This guide will walk you through unlocking every single achievement in Fallout 4, including the base game and all DLCs, using one save file. No wasted playthroughs, no confusion — just a clean, step-by-step path to completion.

What’s inside:
– Full coverage of Main Story & Faction achievements with a safe branching strategy
– All Miscellaneous achievements with the fastest methods possible
– Detailed breakdown of every DLC achievement (Automatron, Far Harbor, Nuka-World, Vault-Tec, Workshop)
– A collectibles roadmap (bobbleheads, magazines, holotapes, power armor, unique weapons) using an interactive map
– A final checklist so you can keep track of everything

Video Tutorials:
Most achievements have a linked video tutorial. Just click on the achievement name in the guide and it will open the tutorial directly. If you get stuck anywhere, you’ll have a visual walkthrough ready to go.

Requirements:
– Play unmodded (mods/console commands disable achievements on PC unless you use an enabler).
– Use the interactive Fallout 4 map[fallout4map.com] to track collectibles.

Note: I tried to cover potential spoilers the best I could

This section gets you every main-quest and faction achievement without a second playthrough.

1.1 What Pops From Story & Factions
Base story achievements: War Never Changes, When Freedom Calls, Unlikely Valentine, Reunions, Dangerous Minds, Hunter/Hunted, The Molecular Level, The Nuclear Option, Prepared for the Future.

Factions:

• Institute: Institutionalized, Mankind-Redefined, Powering Up, Nuclear Family
  
• Minutemen: The First Step, Taking Independence, Old Guns
  
• Brotherhood: Semper Invicta, Blind Betrayal, Ad Victoriam
  
• Railroad: Tradecraft, Underground Undercover, Rockets’ Red Glare

1.2 The Safe Branching Plan (One Save)
Golden rule: make hard saves before “point-of-no-return” quests that pit factions against each other.

Conflict gates to watch:

• The Molecular Level — choosing who helps you build the teleporter sets your alignment for a while. This is a clean branching anchor.
  
• Mass Fusion (Institute) vs Spoils of War (BoS) — starting Mass Fusion makes the Brotherhood hostile; doing Spoils of War blocks the Institute. Make a hard save before picking either.
  
• Tactical Thinking (BoS) — accepting this will put you at war with the Railroad. Save before it.

Recommended teleporter build: do The Molecular Level with the Minutemen at Sanctuary to keep the Institute, Railroad, and BoS calm while you prep branches. Then proceed to Institutionalized so you can access Institute achievements later.

Your Roadmap (make these saves):

• Save A — after The Molecular Level (teleporter built, before committing to any conflict quests). This is your master fork.
  
• Save B — just before Mass Fusion / Spoils of War. Choose which side gets that reactor moment here.
  
• Save C — before Tactical Thinking (BoS). Use this to do Railroad later without aggro.

Branch Order (efficient):
Institute branch first
From Save B, start Mass Fusion → finish Mankind-Redefined, Powering Up, Nuclear Family. This also satisfies Prepared for the Future.

Reload Save B → Brotherhood branch
Do Spoils of War, progress through Blind Betrayal, then finish Ad Victoriam. Don’t take Tactical Thinking if you still plan to do Railroad from Save C; otherwise, accept it at the end.

Reload Save C → Railroad branch
Complete Underground Undercover and Rockets’ Red Glare (you’ll have Tradecraft already from early recruitment).

Minutemen ending anytime
Their path is the least invasive. Finish Taking Independence and Old Guns, then drive their version of The Nuclear Option to lock that ending as well.

Notes:
– You don’t need four separate characters — this is all the same save file forked at smart points.
– As you run factions, keep looting magazines and bobbleheads with the interactive map so you’re not backtracking later.

2.1 Exploration & Collectibles

Ranger Corps — discover 100 locations. If you’re using the interactive map, you’ll hit this naturally while chasing bobbleheads and mags.

They’re Not Dolls… / …They’re Action Figures — collect 10/20 Vault-Tec bobbleheads (there are 20 total). The map has every spawn.

Print’s Not Dead — read 20 magazines. Use map filters for each magazine set (AAT, Grognak, Guns & Bullets, etc.).

Future Retro — play any Pip-Boy holotape game (e.g., “Red Menace” at Vault 111 or RobCo Fun issues).

Homerun! — in Diamond City, step on the four bases in a counter-clockwise loop (start at Home Plate by Publick Occurrences).

Touchdown! — die to a mini-nuke (a suicidal super mutant works).

2.2 Combat & Progression

Masshole — kill 300 people; Animal Control — kill 300 creatures. These will pop naturally if you clear the map + DLC combat zones.

Level milestones (Born Survivor, Commonwealth Citizen, Unstoppable Wanderer, Legend of the Wastes) — you’ll hit 50 while sweeping DLC and building settlements.

…The Harder They Fall — kill 5 giant creatures (think Behemoths/Mirelurk Queens). You’ll meet them during faction/DLC routes.

Prankster’s Return — reverse pickpocket a live grenade/mine. Use Pickpocket rank + Quick-save, then plant the explosive.

2.3 Crafting & Settlement Basics

What’s Yours Is Mine —
Pick 50 locks

RobCo’s Worst Nightmare — Hack 50 terminals.

Armed and Dangerous — create 50 weapon mods. Strip and rebuild mods on the same few guns; it’s the craft action that counts.

Wasteland D.I.Y. — craft 100 items (chems, food, mines; anything at the Chem Station is quick).
Fix-Er-Upper — build 100 workshop items (fences, chairs, lights; spam cheap furniture).

Scavver — gather 1,000 crafting resources. Scrap everything in early settlements and bulk-buy junk (adhesive/metals) from vendors.

Never Go It Alone / Lovable — recruit 5 companions; max affinity with one. Piper, Curie, and Preston rise fast with “nice” choices.

Sanctuary / Community Organizer — complete Sturges’ quest and ally with 3 settlements through Minutemen errands.

[b[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YZ-eJMDk3c&feature=youtu.be&themeRefresh=1]]2.4 Benevolent Leader (the one that tilts people)[/url][/b]
Goal: 100 happiness in a large settlement.

Below is every DLC achievement with the leanest way to pop them, and any ordering notes so they don’t break your main-save plan.


Mechanical Menace / Headhunting / Restoring Order – Play through the Automatron storyline until you defeat the Mechanist.
Robot Hunter / The Most Toys – Unlock 10 robot mods and build 10 robot mods. Farm scrap, then swap cheap limbs/heads on a few bots.


Docile – Have 5 tamed creatures in a settlement (build cages, power them, and tame).
Instigator – Start a spectated arena fight.
Trapper – Build one of every cage type. Tip: Do this in a throwaway outpost with heavy turrets; caged spawns can get messy.


Far Harbour Interactive Map[fallout4map.com]

Story Achievements (Unmissable)

• Far From Home – Start the quest in Diamond City (Nakano Residence).
  
• Where You Belong – Complete “Acadian Ideals” with DiMA, gaining entry to Acadia.
  
• The Way Life Should Be – Resolve Acadia’s fate by siding with Acadia or the Children of Atom.
  
• Close to Home – Return to Kasumi after completing the main arc.
  
• Cleansing the Land – Destroy either Far Harbor or the Children of Atom.

Missable Conflict – The Way Life Should Be and Cleansing the Land are opposites. Make a hard save before “Best Left Forgotten” and reload to do all outcomes.
Efficient Route

• Play until “Best Left Forgotten” → make Save 1.
  
• Path A → Peaceful Acadia → unlock The Way Life Should Be.
  
• Reload Save 1 → Path B → Destroy Far Harbor → unlock Cleansing the Land.
  
• Reload Save 1 → Path C → Destroy Nucleus → unlock Cleansing the Land again.
  
• Return to Kasumi in each path → unlock Close to Home.

Side Achievements

• New England Vacationer – Discover 20 Far Harbor locations.
  
• Push Back the Fog – Unlock Dalton Farm, Echo Lake Lumber, National Park Visitor Center.
  
• Hooked – Kill 30 FH creatures (Anglers, Fog Crawlers, Gulpers).
  
• Just Add Saltwater – Cook any FH recipe.
  
• The Islander’s Almanac – Collect all 5 Almanac issues (Last Plank, Acadia, Brooke’s Head Lighthouse, Visitor Center, Nucleus).

• Time Out – Assign a settler to the pillory.
  
• Show Off – Display a weapon, an armor piece, and a power armor suit.
  
• Mass Production – Produce 100 objects from builders (use a junk builder with conveyors).

• Better Living Underground – Unlock all build areas of Vault 88 as you expand the vault.
  
• Oversight – Complete the Overseer storyline and become Overseer of Vault 88.
  
• Vault Dweller – Equip a settler with a Vault 88 suit and Pip-Boy.

Important: Run Nuka-World after main endings if you want Minutemen achievements. Establishing raider outposts makes Preston permanently hostile. Always make a hard save before starting Nuka-World.

Story Achievements

• Taken for a Ride – Survive the Gauntlet and become Overboss.
  
• The Grand Tour – Restore power to all five zones: Galactic Zone, Kiddie Kingdom, Dry Rock Gulch, Safari Adventure, Nuka Galaxy.
  
• Home Sweet Home – Establish a raider outpost in the Commonwealth.
  
• Power Play – Choose between raider gangs and finish the leadership conflict.

Faction / Raider Achievements

• Raiding for a Living – Complete 3 Commonwealth raider quests.
  
• Hostile Takeover – Establish 8 raider outposts. Use smaller settlements (Tenpines Bluff, Oberland, Sunshine Tidings) for speed.

Collectibles
Use Nuka World Interactive Map[fallout4map.com] for collectables

• Diebrarian – Collect all 10 SCAV! magazines across park zones and the power plant.
  
• Beverageer – Craft 20 unique Nuka-Mix recipes. Each one must be different.

Combat / Effect

• All Sugared Up – Kill 40 enemies under a Nuka-Mix effect. Safari Adventure and Galactic Zone have dense mobs.

Grind

• Eyes on the Prize – Redeem 100,000 tickets at the Nuka-Cade. → Fastest: spam Shooting Gallery or Ball Toss. Use automatic weapons or Thirst Zapper for high scores. This will take time; grind tokens until you can cash out.

One Save Strategy for Nuka-World

• Make a hard save before starting.
  
• Complete Taken for a Ride.
  
• Do The Grand Tour → clear all five parks.
  
• Grab collectibles (SCAV! mags + Nuka recipes) while exploring.
  
• Farm All Sugared Up and Eyes on the Prize mid-run.
  
• Return to Commonwealth: build raider outposts for Home Sweet Home, Raiding for a Living, Hostile Takeover.
  
• Finish with Power Play.

This path guarantees all Nuka-World achievements in one save while preserving your Minutemen progress.

While this guide gives you the full step-by-step path, these external resources can help you keep track of achievements and collectibles in real time:

• Fallout Wiki – Achievements & Trophies[fallout.fandom.com]
  Covers every base game and DLC achievement in detail, including requirements, quest names, and tips.
  
  
• Fallout Wiki – Bobblehead Locations[fallout.fandom.com]
  Full list of all 20 bobbleheads with exact locations and quest notes.
  
  
• Fallout Wiki – Magazines[fallout.fandom.com]
  Every magazine series and issue with their perk benefits and spawn points.
  
  
• Fallout 4 Collector App (Unofficial)
  A fan-made app that lets you check off bobbleheads, magazines, and other collectibles as you grab them.

These tools are optional, but using them alongside this guide makes it almost impossible to miss anything.

Thank you for checking out this guide! I put a lot of work into making sure you can unlock every Fallout 4 achievement in one save file, with the fastest and cleanest methods possible.

If you spot something I missed, or if you get stuck on a step, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to help you out. Feedback also helps me keep this guide updated for everyone else.

Good luck out there in the Commonwealth, and happy hunting!