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Plan on about 16 hours to finish Fallout 1’s main story. A run that includes side content is estimated at about 23 hours, while a completionist playthrough is about 32 hours. These are player-reported HowLongToBeat estimates, not guaranteed playthrough times.
Fallout 1 playtime by goal
| Playthrough goal | Estimated time | What the figure represents |
|---|---|---|
| Main story | 16 hours | HowLongToBeat’s reported main-story estimate, displayed by GOG and IsThereAnyDeal. |
| Main story plus sides | 23 hours | Reported estimate for a broader run. The listings do not specify which optional quests contributors include. |
| Completionist | 32 hours | Reported estimate for a more thorough run; contributors may not define completionist goals identically. |
| All styles | 22 hours | IsThereAnyDeal’s aggregate benchmark, not a tailored prediction for a particular goal. |
GOG attributes its playtime figures to HowLongToBeat, and IsThereAnyDeal displays the same main-story, main-plus-sides, and completionist values. The surfaced listings do not state a year for these estimates. GOG’s Fallout listing and IsThereAnyDeal’s Fallout page provide the figures.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Fallout 1 (PC) by Interplay | $39.79 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Fallout Collection - PC | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Fallout 4 - PC | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Fallout 3 - PC | $57.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Fallout: New Vegas - PC | $15.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Why your playthrough may take more or less time
The estimates summarize reported player time; they do not promise how long any individual save will take. Careful exploration, learning the older systems, and reloading after difficult encounters can add time. Following a route you already know may shorten a run. For planning, choose the category that best matches your goal: 16 hours for the central story, 23 for a run with side content, or 32 for a completionist attempt.
The 150-day limit is in-game time, not real-world playtime
Fallout 1 has a historic in-game deadline that is separate from the hours you spend playing. GamesRadar’s 2025 account describes an original 150-day limit and says it was later lifted with an optional patch. This is a version-sensitive mechanic: the available information does not establish how every current edition handles the limit, so do not treat it as a universal restriction or confuse it with 150 real-world days or hours. GamesRadar’s 2025 report on Fallout 1’s time limit discusses the historical context.
#1 Best Overall
About the game
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game was developed by Interplay Inc. and published by Bethesda Softworks. Its official Steam listing gives a release date of September 30, 1997, and presents the PC game. View Fallout on Steam.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Feel the Heat in New Vegas! Not even nuclear fallout could slow the hustle of Sin City. Explore the vast expanses of the desert wastelands – from the small towns dotting the Mojave Wasteland to the bright lights of the New Vegas strip.
- Feuding Factions, Colorful Characters and a Host of Hostiles! A war is brewing between rival factions with consequences that will change the lives of all the inhabitants of New Vegas.
- New Systems! Enjoy new additions to Fallout: Special melee combat moves have been added to bring new meaning to the phrase "up close and personal".
- An Arsenal of Shiny New Guns! With double the amount of weapons found in Fallout 3, you’ll have more than enough new and exciting ways to deal with the threats of the wasteland and the locals.
- Let it Ride! In a huge, open world with unlimited options you can see the sights, choose sides, or go it alone. Peacemaker or Hard Case, House Rules, or the Wild Card - it’s all in how you play the game.
Rank #4
- Fight for survival against terrors of the outside world, radiation, and mutants after nuclear fallout
- Latest in human ability simulation affords unlimited customization of characters
- Expansive world in modern super deluxe HD graphics
- Features ability to pause time in combat, target specific body parts, and queue up attacks
- 1st or 3rd person perspective
Rank #3
- Next generation of open-world gaming
- Developed by Bethesda Game Studios under the direction of Todd Howard
- Fallout 4 is the follow up to the 2008 'Game of the Year' Fallout 3
- First title from the world-renowned studio since the release of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Rank #2
- UK version, for ages 16+
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