fallout the board game review

Okay, folks, let’s dive into my experience with Fallout: The Board Game.

So, I finally got my hands on Fallout: The Board Game. I’d heard mixed things, but being the Fallout fan I am, I had to give it a shot. I unboxed it, and man, there’s a lot of stuff in there! Cards, tokens, map tiles, the whole nine yards. It felt a little overwhelming at first, I’m not gonna lie.

Setting Up

First thing I did was punch out all the cardboard pieces. Took a good while, and my fingers were a bit sore afterward. Then I tried to make sense of the rulebook. It’s… dense. Not the easiest thing to get through, especially if you’re new to these kinds of games. I ended up watching a couple of “how to play” videos online, which helped a ton. I find this part is always time-consuming.

First Playthrough

My first game was with my buddy, Mark. We picked our characters – I went with the Ghoul, because, why not? – and started exploring the wasteland. We flipped over map tiles, encountered some raiders, and got into a few scraps. The combat system is pretty cool, using these custom dice. You roll for hits and then allocate them to different body parts. It’s kinda neat, makes you think a bit.

We spent a good few hours playing, and we barely scratched the surface of the scenario. There’s a lot of replayability here, with different scenarios and storylines to follow. We messed up a few rules, had to go back and check the rulebook a bunch of times, but overall, it was a fun experience.

What I Learned

Read the rulebook carefully, or better yet, watch a tutorial video. Seriously, it will save you a lot of headaches.
Be patient. This game takes time to learn and play. Don’t expect to master it in one sitting.
Embrace the randomness. Like the video games, Fallout throws a lot of unexpected stuff at you. Just roll with it.

My Overall Thoughts

I am happy that I finally spent the time and tried out this game. Fallout: The Board Game is a solid game. It’s not perfect, the rulebook could be clearer, and it can be a bit fiddly at times, but it captures the feel of the Fallout universe pretty well. If you’re a fan of the franchise and you enjoy these types of board games, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try. Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve.

Will absolutely play again!