The Fallout universe is known for having multiple vaults scattered across its post-apocalyptic wasteland. These underground bunkers were meant to protect the people from the long-term effects of the Great War. However, something more sinister was going on behind the scenes. Vault-Tec – the organization in charge of manufacturing the vaults – apparently set each facility up for some sort of social experiment.

These vaults and the effects of their often grim experiments can be seen as the player travels the wastelands of each Fallout game, but the vaults in each title only make up a small portion of what Vault-Tec has built. There are still plenty more waiting to be explored – many of which have been mentioned in other Fallout media, such as the Fallout Bible and the board game.

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Vaults That Don’t Appear in Fallout Games

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  • Vault 27 (Fallout Bible) – The specific location of Vault 27 is unknown, but it was reportedly created to test the effects of overcrowding in the facility. According to the Fallout Bible, it could cater to only 1,000 people, but Vault-Tec let 2,000 in. What happened to the vault after Fallout’s Great War is unclear.
  • Vaults 32 & 33 (Fallout TV series) – Little to nothing has been released about Vaults 33 and 34 because they’re going to feature in the upcoming Fallout television series. The interior design of Vault 32 was leaked through a series of images that has since been deleted. Meanwhile, Vault 33 was featured in an official image released on Twitter, which showcased Vault 33 jumpsuits.
  • Vault 36 (Fallout Bible) – Much like Vault 27, the location of this vault isn’t specified. The only thing particularly strange about it is that the food available was just a thin, watery paste. This was a result of how the facility’s food extruders were designed. Vault-Tec’s motivations for such a design are also unclear.
  • Vault 42 (Fallout Bible) – This is yet another obscure vault with little to no information on its goals. All that’s noted in the Fallout Bible is that the facility was provided with light bulbs no stronger than 40 watts. The reasoning for this is unclear, especially since wattage doesn’t necessarily dictate how strong a light bulb’s brightness will be, just how much energy it will need to power up.
  • Vault 43 (Fallout 3 webcomic) – Showcased in the Fallout webcomic “One Man, and a Crate of Puppets,” Vault 43’s experiment involved housing 20 men, 10 women, and one panther in the facility. As usual, Vault-Tec’s goals for this disturbing experiment are unclear.
  • Vault 44 (Fallout: The Board Game, New California expansion) – Vault 44 is somewhat similar to Vault 81 in Fallout 4. Both had a hidden section within the facility where a group of scientists conducted experiments. In the case of Vault 44, the scientists researched dangerous creatures, which unfortunately made use of most of the vault’s power. This was what eventually caused the facility’s clueless residents to perish.

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  • Vault 53 (Fallout Bible) – While this vault is only ever mentioned in the Fallout Bible, its jumpsuit appears among the concept art of Fallout 3. This vault reportedly had equipment that was rigged to fail every few months, forcing the vault dwellers to try and fix each machine every time. Perhaps Vault-Tec wanted to test how the inhabitants would react to such a stressor.
  • Vault 55 & 56 (Fallout Bible) – Vaults 55 and 56 were part of a joint experiment. Vault 55 was built like a normal vault, except Fallout’s Vault-Tec got rid of all its entertainment tapes. Vault 56 had the same situation, except the manufacturers left the entertainment tapes that featured a “particularly bad comic actor.” Sociologists predicted that the inhabitants of Vault 55 would last longer than those in Vault 56, but the fate of both groups is unknown.
  • Vault 68 & 69 (Fallout Bible) – Vaults 68 and 69 are another joint experiment. Vault 68 was made to house 1,000 people, specifically one woman with the remaining inhabitants being men. Vault 69 was the inverse. The latter was also mentioned in the Fallout 3 webcomic as well as Interplay’s Van Buren, which was to be the original Fallout 3.
  • Vault 77 (Fallout 3 webcomic) – Vault 77 features primarily in the webcomic “One Man, and a Crate of Puppets.” The facility housed only one vault dweller despite his begging for more people to live there with him. The lone vault dweller lived in solitude for years until he stumbled across a crate of puppets. He then began to imagine that the puppets were speaking, earning him the title “The Puppet Man.” Eventually, the Puppet Man left the vault, leaving a lasting impression on the people of the wasteland. One holotape in Fallout 3 even has a slaver commenting about how strange the man is, referring to the Puppet Man. Nearby, there’s also a Vault 77 jumpsuit.
  • Vault 84 (Fallout: The Board Game) – Vault 84 is one of the vaults in the board game and comes with a unique quest. The facility had remained closed for a long time, only maintaining a trading relationship with Vault 109. When the players stumble upon it, however, the Fallout vault overseer lets them in. Each year, the vault dwellers vote on who they deem the most dangerous inhabitant is, and it ends with that individual being exiled from the vault forever.
  • Vault 109 (Fallout: The Board Game) – Vault 109 from the Fallout board game is described as a “high-class fancy vault.” It had a trading relationship with Vault 84 before being overtaken by radiation. The cause of the radiation leak is unknown, and it has since become a cesspool of radiation.

Canon or not, these vaults are interesting to read about, and they’d certainly fit well in any Fallout game. Perhaps future releases can incorporate these facilities into the game world, allowing players to learn more about what came of each experiment. They could also reveal a little more about Vault-Tec’s darker intentions. Whatever the case, Fallout fans still have a long wait ahead of them.

Fallout 5 has been confirmed.

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