With the launch of the TV series based on the acclaimed game franchise FalloutMany new and old fans are rediscovering the mysterious and intriguing Refuges - known in games as Vaults. These underground facilities play a central role not only as post-apocalyptic shelters, but also as settings for complex sociological and scientific experiments.
The Role of Refuges
Before we start, here's a spoiler warning, as we'll be talking about all the games in the franchise, as well as Refuges 4, 32 and 33, which are part of the series.
The first impression of a Refuge in "Fallout" is that of a safe sanctuary from the nuclear devastation of the outside world. However, the reality is darker and more complex. Each Refuge has been built by the Vault-Tec corporation, not just as shelters, but as part of a vast social or scientific experiment.
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We are going to list here the purpose of each Refuge, as well as Vault-Tec's real objective in each of them. We have chosen to list only those Refuges that are considered canonical:
Refuge 3
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Purpose: It was a haven of control.
- Results: Inhabitants remained isolated until a water leak forced them to open up for trade. Later massacred by the Fiends.
- Appears in: Fallout: New Vegas
Refuge 4
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Purpose: Governed exclusively by scientists, with no external supervision.
- Results: Genetic experiments led to an uprising by the subjects, who killed the scientists.
- Appears in: Prime Video series
Refuge 8
- Location: Northwestern Nevada
- Purpose: Control refuge.
- Results: They used their G.E.C.K. to establish Vault City.
- Appears in: Fallout 2
Refuge 11
- Location: Mojave Desert, Nevada
- Purpose: Social experiment on individual sacrifice for collective security.
- Results: The practice of sacrifice led to a coup and the death of most of the inhabitants.
- Appears in: Fallout: New Vegas
Refuge 12
- Location: Bakersfield, California
- Purpose: Study of the effects of exposure to radiation.
- Results: Inhabitants became ghouls and founded Necropolis.
- Appears in: Fallout
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Refuge 13
- Location: Mt. Whitney, California
- Purpose: Control refuge.
- Results: Water chip failure forced opening and confrontation with Enclave.
- Appears in: Fallout, Fallout 2
Refuge 15
- Location: Southern California
- Purpose: Social experiment with forced diversity.
- Results: Gang formation and the Shady Sands community.
- Appears in: Fallout, Fallout 2
Refuge 17
- Location: West Coast
- Purpose: Unknown.
- Results: Inhabitants transformed into super mutants by Unity.
- Appears in: Fallout: New Vegas
Refuge 19
- Location: Mojave Desert, Nevada
- Purpose: Study of factionalism and induction of paranoia.
- Results: Many developed psychosis; occupied by the Powder Gangers.
- Appears in: Fallout: New Vegas
Refuge 21
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Purpose: Study of the effects of excessive gambling.
- Results: Stable community until it was converted into a hotel by Robert House.
- Appears in: Fallout: New Vegas
Refuge 22
- Location: Mojave Desert, Nevada
- Purpose: Genetic agricultural research.
- Results: Fungal infection has turned inhabitants into spore carriers.
- Appears in: Fallout: New Vegas
Refuge 29
- Location: West Coast
- Purpose: Social experiment with a young population without adults.
- Results: Harold is believed to have come from this Refuge.
- Appears in: Fallout 76, Van Buren (canceled)
Refuge 31
- Location: Santa Monica, California
- Purpose: Social experiment with division and corporate control.
- Results: Still functional, with cryogenically preserved employees.
- Appears in: Prime Video series
Refuge 32
- Location: Santa Monica, California
- Purpose: Part of an interconnected experiment.
- Results: Death of the inhabitants after discovering the truth about Refuge 31.
- Appears in: Prime Video series
Refuge 33
- Location: Santa Monica, California
- Purpose: Following the guidelines of Bud Askins' experiment.
- Results: It's still operational and following orders.
- Appears in: Prime Video series
Refuge 34
- Location: Mojave Desert, Nevada
- Purpose: Social experiment with access to an excessive arsenal.
- Results: Conflicts led to a split and nuclear disaster.
- Appears in: Fallout: New Vegas
Refuge 51
- Location: Northwestern West Virginia
- Purpose: AI ZAX choosing an ideal leader under manufactured crises.
- Results: Crises have led to lethal threats and homicidal manipulation.
- Appears in: Fallout 76
Refuge 63
- Location: Southwest of Lewisburg, West Virginia
- Purpose: Unknown.
- Results: It remains inaccessible.
- Appears in: Fallout 76
Refuge 75
- Location: Malden Middle School, Malden, Massachusetts
- Purpose: Eugenics to create perfect soldiers.
- Results: Revolt of the subjects; occupied by the Gunners.
- Appears in: Fallout 4
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Refuge 76
- Location: North of Flatwoods, West Virginia
- Purpose: Control refuge for post-apocalyptic reconstruction.
- Results: Residents helped rebuild Appalachia.
- Appears in: Fallout 76
Refuge 77
- Location: Unknown
- Purpose: Unknown.
- Results: One inhabitant became a feared legend.
- Appears in: Fallout 3
Refuge 79
- Location: North of Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia
- Purpose: Protecting US gold reserves.
- Results: Nuclear leak and subsequent rescue during a robbery.
- Appears in: Fallout 76
Refuge 81
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Purpose: Secret medical research on uninformed inhabitants.
- Results: Sabotage by the Supervisor and isolation of the researchers.
- Appears in: Fallout 4
Refuge 87
- Location: Northeastern Virginia
- Purpose: Study of the Forced Evolution Virus in humans.
- Results: Transformation into super mutants and taking over the Refuge.
- Appears in: Fallout 3
Refuge 88
- Location: Northwest of Quincy, Massachusetts
- Purpose: Testing experimental productivity equipment.
- Results: Construction never completed; experiments continued with the help of the Sole Survivor.
- Appears in: Fallout 4: Vault-Tec Workshop
Refuge 92
- Location: Olney, Maryland
- Purpose: Inducing aggression using white noise.
- Results: Inhabitants went mad and killed themselves.
- Appears in: Fallout 3
Refuge 94
- Location: North of Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia
- Purpose: Testing pacifist belief systems.
- Results: Massacre after council ignored; damage to G.E.C.K. created Mire.
- Appears in: Fallout 76
Refuge 95
- Location: Southeast of Natick, Massachusetts
- Purpose: Treating addicts and then inducing them to relapse.
- Results: Violence following discovery of hidden drugs; occupied by Gunners.
- Appears in: Fallout 4
Refuge 96
- Location: South of Spruce Knob Campground, West Virginia
- Purpose: Monitoring and studying mutant wildlife.
- Results: Researchers killed after sabotage attempt.
- Appears in: Fallout 76
Refuge 101
- Location: West of Springvale, Virginia
- Purpose: Supervisors with unlimited authority.
- Results: Civil war after attempts at external exploitation.
- Appears in: Fallout 3
Refuge 106
- Location: Northeastern Virginia
- Purpose: Studying the effects of psychoactive drugs.
- Results: Violence and prolonged insanity.
- Appears in: Fallout 3
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Refuge 108
- Location: North of Washington, D.C., Maryland
- Purpose: Study leadership conflicts and excessive armaments.
- Results: Internal chaos and an infestation of violent clones.
- Appears in: Fallout 3
Refuge 111
- Location: Sanctuary Hills, Massachusetts
- Purpose: Studying the long-term effects of cryogenics.
- Results: Revolt from security, abandonment, and Shaun's kidnapping.
- Appears in: Fallout 4
Refuge 112
- Location: Smith Casey's garage, Virginia
- Purpose: Controlled virtual reality simulation.
- Results: Prolonged torture of the inhabitants by the Supervisor.
- Appears in: Fallout 3
Refuge 114
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Purpose: Stripping wealthy inhabitants of luxury in precarious conditions.
- Results: Never completed; site occupied by criminals.
- Appears in: Fallout 4
Refuge 118
- Location: Cliff's Edge Hotel, Mount Desert Island, Maine
- Purpose: Social experiment with an extreme rich/poor divide.
- Results: Luxurious section inhabited by robobrains after transformation.
- Appears in: Fallout 4: Far Harbor
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