Fallout: New California
Fantasy Flight Games, ADC Blackfire Entertainment, Delta Vision Publishing · Board game · 2018Game Objective
In Fallout: New California, players take on the role of survivors exploring the desolate post‑apocalyptic territory of California. The main goal is to complete the missions (quest cards) and survive encounters with enemies and environmental hazards. Victory is achieved when all the victory objectives of the chosen scenario are met. If any defeat condition is triggered, the game ends in defeat.
Setup
- Assemble the board: combine the base game map tiles with the 12 map tiles from the expansion, as indicated on the scenario sheet. Place the Lost Hills Bunker and The Cathedral tokens in the specified locations.
- Distribute the cards: mix the expansion encounter, quest, loot, unique asset, and perk cards with the corresponding base game decks. Identify them by the expansion icon in the lower left corner.
- Select the survivors: choose five new survivors (figures and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. tokens) during step 7 of setup. If playing as Mister Handy, bring both starting character cards.
- Combine the tokens: merge the expansion faction tokens, enemy tokens, and quest marker tokens with those from the base game.
- Distribute the caps and quest markers tokens according to the scenario sheet.
Game Flow
The game progresses in rounds that follow the order of player turn and enemy/environment turn. Each round consists of:
- Player Turn: each player performs actions in their own phase.
- Enemy Turn: enemies and environmental events are resolved.
- Maintenance Phase (if applicable): resolve end‑of‑turn effects, gather resources, and prepare for the next turn.
Refer to the rulebook for details on the exact order and global events.
Actions and How to Play
During the player turn, each survivor can perform the following actions (each action can be used once per turn, unless otherwise restricted):
- Explore: move to an adjacent tile and resolve an encounter card.
- Search: look for loot cards or unique asset cards on specific tiles.
- Attack: use weapons or abilities to reduce an enemy's health.
- Defend: use equipment or abilities to reduce incoming damage.
- Use Item: activate effects from loot cards or perk cards.
- Complete Mission: deliver items or meet conditions of quest cards.
See the rulebook for details on action restrictions and each survivor's specific abilities.
End of Game and Scoring
The game ends when:
- All victory objectives of the scenario are achieved (win).
- A defeat condition of the scenario is met (loss).
To score, tally:
- Mission points for each completed quest card.
- Survival points for each survivor who remains alive.
- Resource points for caps and items collected.
Refer to the rulebook for the exact scoring table and how to determine the winner.
Tips for Winning
- Plan your explorations by combining tiles that offer valuable loot cards with safe paths.
- Use perk cards that increase survivors' resistance to more dangerous encounters.
- Manage faction tokens well to maximize support bonuses and resources.
