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Shaun? Who’s that? You already have all the atom bomb baby you need echoing in your Pip-Boy radio. Thankfully, Fallout 4 lets you put off your parental duties and engage in some wasteland distractions. And trust me, you will want to; otherwise, you’re stuck with Preston Garvey and his settlement addiction (and he’ll mark it on your map). So, in the spirit of open-world gaming and the right way to play RPGs, check out the best side quests in Fallout 4— while ideally ignoring the main quest.
10. Trip to the Stars
- Trigger Location: Dara Hubbell in Nuka-World.
Interacting with cults often makes for some of the best side quests in Fallout and it’s still the same for Fallout 4. Make sure to lend your ear a bit to some eccentric spacesuit-clad fanatics in Nuka-World and they will ask you a bizarre request. They want to fly off from the godforsaken wasteland in a spaceship.
The problem is that the spaceship they want to ride is a carnival attraction. They think it’s the real thing. It’s up to you how you want to approach that, but do humor them if you want to proceed with the quest. “Trip to the Stars” will lead to some wacky events and you might even snag yourself an alien blaster or two.
9. The Devil’s Due
- Trigger Location: Diamond City guards in the Colonial Taphouse, Diamond City.
This is what you get by eavesdropping on bored city guards. “The Devil’s Due” is one of the most atmospheric side quests in Fallout 4, and it has some horror elements. It’s rather short depending on your level and gear, so if you want to experience it as intended, try pursuing the quest while you’re low-level.
It will lead you to the famed Museum of Witchcraft in Boston where, as usual, something is amiss. It’s essentially a haunted house quest where a wasteland monster has become an urban legend thanks to hearsay and panic. The ending also gives you some somewhat tough choices and an iconic reward.
8. The Big Dig
- Trigger Location: Bobbi No-Nose in Goodneighbor.
“The Big Dig” in Fallout 4 starts off slow, but once you get past the initial dialog exposition, it opens up as a quirky heist mission. Like all cinematic heists, The Big Dig will group you with a dysfunctional cast of thieves (some of which need rescuing first).
The quest will also put you in a difficult spot since you’re up against Diamond City Security and you’ll need to tiptoe around being a criminal. You also get a couple of tough choices and a classic film noir betrayal along the way. Since it’s also a heist mission, you can expect a lot of loot and rewards.
7. Diamond City Blues
- Trigger Location: Paul Pembroke in Diamond City.
Fallout 4 isn’t shy about drug use and abuse, so it’s only fitting that there’s a quest about a drug deal. “Diamond City Blues” sees players intercepting a drug deal and cracking down on a chem lab operation. To get to that point, however, there are plenty of tense standoffs that might even require a bit of Charisma on your part.
It’s a great quest for anyone looking to roleplay as some kind of friendly neighborhood narco agent. Of course, you won’t walk away empty-handed here. Diamond City Blues is one of the best quests to finish if you want to turn your character into a walking pharmacy with all the drugs you can carry.
6. Human Error
- Trigger Location: Diamond City guards, traders, or settlers.
You don’t often get a functioning society from the past in Fallout games (apart from The Vault or other evil pre-war factions). So when you hear a rumor about the Covenant, you know you’re in for a ride. What essentially starts as idle gossip from guards or other NPCs will lead you to a small village that survivors of the Institute’s experiments supposedly run.
Of course, just like any town in the wasteland pretending to be a healthy paradise, the Covenant is anything but. And you’ll soon find out that there’s plenty amiss in this little clean corner of Boston. The choices you get afterward can be quite the dilemma and it’s worth pursuing this side quest for that staple RPG bifurcation.
5. The Secret of Cabot House
- Trigger Location: Cabot House after finishing the “Emogene Takes a Lover” quest.
Turns out there’s more to do and more to uncover in the Cabot House and its centuries of mystery. You just have to keep coming back to the place after finishing “Emogene Takes a Lover” (which has a pre-requisite quest called “Special Delivery”).
“The Secret of Cabot House” will take you in a dizzying spin of a family feud. If you ever want your morals and your ideals to be tested, this quest is a good trial area. There are plenty of hard choices in this side quest, making it one of the most memorable in Fallout 4.
4. Last Voyage of the U.S.S. Constitution
- Trigger Location: Lookout (Mister Handy bot) near the USS Constitution.
Head a bit east from Bunker Hill in Boston and you’ll find this old Colonial Age ship with some odd rocket boosters strapped to it. It’s not just a quest– it’s one of the best side quests in Fallout 4. Just walk near it and wait for the Mister Handy bot to invite you inside. The quest will have you picking sides over two factions.
If you’re on your very first playthrough, I highly recommend siding with the robots. You’ll be treated with more rewards and a flavorful and darkly humorous animation sequence. There’s no shortage of science weapon rewards here, but the best reward is witnessing the usual wasteland absurdity unfold in front of you.
3. Long Time Coming
- Trigger Location: Nick Valentine’s companion quest.
Some prerequisites include reaching a high Affinity with Nick Valentine and finishing the “Dangerous Minds” main quest. The effort is worth it as “Long Time Coming” is one of the most well-written companion quests in Fallout 4.
It delves into Nick Valentine’s borrowed memories where he asks for your help in hunting down a pre-war criminal who survived as a ghoul. The quest also expands upon the Fallout lore in a subtle way and puts into question the nature of humanity. More than anything, it fleshes out Nick Valentine’s tragic character.
2. Brain Dead
- Trigger Location: Captain Avery in Far Harbor after finishing the “Walk in the Park” main quest.
Just about most quests in Far Harbor are solid and memorable, however, “Brain Dead” has to be up there among the best side quests in Fallout 4. Simply put, it’s a murder mystery– in a Vault. You can’t get more intriguing than that.
Being able to solve the murder mystery even before the quest stages advance is also possible, and Brain Dead can give you that gamer “light bulb” moment which is as rewarding as the actual material rewards. It’s also quite long, which is a treat in itself and the quest will easily suck you into that film noir detective monologuing trance.
1. The Silver Shroud
- Trigger Location: Goodneighbor, be sure to tune into the Silver Shroud Radio.
Speaking of film noir, Fallout 4 lets you go all out. It’s set in Boston, after all. “The Silver Shroud” quest is your entry point into one of the most exciting playstyles and roleplaying opportunities in Fallout 4 or just about all Fallout games.
In it, you’ll be bringing a comic book character to life where you can fake it until you make it. If anything, the quest is worth it for the cool armor set and gun you’ll be rewarded with. Make sure to finish this one before you go sleuthing and “noir-ing” around in post-apocalyptic Boston.
Fallout 4 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
