Remember Fallout Shelter? Bethesda does, and now there’s an Elder Scrolls version coming soon to a phone near you

The Elder Scrolls: Castles is a community management game from the developers of Fallout Shelter, and it’s exactly what you expect.

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I’m part of the millions that played Fallout Shelter, although I haven’t downloaded the game in a couple of years now. The long-running mobile game enjoyed a bit of a resurgence following the release of theFalloutTV show, but Bethesda was already planning a spiritual successor for the game to capture our minds and (most importantly) our time and money. I’m talking, of course, about the latest project from the developers behind Fallout Shelter, except this time it’s set inThe Elder Scrollsuniverse.

In the announcement video above (that also doubles as a deep dive), it doesn’t take long to see thenumeroussimilarities between Fallout Shelter and The Elder Scrolls: Castles. It’s evolved and matured with fresh features and gameplay mechanics, but the core is the same: design your community and take care of your people. TES: Castles will let you grow your kingdom, building your castle however you want while ruling your subjects and seeking out valuable rewards on harrowing adventures.

Of course, this is another free-to-play mobile game, and it’s actually arriving sooner than you might expect. Afterspending time in early access across a few countries, The Elder Scrolls: Castles is launching on Android and iOS platforms on Sept. 10, 2024, and you canpre-register at the Google Play StoreorApple App Storeright now.

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Another reason to spend hours on your phone

Where Fallout Shelter takes place in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by radiation, The Elder Scrolls: Castles will take place in the same world we explore in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In fact, you’ll see plenty of foes, locations, and even characters you’ll recognize from other parts of The Elder Scrolls franchise (there’s an example a little further down).

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This means that, instead of building and managing an underground nuclear shelter, you’re instead designing your very own castle keep from which to manage your kingdom.Bethesda Game Studioshas massively updated the control you have over building, too, with more freedom in changing your designs, more flexibility in layouts, and even the ability to decorate individual rooms in whatever manner you choose.

You’ll still grow a community of subjects that each have unique personalities and traits, and you can assign those subjects to various jobs to keep your kingdom running. Now, though, you’re also the deciding factor in random, important decisions and judgements that can affect the morale of your subjects. Like with everything else, this gameplay is familiar but evolved.

That applies to quests, too. Combat looks a little more strategic, but ultimately involves equipping your subjects with gear and sending them on set adventures to seek out valuable rewards. It’s all the casual, addictiveness of Fallout Shelter but with modern improvements and The Elder Scrolls skin.

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The Elder Scrolls: Castles will be completely free-to-play, too, although there are absolutely going to be in-game purchases just like with Fallout Shelter, likely to obtain randomized packs of gear and subjects or in-game currency. It remains to be seen how aggressive these microtransactions will be.

The Elder Scrolls: Castles officially launches on Sept. 10, 2024, and will be available for Android and iOS phones and tablets on launch day. There’s no word on a PC or Xbox version like Fallout Shelter enjoys, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that ever really happening. What we do know, though, is that TES: Castles is already available to pre-register right now, so you can download the game the moment it’s available. You can follow The Elder Scrolls: Castles official account onX.comfor updates.

Bethesda has also posted some pre-registration milestones, with all launch day players up to earn some exclusive rewards if the goals are met. This includes some in-game currency and decorations, but if The Elder Scrolls: Castles manages two million pre-registrations across Android and iOS, all players will receive the Legendary Subject Ulfric Stormcloak. Yes,thatUlfric Stormcloak. I have a feeling there will be a lot more familiar subjects available to acquire in TES: Castles.

The Elder Scrolls: Castles —Pre-register at Google Play Store (Android)|Apple App Store (iOS)

The spiritual successor to Fallout Shelter looks to be everything we wanted but set in The Elder Scrolls universe, and it’s now available to pre-register for free on Android and iOS ahead of its Sept. 10 launch.

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter@BoddyZachary.