The Fallout series is full of strange, spooky, and disturbing stories from a post-nuclear war world. Around every corner you’ll encounter angry mutants, irradiated cockroaches, or gun-toting residents who don’t trust you. In the world of Fallout, with its many games, there is no shortage of quests to start with.
With so many stories for you to explore, there are a few that stand out as particularly terrifying, even if you’re wearing power armor. There are many scary places in the world of Fallout, so we only list specific quest lines as well as places to discover them.
9 Pickman’s Gift – Fallout 4
No one likes Radar, but Pickman, a self-proclaimed artist, takes Radar to a whole new level. Pickman, a serial killer with a thirst for brutal killing of intruders, is famous throughout the Commonwealth. You can find out about him first by looting a dead raider who has one of Pickman’s calling cards in his inventory.
As you find your way to Pickman’s Gallery, you soon discover that the building has been taken over by intruders who are after the serial killer who killed your friend. Of course they mistake Lone Survivor for Pickman. That means you’ll have to fight your way through bizarre galleries. You’ll end up with the guy, and some choices will reward you handsomely.
8 Our Little Secret – Fallout 3
“Desperate times call for desperate measures” is a saying the people of Andale have clearly taken to heart. In our little secret quest unmarked, Lone Wanderer finds himself uncovering the truth behind what residents call “Virginia’s Greatest City.”
Although seemingly a charming village, Andale has a sinister tradition of cannibalism and incest. To begin the quest, you must first interact with Old Man Harris. Old Harris warns them to stay away from town. No matter how you progress through this quest, you will be found by some nearby villagers. If played correctly, the town becomes friendly to the Lone Wanderer. Otherwise, you will find that you have bitten off more than you can chew.
7 Be a Beginner – Fallout
In Fallout, before becoming a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, Vault Dwellers must complete High Elder Maxson’s work. The quest involves retrieving the disc from the “Ancient Order” that once inhabited a place called “The Glow”. Known as a mysterious and highly radioactive site, The Glow is actually what remains of a West Tek research center after being hit by a nuclear bomb in 2077.
It’s not the most action-packed quest, but the facility’s tranquility and history of human testing feel more ominous than anything else. Talking to the true AI Zax 1.2, who has been transformed into the center’s supercomputer, is even more disturbing. Unable to leave but capable of sentient thinking, Zax is doomed to spend the rest of his life in the isolated darkness of the Glow. You can return to the Brotherhood as soon as you find the disc in question, but there are six more levels in the facility if you want to learn more about Glow and learn the fate of those who had the disc first. Learn more about West Tek’s dark history.
6 Devil’s Due – Fallout 4
Set in a magical museum, it’s no surprise that the Devil’s Due side quests feel a lot like unexpected horror. The Museum of Witchcraft, located just west of Salem, once housed artifacts and memorabilia related to the grim events of the Salem Witch Trials.
But in the days of the Sole Survivor, the museum is the site of a bloody carnage. After receiving information about the strange occurrences in the museum, you can go on a journey to the Abandoned Place. As you put the pieces together to see what evil is happening here and now, you’ll be faced with heart-pounding missions with limbs falling off, growls out of your body, creepy dioramas, and unexpected soundtrack cues. Devil’s Due will make you feel more like prey than predator while tracking down what happened to the museum and the now-dead team.
5 Coyote – Fallout: New Vegas
It’s a fairly straightforward quest that poses no real danger to you, but The Coyotes still ranks high in terms of creep factor due to its seedy characters, mysterious disappearances, and disturbing tendencies. Worryingly, according to Captain Parker, many refugees began to disappear without a trace. There seems to be no pattern except that most have traded with two local cleaners, Dermont and Saint James.
With a little bribe (or threat) here and there, you can find very criminal evidence against the two. These clues indicate that cleaners are selling missing refugees to human traffickers. To make matters worse, the men seem to make most of their money selling women after Dumont has his hands full, preventing St. James from “sampling merchandise.” This may be one of those cases where it’s justified for you to bring out the big iron.
4 Cold Case – Fallout 76
If limiting space surprises you, you can pursue the Cold Case side quests in Fallout 76. The quest begins when you find Miss Annie, the robot nanny, at Wavy Willard’s Water Park. She says she has been looking for her own ward Freddy for a very long time. As she begins to search for clues suggesting his well-being, she soon discovers the kidnapping and confronts hostile ghouls and super mutants, including Mad Dog Malone.
The various attractions of the closed water park and the controversy surrounding the heyday play a role in making this case uneasy. The entire park is designed with typical exaggerated colors and characters to make these attractions both exciting and scary. However, they can be a real threat if attacked. The Vault Dweller gets some perks for completing this quest, but it’s unclear if the ending is truly happy for Miss Annie or Little Freddy.
three Cleansing the Commonwealth – Fallout 4
This is a brilliant quest that isn’t necessarily scary in and of itself. The Brotherhood of Steel just needs to rid the Commonwealth of the idiots and scoundrels.
However, this quest gets even more terrifying when sent to the Dunwich Borers. Every aspect of this location is meant to make your skin crawl, from cramped passages filled with the sounds of lurking ghouls to flashbacks and the remains of a cult that aims to unleash the titanic terror that awaits. Even turning on a light is punished by sending more enemies.
2 Destroy Super Mutants in Watershed – Fallout
With a name like Necropolis, you know it’s not going to be all happy and vibrant. Necropolis, formerly Bakersfield, is now a ghoul city. When the Vault Dweller emerges, super mutants take control of the water supply in the aptly named Watershed.
As the leader of Necropolis, Set is tasked with ridding the city of super mutants. As you explore the City of the Dead, you will pass through damp and desolate sewers inhabited by feral ghouls that make the underground tunnels even creepier.
As if fighting super mutants wasn’t enough, an entire city of ghouls could turn hostile at any moment. It won’t hurt if you don’t get aces on the Charisma and Speech checks.
One Tranquility Lane – Fallout 3
Uh oh, are we in a bad place? If there is ever a quest that aims to break the mind, this one is it. Flip Fallout 3 inside out as you enter a spooky pre-war simulation in a world where everything isn’t what it seems.
Things take a turn as you take on increasingly confusing targets to harm other residents who have no idea this is a simulation. Whether you want to become a slasher villain or find another solution depends on your morality in the game. As if things weren’t disturbing enough, you can’t access the Pip-Boy and have to interact with old people pretending to be children.