm going to be providing code." [10]

Fallout Shelter was announced by Bethesda during its press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo on June 14, 2015, where it was confirmed the game is a free-to-play title that would be released for iOS the same day. [1] It was developed in a partnership with Behaviour Interactive, [11] and was built using the Unity game engine. [12] The game was released for Android devices on August 13, 2015. [13]

According to Pete Hines, vice president of Bethesda, the game is inspired by other video games like Little Computer People , Progress Quest , XCOM , SimCity and FTL: Faster Than Light . [14] [15]

Updates and ports

On June 30, 2015, the game added a character from Fallout 4 as a dweller. Preston Garvey, the leader of Commonwealth Minutemen, was added as a reward available from lunchboxes, along with his Laser Musket weapon, which can be equipped by other Vault dwellers. [16] [17] On July 10, 2015, the game received its first update which fixed some problems while adding a new "Photo Mode" feature that allows players to capture and share images of their Vault. [18] On August 13, a major update was launched for the iOS version, alongside the release of the Android version, adding mole rats and deathclaws as new enemies. It also added a feature where raiders would also steal caps, instead of only stealing resources as before, and a robot butler named "Mister Handy", only available through lunchboxes. [19] [20]

On October 15, the game received update 1.2 that added cloud saving, survival mode, Russian language support and Piper, a character from Fallout 4 available only for iOS version through lunchboxes. The update added a statistics page, ability to skip tutorial and a new gameplay feature where dwellers can loot equipment from dead raiders. [21] [22] [23] Later in October, the game received a Halloween-themed update that added room decorations and outfits. The update removed the limit introduced in the previous update on number of dwellers that can be sent to explore the Wasteland. [24]

On November 22, the game received a Thanksgiving-themed update. The update added outfits and decorations. [25] [26] On December 10, the game received update 1.3 which added new features like pets including Dogmeat, ability to evict Vault dwellers, a sell all function for clearing out the inventory at once and new pickup lines and conversations for Vault dwellers. The update also added snow and Christmas-themed decorations. [27] [28]

In March 2016, update 1.4 was released which added a crafting system, rooms, a card in lunchboxes containing junk used in crafting, pets and a barbershop. [29] Update 1.5 was released in April 2016, adding customization options for Vault dwellers along with the ability to scrap unwanted items and support for 3D Touch. [30] Update 1.6 was released on July 14, 2016, adding a quest system, two new enemies (Feral Ghouls and Radscorpions) and two items in the shop. Additionally, the combat system was tweaked in the update. [31]

Update 1.6, along with the PC version of the game, was announced at Bethesda's press conference before Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016 held on June 12, 2016. Both of them were revealed to be coming in July. [32] The PC version was released on the Bethesda.net platform alongside the update on July 14. [33]

Bethesda released an Xbox One version of Fallout Shelter on February 7, 2017; the title supports Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing synchronizing of data and achievements for users with Windows 10. [34] [35]

On March 28, 2017, Bethesda released the PC version of the game on Steam. [36]

During the Bethesda E3 2018 Showcase on June 10, 2018, the game was announced and later released that day for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch platforms, making it the very first game in the Fallout series to be available on a Nintendo platform, [37] not counting the Fallout pinball adaptation that was released as part of the Bethesda Pinball collection in late 2016 for Zen Pinball 2 , which was available on the Wii U.

In May 2020, Fallout Shelter was added to Tesla vehicles for in-car play. [38]

Lawsuit

On June 21, 2018, Bethesda Softworks sued Warner Bros. Entertainment and Behaviour Interactive over Westworld, an Android/iOS mobile game based on the Westworld TV series, alleging that the game is a "blatant rip-off" of Fallout Shelter. [39]

In a suit filed in a Maryland U.S. District Court, Bethesda alleges that Westworld — developed by Behaviour — "has the same or highly similar game design, art style, animations, features and other gameplay elements" as Fallout Shelter and Westworld illegally "uses the same copyrighted computer code" as Fallout Shelter. [40] Bethesda sued for copyright infringement, breach of contract and misappropriating trade secrets, seeking a jury trial and damages. [41] By January 2019, Bethesda announced it had reached an agreement with Warner Bros. and Behavior with undisclosed terms, halting its lawsuit against them. [42]

On January 15, 2019, Westworld was removed from Google Play and Apple stores. An in-game announcement stated that only existing players could continue playing until April 16, 2019, when the game would be taken offline. [43]

Reception

Fallout Shelter received "mixed" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [44] [45] [46]

Reviewers generally enjoyed the gameplay, though criticized its lack of depth. Harry Slater from Pocket Gamer stated, "It's not exactly the most exciting post-apocalyptic game out there, but if casual is your bag there's a lot to like here." [54] Chris Carter from Destructoid wrote, "I don't want to play it every day forever and ever, but it's definitely worth the time I invested in it." [47] Justin Davis of IGN remarked "Fallout Shelter is desperately in need of a set of endgame goals or resource sinks to look forward to." [51]

The visuals also gained some praise. Daniel Tack of Game Informer summarized the visuals as "flavorful in the iconic Vault Boy aesthetic." [48] Chris Carter remarked that "visually, Fallout Shelter is far more impressive than most resource-management games on the market". [47] Jason Faulkner of Gamezebo found the graphics "impressive", writing "not only are the cute little Vault dwellers presented in sharp, Fallout-faithful style, but the vault itself is quite stunning." [53]

Reviewers had mixed opinions about the game's inclusion of microtransactions. Jeb Haught of Game Revolution opined, "when I add the micro-transaction advantage to the post apocalyptic mix, the result puts a sour taste in my mouth". [49] Daniel Tack claimed that "the cash shop option in this free-to-play game is completely unobtrusive and unnecessary". [48] In contrast, Justin Davis says that "virtually every other gameplay element must be earned the old-fashioned mobile way – by just waiting around." [51]

Fallout Shelter became the most popular free iOS application in the U.S. and UK within a day of its release, [56] and the most popular iOS game on June 26, 2015. [57] By June 12, 2016, Fallout Shelter had over 50 million players. [58] Studio director Todd Howard estimated they had 75 million players by February 2017. By June 2019 the game was downloaded more than 150 million times. [59] By June 2020 the game was downloaded more than 170 million times. [60] Because of Fallout Shelter's success, the studio has been working on a second mobile title. [61]

Revenue

On the day of its release, Fallout Shelter became the third-highest-grossing game in the iOS App Store. [56] By July 16, 2015, two weeks after release, the game earned $5.1 million (equivalent to about $6.6M in 2023) in microtransaction sales. [62] The game grossed $100 million (~$118 million in 2023) in lifetime revenue by June 2019. [63]

Awards

List of awards and nominations
AwardCategoryResultRef.
33rd Golden Joystick Awards Best Mobile GameWon [64]
The Game Awards 2015 Best Mobile/Handheld GameNominated [65]
19th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Mobile Game of the Year Won [66] [67]
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year Nominated

Board game adaptation

A multiplayer board game adaptation of Fallout Shelter was released in late 2020. [68]

Related Research Articles

Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a division of Media Technology Limited. In 1999, it became a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. In its first 15 years, it was a video game developer and self-published its titles. In 2001, Bethesda spun off its in-house development team into Bethesda Game Studios, leaving Bethesda Softworks to focus on publishing operations.

<i>Fallout</i> (series) Video game series

Fallout is a media franchise of post-apocalyptic role-playing video games—and later action role-playing games—created by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, at Interplay Entertainment. The series is set during the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd centuries, and its atomicpunk retrofuturistic setting and art work are influenced by the post-war culture of 1950s United States, with its combination of hope for the promises of technology and the lurking fear of nuclear annihilation. A forerunner of Fallout is Wasteland, a 1988 game developed by Interplay Productions to which the series is regarded as a spiritual successor.

<i>Fallout 2</i> 1998 video game

Fallout 2: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game is a 1998 role-playing video game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Productions. It is a sequel to Fallout (1997), featuring similar graphics and game mechanics. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout and 164 years after the atomic war which reduced the vast majority of the world to a nuclear wasteland. The player assumes the role of The Chosen One, the grandchild of the first game's protagonist, and undertakes a quest to save their small village on the West Coast of the United States.

Dogmeat (<i>Fallout</i>) Non-player character dog in the Fallout series

Dogmeat is a character featured in the post-apocalyptic role-playing game series Fallout. An NPC, Dogmeat was introduced as an optional companion to the player character in the original Fallout (1997), and made cameo appearances in the sequel Fallout 2 (1998). Other versions of Dogmeat are featured and serve similar roles in Fallout 3 (2008), Fallout 4 (2015), and in the American post-apocalyptic drama television series Fallout (2024).

<i>Fallout</i> (video game) 1997 video game

Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game is a 1997 role-playing video game developed and published by Interplay Productions. Set in a mid-22nd century post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic world, decades after a nuclear war between the United States and China. Fallout's protagonist, the Vault Dweller, inhabits an underground nuclear shelter. The player must scour the surrounding wasteland for a computer chip that can fix the Vault's failed water supply system. They interact with other survivors, some of whom give them missions, and engage in turn-based combat.

<i>Fallout 3</i> 2008 video game

Fallout 3 is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The third major installment in the Fallout series, it is the first game to be developed by Bethesda after acquiring the rights to the franchise from Interplay Entertainment. The game marks a major shift in the series by using 3D graphics and real-time combat, replacing the 2D isometric graphics and turn-based combat of previous installments. It was released worldwide in October 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

<i>Fallout: New Vegas</i> 2010 video game

Fallout: New Vegas is a 2010 action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was announced in April 2009 and released for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 on October 19, 2010. A spin-off of the main Fallout series, the game is set in a post-apocalyptic open-world environment that encompasses a region consisting of parts of Arizona, California, and Nevada. It is set in a world that deviated onto an alternate timeline thanks to Atomic Age technology, which eventually led to a global nuclear apocalypse in the year 2077 in an event referred to as "The Great War", caused by a major conflict between the U.S. and China over natural resources. The main story of New Vegas takes place in the year 2281, four years after the events of Fallout 3 and 204 years after the bombs fell. It is not a sequel but does feature the return of several elements found in Fallout 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vault Boy</span> Mascot of the Fallout series

Vault Boy is the mascot of the Fallout media franchise. Created by staff at Interplay Entertainment, the original owners of the Fallout intellectual property, Vault Boy was introduced in 1997's Fallout as an advertising character representing Vault-Tec, a fictional megacorporation that built a series of specialized fallout shelters throughout the United States prior to the nuclear holocaust that sets up the world state of the Fallout universe. Within the video game series, Vault Boy serves as a representation of the player character's statistical information within user interface (UI) menus, and is a recurring element in Vault-Tec products found throughout the fictional Fallout universe. In the 2024 Fallout television series, Vault Boy is depicted as having been portrayed in Vault-Tec advertisements by actor Cooper Howard.

<i>Sonic Dash</i> 2013 video game

Sonic Dash is a 2013 endless runner mobile game developed by Hardlight and published by Japanese game studio Sega. It is Hardlight's second Sonic the Hedgehog game, the first being 2012's Sonic Jump. The game was released in March 2013 for iOS, November 2013 for Android, and December 2014 for Windows Phone and Windows, along with an arcade release in November 2015 as Sonic Dash Extreme. It was initially released as a paid application, but was made free-to-play a month after its iOS release.

<i>Fallout 4</i> 2015 video game

Fallout 4 is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the Fallout series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The game is set within an open world post-apocalyptic environment that encompasses the city of Boston and the surrounding Massachusetts region known as "The Commonwealth".

<i>Pokémon Shuffle</i> 2015 free-to-play video game

Pokémon Shuffle is a freemium puzzle video game developed by Genius Sonority and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for the Nintendo 3DS. The game, which is a spin-off of the Pokémon series and is similar in gameplay to Pokémon Battle Trozei, was released worldwide on the Nintendo eShop on February 18, 2015. Pokémon Shuffle Mobile, a version for Android and iOS devices, was released in August 2015.

<i>The Elder Scrolls: Legends</i> 2017 free-to-play digital collectible card video game

The Elder Scrolls: Legends is a free-to-play digital collectible card video game, published by Bethesda Softworks for Microsoft Windows, iOS, macOS and Android in 2017.

There are six pieces of downloadable content (DLC) for Bethesda Game Studios' action role-playing video game Fallout 4. Released once a month from March to August 2016, each expansion pack adds a variety of different content, with Far Harbor being the largest in terms of additional gameplay and Nuka-World being the largest in terms of file size. The season pass contains all six expansion packs, and due to the size of Far Harbor, the price was increased after its release.

<i>Fallout 4: Far Harbor</i> 2016 video game

Fallout 4: Far Harbor is an expansion pack for the 2015 video game Fallout 4, developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Far Harbor was released on May 19, 2016 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One as downloadable content (DLC). The game is set in the year 2287, in the aftermath of a nuclear war that destroys most of the United States. In the expansion, the player character is hired as a private investigator to search for a missing girl in the isolated seaside community of Far Harbor.

<i>Fallout 4: Nuka-World</i> 2016 video game

Fallout 4: Nuka-World is an expansion pack for the 2015 post-apocalyptic action role-playing video game Fallout 4. It was developed by Bethesda Game Studios, published by Bethesda Softworks, and released on August 30, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. It is set in the eponymous fictional amusement park Nuka-World. As with Fallout 4, Nuka-World can be played in both first-person and third-person perspectives. The player controls the protagonist during their journey through Nuka-World, a former amusement park now divided between warring gangs of raiders. Nuka-World's main gameplay consists of both questing and exploration. Upon completion of quests, the player is rewarded with both the franchise's fictional currency, bottle caps from Nuka-Cola bottles, and experience points.

<i>Westworld</i> American science fiction–thriller media franchise

Westworld is an American science fiction-thriller media franchise that began with the 1973 film Westworld, written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park populated by androids that malfunction and begin killing the human visitors; it was followed by the sequel film Futureworld (1976). The franchise moved to television in 1980 with the short-lived series Beyond Westworld on CBS. In 2016 a new television series based on the original film debuted on HBO; the critically acclaimed series broadcast four full seasons before being cancelled.

<i>Fallout 76</i> 2018 online action multiplayer role-playing game

Fallout 76 is a 2018 action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is an installment in the Fallout series and a prequel to previous entries. Set in the year 2102, players control a resident of Vault 76 who must venture out into the dilapidated open world known as "Appalachia" in order to re-colonize the region, and uncover a mysterious plague that has killed off its inhabitants. Fallout 76 is Bethesda Game Studios' first multiplayer game; Bethesda developed the game using a modified version of its Creation Engine, which allowed the accommodation of multiplayer gameplay and a more detailed game world than in previous games.

<i>The Elder Scrolls: Blades</i> 2020 action role-playing video game

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is a free-to-play action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is a spin-off of The Elder Scrolls series, set following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and preceding The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Following over a year of early access on Android and iOS devices, the full version of Blades was released for Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch in May 2020. The game received generally negative reviews from critics.

<i>Fallout</i> (American TV series) 2024 American television series

Fallout is an American post-apocalyptic drama television series created by Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet for Amazon Prime Video. Based on the role-playing video game franchise created by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, the series stars Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Moisés Arias, Xelia Mendes-Jones, and Walton Goggins.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hilliard, Kyle (June 14, 2015). "Fallout Shelter-Management Mobile Game Out Now On iOS". Game Informer . GameStop . Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Yin-Poole, Wesley (June 15, 2015). "Surprise! Fallout Shelter iOS game out now". Eurogamer . Gamer Network Ltd. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Dotson, Carter (June 15, 2015). "'Fallout: Shelter' Hands-on impressions: Tiny Vault". Touch Arcade. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  4. Koziara, Andrew (June 18, 2015). "'Fallout Shelter' Guide – Strategies, Tips and Tricks for the Industrious Post-Apocalypse Vault Overseer". Touch Arcade. Retrieved June 18, 2015. Vice Versa, people in training rooms only increase stats, and don't level up.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Samuel, Ebenezer (June 16, 2015). "Fallout Shelter is grounded in fun: video game review". New York Daily News . Daily News, L.P. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  6. Byford, Sam (June 15, 2015). "Watch the first 10 minutes of Fallout Shelter here". The Verge . Vox Media . Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  7. Karmali, Luke (June 14, 2015). "E3 2015: Fallout mobile game Fallout Shelter available now". IGN . j2 Global . Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  8. Duwell, Ron (June 14, 2015). "Fallout Shelter lets you create your own fallout vault, available tonight". TechnoBuffalo. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  9. McElroy, Justin (June 5, 2009). "Bethesda has designed iPhone versions of Fallout 3". Engadget . AOL . Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  10. Crecente, Brian (November 5, 2009). "Carmack on iPhone Fallout, Quake Live and Elves and Orcs". Kotaku . Gawker Media . Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  11. Takahashi, Dean (July 17, 2015). "The DeanBeat: Fallout Shelter is a rare free-to-play mobile gaming hit". GamesBeat. VentureBeat . Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  12. Dale, Laura Kate (July 6, 2015). "Unity – does indie gaming's biggest engine have an image problem?". The Guardian . Scott Trust Limited . Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  13. "Fallout Shelter now available on Android". GameSpot . CBS Corporation. August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  14. Plunkett, Luke (June 14, 2015). "Fallout Shelter announced, out tonight". Kotaku . Gawker Media . Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  15. Starr, Michelle (June 14, 2015). "Surprise! Fallout mobile game arrives for iOS". CNET . CBS Corporation . Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  16. Pereira, Chris (June 30, 2015). "First Fallout 4 Character Comes to Fallout Shelter Today". GameSpot . CBS Corporation . Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  17. O'Brien, Lucy (June 30, 2015). "Fallout Shelter adds its first Fallout 4 character". IGN . j2 Global . Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  18. Sirani, Jordan (July 10, 2015). "First Fallout Shelter Update Adds Photo Mode". IGN . j2 Global . Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  19. Grant, Christopher (August 13, 2015). "Fallout Shelter is now available for Android, update available for iOS". Polygon . Vox Media . Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  20. Gurwin, Gabe (August 13, 2015). "Fallout Shelter gets a huge update, hits Android". Digital Trends . Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  21. "Fallout Shelter Update 1.2 Includes Piper from Fallout 4 – Digital Trends". Digital Trends. October 19, 2015.
  22. "'Fallout Shelter' Gets Updated to 1.2, Introduces a 'Fallout 4' Character, But Not All is Well". TouchArcade. October 15, 2015.
  23. Williams, Katie (October 15, 2015). "New Fallout Shelter Update Adds Survival Mode, Cloud Saves, and More". IGN.
  24. Harbison, Cammy (October 27, 2015). "Fallout Shelter 1.2.1 Halloween Update Removes Explorer Cap, Adds Costumes, Decorations And Other Spooky Finds". iDigitalTimes.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015.
  25. Makuch, Eddie (November 22, 2015). "Fallout Shelter Gets Thanksgiving Update, See the New Content Here". GameSpot . CBS Corporation . Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  26. Frank, Allegra (November 23, 2015). "Fallout Shelter asks dwellers to give thanks in latest holiday update". Polygon . Vox Media . Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  27. Porter, Matt (December 10, 2015). "Fallout Shelter Update Adds New Features". IGN . j2 Global . Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  28. "New Fallout Shelter Update: Get Pets, Evict Slackers, Meet New Objectives And More In Bethesda's Latest iOS And Android Game Update". iDigitalTimes. IBT Media. December 10, 2015. Archived from the original on December 12, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  29. Bhat, Aditya (March 1, 2016). "'Fallout Shelter' update 1.4: 'Biggest update' released; adds crafting, new rooms, pets". International Business Times. IBT Media . Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  30. Paget, Mat (April 21, 2016). "Fallout Shelter Update Adds New Customization Options, 3D Touch". GameSpot . CBS Corporation . Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  31. Makuch, Eddie (July 14, 2016). "Fallout Shelter's Huge Update Out Now, Here's What It Adds". GameSpot . CBS Corporation . Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  32. Sanchez, Miranda (June 12, 2016). "E3 2016: FALLOUT SHELTER COMING TO PC". IGN . j2 Global . Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  33. Famuluro, Jessica (July 14, 2016). "Fallout Shelter Now Available On PC". Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  34. Matulef, Jeffrey (February 3, 2017). "Fallout Shelter is coming to Xbox One next week". Eurogamer . Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  35. Saed, Sherif (February 8, 2017). "Fallout Shelter is now an Xbox Play Anywhere title, available on Xbox One and Windows 10". VG247 . Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  36. "Fallout Shelter is now on Steam". PC Gamer. March 29, 2017.
  37. "E3 2018: Fallout Shelter Comes To Nintendo Switch And PS4 Tonight". June 10, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  38. Lambert, Fred (May 21, 2020). "Tesla launches Fallout Shelter in-car video game and more with new update". Electrek. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  39. McWhertor, Michael (June 22, 2018). "Bethesda sues Warner Bros, calls its Westworld game 'blatant rip-off' of Fallout Shelter". Polygon . Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  40. COMPLAINT FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT, INDUCEMENT TO BREACH OF CONTRACT, COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, MISAPPROPRIATION OF TRADE SECRETS, AND UNFAIR COMPETITION (PDF). Rockville, Maryland: Bethesda Softworks. 2018.
  41. COMPLAINT FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT, INDUCEMENT TO BREACH OF CONTRACT, COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, MISAPPROPRIATION OF TRADE SECRETS, AND UNFAIR COMPETITION (PDF). Rockville, Maryland: Bethesda Softworks. 2018.
  42. Kidwell, Emma (January 3, 2019). "Bethesda resolves copyright lawsuit against Westworld devs". Gamasutra . Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  43. Alexander, Julia (January 16, 2019). "Westworld mobile game is shutting down following lawsuit settlement". The Verge. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  44. 1 2 "Fallout Shelter for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  45. 1 2 "Fallout Shelter for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  46. 1 2 "Fallout Shelter for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  47. 1 2 3 Carter, Chris (June 15, 2015). "Fallout Shelter review on Destructoid". Destructoid. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  48. 1 2 3 Tack, Daniel (July 1, 2015). "Fallout Shelter review on Game Informer". Game Informer . GameStop . Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  49. 1 2 JebHaught (July 1, 2015). "Fallout Shelter review on Game Revolution". Game Revolution . Net Revolution Inc. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  50. "Fallout Shelter review on GamesTM". GamesTM . Imagine Publishing. August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  51. 1 2 3 Davis, Justin (June 26, 2015). "Fallout Shelter review on IGN". IGN . j2 Global . Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  52. Sapieha, Chad (June 16, 2015). "Fallout Shelter review: Bethesda's survival sim is fun, but doesn't escape free-to-play mechanics as much as they claim". Financial Post . Postmedia Network . Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  53. 1 2 Faulkner, Jason (June 18, 2015). "Fallout Shelter Review: The Cutest Apocalypse". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  54. 1 2 Slater, Harry (June 15, 2015). "Fallout Shelter – Probably not the one you wanted". Pocket Gamer . Steel Media. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  55. Killham, Evan (June 15, 2015). "Fallout Shelter makes living in a postapocalyptic bunker adorable and totally free". GamesBeat. VentureBeat . Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  56. 1 2 Fields, Sarah (June 19, 2015). "'Fallout Shelter' is Beating 'Candy Crush Saga' in Profits & iOS App Store Rank". Game Rant. Game Rant, LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  57. White, William (June 26, 2015). "Fallout Shelter: The New Most Popular Game in App Store". InvestorPlace. InvestorPlace Media, LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  58. Makuch, Eddie (June 12, 2016). "Fallout Shelter Reaches 50 Million Players". GameSpot . CBS Corporation . Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  59. Jones, Ali (June 10, 2019). "Fallout Shelter has now been downloaded more than 150 million times". pcgamesn.com. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  60. "Celebrate Fallout Shelter's Five-Year Anniversary With Giveaways And More!". bethesda.net. June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  61. Davidson, John (February 18, 2017). "Bethesda's Todd Howard Hints at 3 New Games". Glixel . Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  62. Prell, Sam (July 16, 2015). "Fallout Shelter rakes in $5.1 mil in two weeks – that's a lot of bottlecaps". GamesRadar+. Future US. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  63. Taylor, Haydn (June 19, 2019). "Fallout Shelter reaches $100m lifetime revenue". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  64. Hurley, Leon (October 30, 2015). "The Golden Joystick Awards: all the winners this year". GamesRadar . Future plc . Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  65. "Nominees | The Game Awards 2015". The Game Awards . Ola Balola. November 12, 2015. Archived from the original on November 14, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  66. "The 2016 DICE Award Winners [UPDATED]". GameSpot . CBS Corporation. February 19, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  67. "2016 Awards Category Details Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  68. Ashcroft, Barry (August 11, 2020). "Fallout Shelter The Board Game Available Now". TheGamer. Retrieved November 30, 2020.