Your guide to the vaults and wastelands of Fallout

You know the saying from Fallout: war never changes.

While the setting of a Fallout story always changes – the post-apocalyptic open world took people out of the vaults to New Vegas, Washington DC, Arroyo and beyond – some things will remain. Humanity will turn to factions, violence and distrust to protect itself. There will be radiation poisoned creatures, both animals and humans. That Vault-Tec suit from Vault Dweller will always be that screaming mix of IKEA blue and yellow. And everything will be wacky and dark in almost equal measure.

Now that same world of Fallout is coming to television, with a new Prime Video show manager produced by Westworldby Jonathan Nolan. The show takes place in the same timeline as the games – all of them, included Fallout 76. Which means we see some familiar faces: Vault-Tec; the cold stare of the Brotherhood of Steel power armor; that always sharp wink from Vault Boy; and the irradiated horror of the Ghouls. But things will also feel decided new; we get to follow a Vault Dweller as a character – Lucy (Yellow jacket‘s Ella Purnell), who is as shiny to the world as you’d expect – and Walton Goggins’ Ghoul has a little more history than any of the games’ irradiated monsters.

Unlike a show like The last of usAmazon Prime Fallout exists to expand the story as we know it, to show us new aspects of the Fallout world (even if it’s set again in Los Angeles; what can we say, Hollywood loves a wink and a nod) . It’s built for fans of the series and newcomers alike, and the result is – well, it is Fallout.

Here’s everything you might need to know about the Fallout world to understand (or just back up) its contents. Fallout TV program.