Fallout-Themed Party Ideas
If you like playing the Fallout computer games, spending hours in the 1950’s-futuristic wasteland setting or being amazed by it in the Amazon Prime TV show and are thinking of hosting a special themed birthday or halloween party, then this themed party idea might be the right idea for you. Throughout this article I am going to give you some ideas for how you can get your Fallout themed party to go nuclear!
If you would like to discover more about the Fallout Franchise, then read this article here.
1. Fallout-Themed Party
Invitations
It all starts with setting the scene before your guests even arrive to have a memorable Fallout-Themed Party. Now this can either be sent in a digital format or sent by post. I suggest if you go for the postal option, putting your invites in an old fashioned brown weathered envelope or US AIR MAIL envelope. If you go for the email option, a basic email like a terminal message in the Fallout games due to very basic email is featured on these in the game.
Predominant themes in the Fallout series are the vaults, recruitment into the Brotherhood and Pip-Boy screens. Why not choose a Vault-Tec recruitment poster for an invite and include Vault Boy illustrations. Then choose language from the series to set the tone for the party. Some language could include:
1950s phrases and idioms
“Daddy-O”: A term of address or endearment, often used to refer to a cool or stylish person. Example: “Hey, daddy-o, what’s the good word?”
“Cool cat”: Someone who is classy and stylish. Example: “You’re a real cool cat, you know that?”
“Hip”: Up to date with the trends. Example: “That’s a hip outfit you’ve got there.”
“Square”: Boring and old-fashioned. Example: “Don’t be such a square; loosen up a bit!”
“Burn rubber”: To get there fast and burn your tyre rubbers. Example: “Let’s burn rubber and get out of here.”
“Knuckle sandwich”: A punch in the mouth. Example: “Say that again and you’ll get a knuckle sandwich.”
“Radioactive”: Full of energy or exciting. Example: “That party was radioactive!”
“Beat feet”: To leave quickly. Example: “We’d better beat feet before the cops show up.”
“Ankle-biter”: A small annoying child. Example: “I had to babysit a bunch of ankle-biters today.”
“Peepers”: Eyes. Example: “Keep your peepers peeled for any trouble.”
“Decked out”: Dressed up or decorated. Example: “She was all decked out for the party.”
“Greaser”: A young person, especially a man, who is part of a subculture associated with slicked-back hair and leather jackets. Example: “Those greasers are always hanging out at the diner.”
“Pad”: An apartment or house. Example: “Let’s head back to my pad.”
Character slang and jargon
“Rad”: Short for radiation, one of the main phrases and hazards due to the nuclear fallout. – “Ghoul”: A human who has been changed by the radiation.
“Caps”: Bottle caps, the currency used in Fallout.
“Vault Dweller”: A person who went into a vault to live before the nuclear explosions and are usually ignorant to apocalyptic world outside.
Technical and Scientific Terms
“Power Armour”: Usually featured on the game artwork, a exoskeleton suit proving the user increased protection and strength.
“Pip-Boy”: A watch worn by the vault dwellers, to provide information including locations and personal stats.
“S.P.E.C.I.A.L.”: The system detailing the character’s attributes which you can improve during gameplay: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck.
Faction and Regional Dialects
The Brotherhood of Steel – Use military jargon and formal speech.
The NCR (New California Republic) soldiers – Originated from Vault 15, use a mixture of military and Californian slang.
Raiders and other hostile factions tend to use more aggressive and crude language.
Humour and Satire
The language often incorporates dark humour and satire, reflecting the game’s tone. Characters may make ironic comments about the ruined state of the world or the absurdity of certain situations.
Mr Handy a type of robot in the fallout series has many lines such as:
“That means your two centuries late for dinner, haha, perhaps I could whip you up a snack, you must be famished.”
“If you see anything suspicious, notify security.”
Unique Names and Titles
There are many unique characters that fit the setting, for instance:
“Dogmeat” a name for one of the companion dogs in the series.
“Mr. Handy” a type of robotic servant.
2. Fallout-Themed Party Decorations
Once you have invited your guests in the most Fallout-Themed Party way possible, now it is time to think about how to carry on that theme to the decorations. Fallouts main setting is the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Here are some ideas that will help transform your home into just that:
Rusted items
Dirty items
Broken items
1950’s or pre 1950’s items
Retro futuristic items
Fake radioactive barrels
Nuka-Cola posters
Brotherhood enlisting posters
Vault Boy posters
Mr Handy posters
Bottle caps
Fallout props
Rubble
Dead trees
Makeshift metal and wooden sheeted walls and buildings with graffiti fallout text on them
American flag
Fallout wooden character standee cutouts and for photos
Depending on how elaborate you would like it you could create an area with a vault door entrance in it, or put it at your front door or side gate. Then hang up yellow and blue Vault-Tec uniforms near it that people can put on. Don’t forget a Vault Boy standee cutout.
3.
Fallout-Themed Party Costumes
Asks guest to come as their favourite Fallout characters and Wasteland survivors, to get everyone to commit and get in the spirit of your Fallout-Themed Party. My favourite has to be the Ghoul’s costume and the power armour, you can pick up both Ghoul costume and a T-51 power armour helmet online.
For those who might not have a costume you can provide accessories like:
Vault-Tec jumpsuits
Goggles
Gas masks
Fedoras
Bandanas
Helmets
Armour
Dirty shirts and trousers
Army clothes
1950’s or pre 1950’s clothing
4. Fallout-Themed Party Food and Drink
Serve themed food and drinks, such as:
Foods for a party
Sugar Bombs: Cereal served in small, labeled boxes.
Radroach Meat: Chicken wings or drumsticks labeled creatively.
Fancy Lads Snack Cakes: Cupcakes or Twinkies.
Iguana on a Stick: Labeled skewered meat or veggie kebabs.
Apples
Bananas
Lemons
Cranberries
Melons
Oranges
Peaches
Broccolis
Carrots
Garlic
Onions
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Radish
Rice
Tomatoes
Glowing meat. Mustard glows in the dark under UV light, why not cover some cooked meat in mustard and then display it under a UV light. The same goes for sunflower oil, you could before cooking them put a bit of oil on them to make them glow in the dark.
Meat, offal and remains. Depending on you sick sense of humour, human, dog, cat, rat, Ghoul, mutant meat are all a thing in Fallout. Whatever the creature, the harsh realities of the wasteland push people to eat anything to survive. Have more creative signage to go with it.
Glowing mass. Possibly meatballs with sunflower oil or mustard on them, under UV light.
Biscuits
Brahmin dogs
Brahmin burger
Burrito
Bread
Cabbage soup
Clam chowder
Chile
Cottage cheese
Mac n’ cheese
Noodles
Pickles
Pizza
Peanut butter and banana sandwiches
Canned dog food. Add a bit of humour to the selection on display.
Cheezy poofs
Gum drops
Crisps
InstaMash
Sugar bombs
Tinned meat
Honey
Pepper
Salt
Spices
Drinks for a party
Use customised labels on drink bottles to give it the authentic feel.
Purified water
Dirty/ irradiated water. Drop a small amount of brown or black food colouring into the water and fill them into plastic bottles with dirty stickers on for labels, detailing it as “WATER”
Nuka-Cola Quantum. Glows blue. A fun fact, the ingredient quinine that is in tonic water glows blue in the dark under UV light. Why not mix it with with lemonade and pour it into a clear bottle and display it near a UV light, to have your very own realistic Nuka-Cola Quantum.
Nuka-Cola. A standard Cola colour.
Nuka-Cherry. A red colour, possibly use Tizer.
Tea
Black coffee
Blackberry juice
Cranberry juice
Tomato juice
Lemonade
Atomic cocktail
Gwinnett ale. Fictional brand Gwinnett.
Gwinnett lager, pale, pilsner and stout
Rum
Gin
Irradiated beer, scotch and whiskey
Wine
5. Fallout-Themed Party Activities
Put on activities that bring your Fallout-Themed Party to life.
Scavenger Hunt:
Write a list for rare items you have sourced or bought online to with the Fallout universe and then hide them around your home. Some of the rarest items in the fallout universe includes:
Bottle caps (the in-game currency)
Stimpaks
Mini nukes
Pit-Boy
Laser rifle
Nuka Cola blaster
Fusion core
RAD-X pill bottle
Leopard print bandana
Large teddy bear
Aluminium oil can
Alien blaster pistol
Bathrobe
Lieutenant’s hat
Baseball bat (2076 World Series)
Road goggles
Giant Vim bottle
Poisoned wine
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Training:
Set up stations for different skills (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck) with corresponding mini-games or challenges, some of these could include:
Strength
1. Bodyweight Exercises: Perform push-ups, squats, and planks to build muscle.
2. Weight Lifting: Use dumbbells or improvised weights (like filled water bottles) for bicep curls, shoulder presses, and deadlifts.
Perception
1. Observation Games: Play “spot the difference” puzzles or use apps designed to enhance visual acuity.
2. Listening Skills: Practice active listening by focusing on specific sounds or playing sound recognition games.
Endurance
1. Cardio Workouts: Engage in running in place, jumping jacks, or burpees to improve cardiovascular health.
2. Stamina Challenges: Try prolonged exercise routines like a continuous yoga flow or cycling on a stationary bike.
Charisma
Social Skills Exercises: Role-play different social scenarios or complete social dares around the party to see if you can make people believe you or to do something for you.
Intelligence
Puzzle Solving: Engage in brain-teasers, crosswords, or Sudoku to keep your mind sharp.
Agility
1. Balance Exercises: Time people standing on one leg, or use a balance board.
2. Agility course: Make a small agility course. Use skipping ropes, tunnels, tyre wheels, egg and spoon race, zig zag poles or cones and climbing frames.
Luck
Random Challenges: Play games of chance, such as rolling dice, flipping coins, or card games.
Incorporating these activities into your routine can help you embody the versatility and resilience of a Fallout character, even without venturing into the wasteland!
Survival Skills Workshop:
Teach simple survival skills or crafts, such as:
Building the best shelter
Tying knots
Foraging for herbs and fruit
Basic first aid
6. Fallout-Themed Party Games
Incorporate some fun Fallout-Themed Party games, to really get everyone in the spirit:
Caps Game: A variation of a bean bag toss using bottle caps and target boards.
Nuka-Cola Ring Toss: Use fizzy drink bottles and rings for a classic ring toss game.
Fallout Trivia: Test the guests’ knowledge of the Fallout series with a trivia game.
I would personally avoid having an option for playing the Fallout games here, due to it will take people away from the atmosphere of the Fallout themed world you have created.
7. Fallout-Themed Party
Favours
Send guests home with Fallout-Themed Party favours, some ideas for this could be:
Bottle Cap Magnets: DIY bottle cap magnets. You can buy Nuka-Cola bottle cap versions online.
Mini Stimpak Pens: Pens designed to look like stimpaks.
Vault-Tec Keychains: Custom keychains with the Vault-Tec logo.
Fallout themed food and drink you have made/ purchased.
And why not put them in a brown paper bag.
8. Fallout-Themed Party Music and Ambiance
Play the Fallout game soundtracks or a selection of 1950s music to set the atmosphere. Consider sound effects from the game, such as the Pip-Boy menu sounds and the radio broadcasts.
9. Fallout-Themed Party No go areas
If you don’t want guest going into certain areas you could put up a poster on a door or on a sign outside. These could include a message with something like:
“Radiation exclusion zone, high rads in this room”
“No go area, radstorms highly likely in this area.”
or a Mr Handy type quote “In the meantime the galleria is closed to the general public, if you have any questions please seek Vault Dweller assistance.” With a Mr Handy picture next to
it.
Final Thoughts
A Fallout-Themed Party is a perfect way to immerse fans in the rich and quirky world of the game series. This would be perfect for a birthday or Halloween party, which would have the potential to have a scarier or gory spin on it. By paying close attention to the details and incorporating key elements from the Fallout universe, you can create a memorable and exciting event for all attendees. The cost would be from cheap to expensive dependant on how elaborate you wanted the party to be. Luckily for this type of themed party allot of the settings are in a wasteland of a time gone by, so any 1950’s or pre 1950’s items you have and any scrap items you can source for free will all add to the aesthetic.
References:
Fallout (online). https://fallout.bethesda.net/en
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