The Fallout games you’ve (probably) never played are free for a whole week — grab ‘em while you can

Haven’t played the classic Fallout games? There’s never been a better time to change that.

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Bethesda Game Studios’ beloved RPG seriesFallouthas enjoyed quite an explosive resurgence this year, with the post-apocalyptic, post-nuclear roleplaying games benefitting greatly from the popularity of Amazon’s excellentFallout TV seriesthat debuted in April. But while recent releases likeFallout 4andFallout 76saw colossal player spikes, there are several classic Fallout games I suspect many gamers haven’t actually checked out yet.

I’m referring to the original 1997 Fallout and the Fallout 2 sequel that followed it a year later, along with the 2001 spinoff title Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel. Due to their aging visuals, limited display settings, and somewhat archaic control schemes, lots of modern PC gamers struggle to get into these turn-based isometric top-down RPGs. Beneath those surface-level frustrations, though, are some truly excellent games that are very enjoyable if you manage to get past their quirks.

Given that all three cost $10 regularly, many opt to wait for sales that knock the price down to the $1-5 range before giving them a shot. Right now, though, you can actually get Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics completely for free thanks to the Epic Games Store’s weekly free games program. TheFallout Classic Collection bundle— normally $20 — that rolls the trio into one package is free to add to your Epic library forever from nowuntil September 5, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET, so if you’re interested in trying the games that laid the foundation for today’s Fallout titles, now’s the time to do so.

Fallout Classic Collection | Free at the Epic Games Store (PC, Digital)

From now until September 5, the Fallout Classic Collection is completely free to download and keep forever on the Epic Games Store. Jump into the games that kicked the legendary franchise off with Fallout and Fallout 2, and try out one of the series' noteworthy spinoffs with Fallout Tactics as well.

The 1997 Fallout is the game that started it all, and my personal favorite of the three in this bundle. Published and developed by Interplay Entertainment — many employees of which eventually went on to create or work at studios likeFallout: New Vegas’Obsidian Entertainment andWasteland 3’sinXile Entertainment — it takes place in Southern California in 2161, 84 years after nuclear Armageddon devastated the Earth. You play as a vault dweller from Vault 13 who’s forced to venture into the wastes to find a replacement water purification chip before the bunker’s residents run out of clean drinking water, and will encounter several of the characters, factions, and locations that eventually develop into important places and societies like Shady Sands and the New California Republic.

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The sequel, Fallout 2, jumps forward 80 years and puts you in the shoes of the Chosen One — the grandchild of the protagonist of the first game, and a tribal tasked with finding a Vault-Tec Garden of Eden Creation Kit (G.E.C.K.) to restore the fertility of the soil their village, Arroyo, is built on. The journey takes them through many of the same locations from the first game along with several new ones, and shows the rise of both the New California Republic and the Enclave, an organization that claims to be the remnant of the pre-War United States government and is fiercely dedicated to the eradication of all mutant life. The Brotherhood of Steel is also present, as well; some or all of these factions would go on to appear prominently inFallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and the new TV show.

Finally, there’s Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, which is a spinoff that features far fewer RPG elements and places a significant emphasis on tactical and strategic turn-based combat. In this way, it’s much closer to something like XCOM than a traditional Fallout experience, though the similar interface does mean it’s easy to pick up and play if you’ve gone through the first two RPGs. Overall, it’s an enjoyable game, though the events that unfold in it have been deemed non-canon by Bethesda.

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Again, the original Fallout is my favorite, as I feel the comedy of Fallout 2 is alittleover the top and I have to be in a very specific mood to get into games like Fallout Tactics. All three are absolutely worth playing, though, especially if you’re a modern Fallout fan curious to see the series' roots. And hey, they’refreeright now, so even if you don’t like them, you’re not losing a cent by giving them a chance.

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If you’re opposed to using the Epic Games Store, the Fallout Classic Collection bundle is also available on Steam, and you can buy the games individually on Valve’s platform as well as GOG and the Microsoft Store. Notably, access to all three games is also included with everyPC Game PassorXbox Game Pass Ultimatesubscription.

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).