How Long Does It Take to Beat Fallout 4

Fallout 4 is one of Bethesda’s most replayed games for a reason. It is huge, open ended, and filled with distractions that pull you away from the main story every few minutes. Some players finish it in a focused sprint. Others spend dozens of hours building settlements, clearing locations, or wandering into the wasteland just to see what they find. Because the game can be played in so many ways, the time it takes to beat Fallout 4 varies a lot depending on how you approach it.

If you are thinking about starting Fallout 4 and want to know how much time to set aside, this guide breaks down the different playstyles, how long each one takes, and what adds the most hours to your run.

Main Story Only

If you only want to complete the main questline and ignore almost everything else, Fallout 4 is surprisingly short for a Bethesda game. Most players finish the story in:

18 to 28 hours

This range depends on your difficulty setting, your experience with RPG combat, and how often you get sidetracked. Even when you try to stay focused, Fallout 4 is designed to pull you into small activities or encounters that add time without feeling like detours.

The main quest itself moves at a solid pace. You meet the major factions, explore the central conflict of the Commonwealth, and eventually choose a side for the ending. If your goal is to see the story without committing to a giant open world, Fallout 4 is very manageable.

Main Story + Some Side Content

Most players fall into this category. You attempt to stay on track, but then a random radio signal, a settlement call, or a huge glowing enemy drags you into something unexpected. Maybe you follow Dogmeat somewhere. Maybe you pick up a holotape that leads to a multi-hour dungeon. Fallout 4 loves to interrupt your plans.

A typical mixed run looks like this:

35 to 55 hours

This includes:

• A handful of faction missions
• Several vaults and major side locations
• Sending settlers where they belong
• Upgrading a few weapons
• Exploring enough of the map to feel invested

This is the best way to play for most people. You experience the heart of Fallout 4 without getting overwhelmed, and the pacing feels more natural than a strict main story sprint.

Completionist Run

If you want to see everything Fallout 4 offers, buckle in. A full completionist run includes:

• Every settlement unlocked
• Settlement building
• All major faction lines
• Every bobblehead
• Unique weapons and armor
• All named dungeons
• All companions and their storylines
• Every magazine
• Every marked location

For most players, this takes:

90 to 150 hours

Fallout 4 has a huge number of locations, and many of them are tucked away in corners you may never visit naturally. Settlement building can also add dozens of hours on its own if you enjoy creating detailed bases. Some players have put more than 300 hours into their first playthrough just chasing personal goals.

Completionist runs are big, but not overwhelming. Fallout 4 is rewarding enough that the extra time feels well spent.

Time to Beat Fallout 4 With DLC

If you are playing the GOTY Edition or the current bundled versions, you get all of Fallout 4‘s expansions. These add even more hours:

• Automatron: 3 to 6 hours
• Far Harbor: 10 to 20 hours
• Nuka World: 10 to 20 hours
• Wasteland Workshop: Variable, mostly settlement building
• Contraptions Workshop: Variable, mostly settlement building
• Vault-Tec Workshop: 4 to 8 hours

If you play all DLC plus the base game, expect:

100 to 170 hours for a full, meaningful run.

Far Harbor and Nuka World are meaty enough to feel like mini sequels. They add new enemies, environments, and storylines that shape the direction of your character long after the credits roll.

What Adds the Most Time to a Fallout 4 Playthrough

Fallout 4 has a very flexible structure, so your time investment depends on what grabs your attention. These are the biggest time sinks:

Settlement building

What starts as placing a bed and a water pump becomes a multi-hour crafting session before you even notice. Players who enjoy building can double their playtime.

Faction switching

Experimenting with each faction can easily add ten or more hours. Some quests overlap, but others are unique.

Exploration

Fallout 4 has dense pockets of content. Every few steps, you find a new marker, a dungeon entrance, or a named enemy. That sense of curiosity can turn a 20 hour run into a 60 hour run.

Survival mode

Travel becomes slower, combat becomes harder, and you cannot fast travel. Survival mode adds significant time but makes the wasteland feel more dangerous and immersive.

How Long Does It Take To Platinum Fallout 4

If you are trophy hunting, Fallout 4 requires:

70 to 120 hours

This varies depending on how efficiently you work through settlement requirements and faction quests. None of the achievements are extremely difficult, but several are time consuming.

Is Fallout 4 Too Long for Casual Players

Fallout 4 is long, but not overwhelming. You can play for as little or as much time as you want. If you only have time for one big game a year, Fallout 4 fits perfectly into that category because it rarely pressures you to rush. You can finish the story quickly or spend months wandering the world at a slow pace.

It is the kind of game that adapts to whatever style of play you prefer.

Closing Thoughts

Fallout 4 is one of the most flexible open world RPGs ever made. You can finish it in under 30 hours or spend well over 100 exploring every corner of the Commonwealth. No two players approach it the same way, and that is part of the charm. Whether you want a focused story playthrough or a massive completionist run, the game offers a clear sense of progress at whatever pace you choose.

If you are planning to start Fallout 4, set your expectations based on the type of experience you want. And if you are the kind of player who enjoys wandering, looting, and following every random lead the game throws at you, expect to stay in the wasteland for a long time.