Summary
One of the most surprising launches that acclaimed game developer, Bethesda, did in 2024 was the mobile gameThe Elder Scrolls: Castles. This spin-off title’s core gameplay is overseeing a castle inTamriel, ensuring one’s subjects are satisfied, heirs are up to snuff, and one’s warriors are well-equipped for their battles.The Elder Scrolls: Castlesis essentially a management simulator with combat elements, and it shares some DNA with another mobile Bethesda title:Fallout Shelter.
This game isn’tThe Elder Scrollsfranchise’s first foray into smartphone gaming. It releasedThe Elder Scrolls Legends, a collectible card game, andThe Elder Scrolls: Blades, a linear action RPG with roguelike elements. These games have seen moderate success so far, but it seems like Bethesda wants this beloved console and PC franchise to become even more successful in the mobile market. As such, it took a page fromFallout Shelter, one of its more popular games for the format, to createThe Elder Scrolls: Castles.
How The Elder Scrolls: Castles is Similar to Fallout Shelter
The Elder Scrolls: Castlesshares a core gameplay mechanic withFallout Shelter, which is management simulation. InFallout Shelter, the player isthe vault overseerwho ensures that their growing number of vault dwellers get enough power, food, and water. They can upgrade their vault by adding new rooms with different functions.The Elder Scrolls: Castlesworks similarly. The player is a ruler of a kingdom in Tamriel and they’re tasked to keep their subjects well-fed, productive, and happy.
The player can also build new rooms with different purposes. Some Work Stations create resources, like Oil Presses and Mills. Others improve happiness, like art studios and bookcases. There are also ones that unlock certain features, like the War Table, which lets the player send their adventurers off on epic missions. Apart frombase building,The Elder Scrolls: CastlesandFallout Shelterhave a bunch of other similarities.
Subjects and Vault Dwellers
At their core,The Elder Scrolls: CastlesandFallout Shelterare all about keeping their constituents alive and well. Each subject and dweller has unique traits and stats that one can optimize for different roles. ForFallout Shelter, their capabilities are determined by theirSPECIAL(Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck) stats, while the subjects inThe Elder Scrolls: Castleshave health, armor, and combat stats. They have separate traits, which further define their role in the castle.
For example, Headstrong characters make everyone working at the Furnace and Workshop better at their jobs, while Charming subjects often distract their coworkers. A consistent way to increase the population is also through breeding. Players can build beds in both games to get their compatible characters to reproduce.
Oil and Power
Fallout Shelter’s Powerand theElder Scrolls: Castles' Oil function pretty much the same way.
WhileThe Elder Scrolls: CastlesandFallout Shelterdo share the same DNA, the newer game seems to be a step up from the latter. This is because it introduces new features like Rulings, which essentially have the ruler making sweeping decisions like settling subject disputes and trading with other kingdoms. The combat in this game is also more in-depth, letting the player have more control over their characters in battle compared toFallout: Shelter. However, only time will tell if this game will reach the heights of its highly successful peer.
