Summary
Fallout Shelteris a multi-platform game that makes up part of theFalloutfranchise. Launched in 2015, it can be accessed and played at no cost. Initially viewed as a novelty, the game may have served more as a marketing device rather than offering a fully immersive gaming experience. Nevertheless, it has progressed into a live service game, attracting a significant and loyal fan following throughout the years.
Officially, all vaults are the same when playingFallout Shelter. None offer any bonuses or variation in layout. However, there is anecdotal evidence that certain vault numbers, specifically those that are part of theFalloutcanon, have hidden bonuses. Many players choose to play known vault numbers, while others choose vault numbers with specific significance to them. Are some vault numbers better than others? Maybe, but there is not enough data to be sure. However, there are some that are more fun to play simply because they have their own history within the franchise.
Updated Jun 15, 2025, by Mac Wheeler:The Fallout franchise seems to be going from strength to strength in 2024. The Fallout TV series was well-received, and Fallout 76 has become a solid live-service offering, with many of the bugs and player gripes dealt with. Fallout 4 has also been picked up by a host of gamers who wanted to give it a try after watching the TV show. And of course, the casual game of the franchise, Fallout Shelter, continues to be popular. So it makes sense to expand this list, based on the lore of the franchise to date.
14Vault 63
Personal Project Of Hugo Stolz
Located in Ash Heap, West Virginia, Vault 63 was introduced to Fallout lore in Fallout 76. This vault is stated as being a personal project that was run by Hugo Stolz, one of the members of the board of Vault-Tec. Some other vaults have been stated as being social experiments, but Vault 63 was a little different in this regard.
The vault was a facility for developing technology that could be used to establish society after a nuclear holocaust. This included robots and weather manipulation. Unfortunately, the vault was never completed to a livable standard, and many of the vault-dwellers that move into it turned into ghouls, as a result of runaway experiments in curing ghoulism. Of course, this vault doesn’t give any bonuses in Fallout Shelter, but it would be a cool vault number to base a playthrough on.
13Vault 94
Inhabit By A Pacifist Population
Vault 94 is located in North of Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia. It became part of Fallout lore in the game Fallout 76. Once again, this vault number doesn’t give any advantages when playing Fallout Shelter, none of them do. Vault 94 was another of the social experiments run by Vault-Tec. The population was made up of a group of vault dwellers who were members of a pacifist religious community.
Vault-Tec eventually tried to get the vault dwellers to arm themselves, as they had come to realize the experiment would be a failure. However, the dwellers ignored this, and were eventually all killed by outsiders, as they had no way to defend themselves.
12Vault 108
Management Infighting Experiment
Located in North of Washington, Maryland, Vault 108 was introduced in Fallout 3. This was another social experiment run by Vault-Tec. In this case, to measure the impact of conflicts in leadership. To force leadership changes, top management posts were initially given to vault-dwellers that were terminally ill.
Furthermore, key vault infrastructure such as a power generation system was sabotaged to fail after 20 years of use. The armory was overstocked as well. Additionally, a cloning device was included in the vault equipment, resulting in a single person being cloned over an over. In the end, this group of clones went mad, and took over the vault.
Starting Location In Fallout 4
Notable for:
During the introductory sequence ofFallout 4, the player and their family have to head to the local vault, 111, during a nuclear attack. The player is put into cryogenic suspension, waking up briefly to witness their wife being shot and baby being stolen, before finally coming out of suspension to a deserted vault.
Upon examination of computer terminals within vault 111, the player learns that this particular vault was set up to measure the effects of long-term cryogenic suspension on its inhabitants, before exiting the vault to begin the game proper.Fallout Shelterplayers who want to play a vault number that has some importance withinFalloutlore might like to give Vault 111 a try. It doesn’t grant any bonuses or other benefits, but it could still be fun to play this enigmatic vault.
Publicly Known Experiment
Located in Los Angeles, California, Vault 4 was an experimental vault that the general public was aware of, that had no oversight, and was run entirely by scientists. This vault was introduced into the lore of theFalloutfranchise during the first season of the TV show.
The scientists that operated Vault 4 were somewhat unscrupulous and were known to let wasteland survivors become vault dwellers, only to perform genetic experiments on them. Eventually, the test subjects revolted and killed all the scientists. However, they decided to keep the vault active, providing a sanctuary to survivors. This is a pretty iconic vault to play inFallout Shelter, as vault dwellers will regularly walk up to the vault door looking for a home, which fits entirely intoFalloutcanon.
A Social Experiment
Located in the Mojave Wasteland, Vault 33 was another experiment vault, this time a social experiment. Vault Dwellers were granted free access to the vault armory, with no security in place at all. Of course, this resulted in civil strife.
Eventually, the dwellers locked the armory and set up restrictions on access. Eventually, the vault reactor sprung a leak, and this killed many of the vault dwellers, although some did leave the vault and set up the Boomers tribe. This is another fun vault forFallout Shelterplayers to try out. It sits well withinFalloutcanon but doesn’t provide any other bonuses at all.
Overseer Experiment Vault
Vault 101 was atest vaultthat was supposed to remain completely sealed for a total of 200 years. All vault personnel were trained to maintain the vault infrastructure. The idea behind this was toconduct an experimentinto how the role of the vault overseer might evolve over time.
Players ofFallout Shelteroften choose Vault 101 as their first vault due to theconnotations of the number 101as an introduction to a topic. However, there is only anecdotal evidence that this is actually an easier vault to play in the game.
Designed As A Control Vault
Vault 8 was intended to be a specialcontrol vaultthat was going to be used to beginadvanced repopulation effortsjust 10 years after it had been sealed. It was only designed to house 100 people, with much of the other space being given over to storing machinery and equipment that would be needed. The vault dwellers wereselected for their skillsthat were compatible with the vault goals.
SomeFallout Shelterplayers have reported that playing as Vault 008 makes undertakingsurface and wasteland activities easier. However, there is no solid data to support these claims.
Host To A Eugenics Experiment
Vault 33wasone of a group of three vaultsthat also includedVault 32 and 33. The stated vault experiment that encompassed these 3 vaults, was to find out if all 3 could trade andwork together harmoniously. However, it is now known that there was a more sinister reason for these 3 vaults being linked. A eugenics experiment involvingcryogenicallystored Vault-Tec employees.
Vault 33 is a popular vault with newFallout Shelterplayers simply because it wasmade famous in theFalloutTV show. However, in the game, Vault 33 is not connected to any other vaults.
Unfinished Test Vault
Vault 88 was anunfinished vaultthat was never actually put into use. The only entrance to this vault was through a small cave, as the main entryway was never constructed. The purpose of Vault 88 was totest equipment, machinery, and technologythat would be used when constructing future vaults.
In theFallout Sheltergame, vault 88 is finished and has the same layout as every other vault. However, there is some historical evidence that suggests that in the past, this vault had slightly more building space than other vaults. If this was the case, it is no longer so.
