As a fan of both card games and Fallout, I've been waiting for some kind of card game set in its universe. Yes, there's a Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond Fallout offering, but that's not quite the same thing. Resurrectionist Games, who designed the well-received Doom: The Dark Ages Arena board game, brings us Fallout: Power Play.
Four well-known wasteland factions vie for supremacy here. The Super Mutants are immune to the radiation that weakens nearly everyone else. The Enclave is able to replay Power Play cards. The Brotherhood of Steel uses its pre-war technology reserves to hopefully win the day. The Raiders, of course, steal other people's stuff for fun, profit, and no small amount of violence.
So much of what makes Fallout fun is that you're not just battling enemies, you're battling the harsh environment. In-game events include Deathclaw attacks and good old-fashioned atom bombs. The first faction to 10 Victory Points controls the Wasteland. Hey, that might not seem like a prize to those of us who don't live in an apocalypse, but that's one of Fallout's lessons. How bad or good your world is depends largely on how you view it.
Living my entire life cooped up in a vault doesn't sound like much fun, but I can go outside without getting irradiated. After the bombs fell, I'd have a different take.
I'm positive Fallout: Power Play will hit my gaming table in 2026, and I'll let you know my thoughts on this jaunt through atomic hell. Power Play is scheduled for a January release at a retail price of $31.64. Two to four players can participate and once you've got a handle on the rules, it should take about 30-45 minutes to play.