Fallout 4 guide: walkthroughs for the core game and every DLC

Have you seen everything the Commonwealth wasteland has to offer? Our Fallout 4 walkthrough guide is here to help with the core game, Automaton, Far Harbor and Nuka World!

Guide by Matt Martin Former Editor-in-Chief

Updated on April 10, 2024

Fallout 4 is still going strong, with Game of the Year editions, VR versions, and now a big-budget TV show based on the Fallout universe. But have you seen everything the wasteland has to offer?

Fallout 4 was whopping enough when it was a nice quiet little standalone 400 hour RPG. Even the development team was getting lost in its many nooks and crannies.

By the time Bethesda got done with its add-ons and story expansions the damn thing was life-eating. We know you're still playing Fallout 4. We're still playing Fallout 4. Fallout 4 never ends - especially since Fallout 4 VR came out, giving us a whole new way to explore the wasteland.

Almost a decade on from its original release, we finally feel we truly know enough about Fallout 4 to be able to provide you with what you need now. Nobody's still flailing around trying to figure out whether they've hit an unpatched progression bug or just can't find the waypoint. Now you want to grimly tick off those checklists and get to the goods so you can put this extended period of your gaming life behind you.

As such, we've overhauled this Fallout 4 guide hub to better serve you. Everything's still here, but we've tided it, simplified it and re-organised it so you have a pretzel's chance of finding what you're after. You're welcome.

Quests, factions and endings

Fallout 4's base story is driven by factions. As you explore the vanilla game you'll be given the chance to join as many of these groups as you like, and can even maintain an alliance with all of them at once - up to a point. We won't say more about that here because of spoilers, but check our endings guide page, linked below, for all the details.

Don't worry; your actions in the Automatron, Far Harbor and Nuka-World expansions don't have any effect on the vanilla storyline - and your main story decisions only a small effect in the DLC packs. All three seem designed to be played after you've finished with the core game.

Fallout World Map with all map markers

The Commonwealth is a big place, so it's easy to miss a lot of the best sidequests in Fallout 4 simply by walking past them. If you ever wonder what more the wasteland has to offer, then here's a view of the world map with every single marker unlocked to help you plan your next adventure.
How to get the best ending

Here you'll find details of how far you can progress each faction's storylines before you're locked into a particular ending and what consequences each of the endings has for the state of the world moving forward. Opinion is strongly divided as to which ending is "best".
Main story and side quest checklist

This page lists the major quests you should definitely check out as you explore vanilla Fallout 4. It's not intended as a comprehensive list of every side quest out there; just the ones you'd regret missing.
How to join the Brotherhood of Steel

While two of the four major factions unlock as you progress through the game, two are easier to miss. You'll want to at least hear what the Brotherhood of Stell has to say, given that much of what it says is "we've got some tasty loot".
How to join the Railroad and finish the Road to Freedom quest

The Railroad is the hardest faction to join independently. The main quest will guide you there eventually, but it's still pretty easy to get stuck (there are puzzles). Given this is the only way to get the best companion and handgun in the game, you'll want in sooner rather than later.

Companions

There are many companions in Fallout 4 and its DLC add-ons. Although only one will travel with you at a time, you can recruit all of them, send them to live at particular settlements, and even get romantic with some of them. Recruit companions and increase their loyalty to unlock extra perks - and because they're rad. These resources should help you in your companion-related endeavours.

Best weapons and equipment

There's so much loot in Fallout 4. It's hard to know what's worth tracking down and what's worth keeping. Here's a small collection of things we think are worth a look if you need a little guidance on what t watch for.

Where to find the most lethal weapons

Our favourite weapons, where we found them and what they do. pew pew pew!
How to get a weapon with guaranteed unlimited ammo capacity

If you hate reloading, have we got the gun for you.
What exactly do all those Legendary Weapon effects do?

Some of the best weapons in the game are randomly generated legendaries. We explain legendary effects so you know what you've found.
The easiest way to get the X-01 Power Armour

If you're a Power Armour fan, this is all you need to know to get what you're after.
A map of all Power Armor frame locations

Don't like the X-01? No worries, there are plenty of power armour options out there.
How to get Grognak The Barbarian’s axe and loincloth

A super fun bit of cosplay and the cornerstone of a good early to mid-game melee build.
How get the Alien Blaster Pistol

One of the most sought-after weapons in the game. For some reason.

Character builds, SPECIAL and perks

The guides in this section relate to putting together a character, explaining what all the numbers and letters mean, and kitting yourself out in hot gear. Fallout 4 is a true RPG in the sense that you can get right into this stuff and have a good old fiddle until something breaks and you become a rampaging god beast.

You can play the game relying on twitch skills and shooting panache, but that's not everybody's way. Our favourite build almost turns Fallout 4 into a turn-based RPG, where every encounter is over after your first go.

Fallout 4 build guide: The Infiltrator

By far our most popular Fallout 4 guide, the Infiltrator is a cowardly, stealthy build that leverages a specific weapon and uses VATS to murder everything before it can move.
Fallout 4 build guide: One Punch Man

Not everyone wants to hunker down a gun. This build is focused on melee first and foremost, and it's a beast.
Here's a guide to all the SPECIAL attributes

If you're staring at those retro-screens wondering what the hell any of it means, we have you covered.
Every Perk in Fallout 4 and what it does

Not sure where to spend your points? This at last will show you what's available initially and at later levels, plus the requirements for each.
12 essential Perks for for ass-kicking Wastelanders

Our early picks for tasty perks. Good for starting builds and getting to grips with the game, but look elsewhere for really powerful combos.
Skill books and magazines locations guide

All skill book locations, to give you a bit of a head start filling out your character build.
Bobblehead locations visual guide

Bobbleheads grant you an extra SPECIAL or skill point. Get as many as you can rather than spend those precious points.

Fallout 4 Season Pass and DLC

Fallout 4's Season Pass was announced with a $30/£25/AUD$50 price tag, but that price increased to $50/£40/$80 as of March 1 2015, as Bethesda upped the scope of its intentions for post-launch content.

But with the Game of the Year re-release available, only players who already own the base game need the Season Pass to collect all the Fallout 4 DLC. It entitles you to:

Three collections of new crafting and building materials:
- Contraptions Workshop
- Wasteland Workshop
- Vault-Tec Workshop
Three story expansions:
- Automatron
- Far Harbor
- Nuka-World

Automatron

The first Fallout 4 story DLC was meatier than we expected, and it adds a great deal to the game in the form of a huge variety of new enemy types and the ability to craft new robot companions.

It also includes two significant new locations and an engaging new story played out over a couple of hours. You won't need any help with it once you get started, but just to ensure you get there, here's how to access the Automatron DLC.

Far Harbor

The first proper story expansion to Fallout 4 is jamming: an island adventure with shades of Stephen King and Lovecraft alike. We've got everything you need to know:

Nuka-World

The second and final major story expansion to Fallout 4, Nuka-World adds a huge new map and also lets you live out your raider fantasies. It also contains many more troubling mysteries than previous add-ons. Let us help you out.

Tips, how-tos and general guides

Just some helpful advice and miscellaneous materials for those maybe not searching for something specific.

Beginner's tips for surviving outside Vault 111

Otherwise known as "things Matt and Brenna sent each other over IM in their first ten hours".
Advanced tips for the hardcore wastelander

Otherwise known as "things Matt and Brenna sent each other over IM in hours 11 through 20".
The ultimate list of things you didn’t know you could do in Fallout 4

Otherwise known as - yeah you get it by now. Why not start your game knowing what it took us 30 hours to sort out?
Holotape locations visual guide

Playable Pip-boy cartridges loaded with Fallout-themed classic arcade games. Give 'em a whirl. Playable at terminals or on your Pip-boy itself.
How to pick locks and hack computer terminals

It's okay, you're not the only one who couldn't figure it out. We won't reveal which staff member inspired this guide, except that it wasn't Brenna.
How to earn more XP and level up fast

The first few hours can be a bit of a nightmare, so plough through them and get to a more powerful place as quickly as possible.
Console commands for PC players

Stuck? Why not just cheat? We don't actually recommend this, but there you go.

Crafting and settlements

Fallout 4 introduces crafting and settlement management. Everything, from your gun to your house to your power armour to your robot companion, can be tuned up and improved with a bit of effort - and a lot of junk.

The systems and UIs aren't ... entirely intuitive. This collection of guides should help you figure outhow to do what you want to do, and perhaps more importantly show you what sort of things might be possible.