Screenshot by Bonus Action
Atomfall offers as much freedom as you want when it comes to exploring its world—once you’re out of the quarantine zone, you can go anywhere you like.
As much as we love open exploration here at BA, we’ve also fallen into the trap of leaving the starter areas way too early, only to watch our game-over count skyrocket.
That freedom is both a blessing and, if mishandled, a curse. Luckily, we’ve rounded up the best places you must visit in your first hours of Atomfall to make sure you have everything you need to survive in this British wasteland.
Table of contents
Bunker L6
Unless you deliberately ignore Nat Buckshaw as you walk down Slatten Dale’s main road, chances are Bunker L6 will be the first bunker you explore in Atomfall.
At first, you might just pop in, grab the lead on the Interchange, and head right back out—especially with the looming threat of blue zombies. But trust me, you’ll want to stick around a bit longer.
The lead you need to progress the main quest is easy to find—it’s sitting on a desk in the right-side room. Don’t worry; picking it up won’t wake any ghouls.
If you venture deeper into the bunker, you’ll inevitably have to deal with some ghouls, but the rewards are worth it. Inside, you’ll find two Training Stimulants, a hefty supply of ammo, and more bandages than your inventory can probably hold.
There’s no way to sneak through without waking at least a few ghouls, but as long as you have the shotgun (which you can grab in the first 10 minutes of the game), you can play a game of hide, seek, and shoot on the second floor using the shelves as cover.
You’ll also run into a swarm of rats—stomp them out and destroy their nest under the stairs to access the B.A.R.D. crate, which contains your first Training Stimulant.
From there, crawl through a hole in the wall to collect more materials and find the stairs leading down to the main control room—where the second Training Stimulant is waiting for you.
Molly’s Trading Camp
Finding Molly’s Trading Camp isn’t difficult. As soon as you step out of Bunker L6, head up the hill, take a left, and—whatever you do—avoid making eye contact with the Outlaws. Keep going straight toward the ruins with smoke rising from them, and you’ll be there in no time.
That said, you might get distracted by a hundred other places to explore before following this lead. Or, if you got a little too fixated on telephones, Nat might have refused to give you this lead altogether.
Molly is one of the earliest traders you’ll meet in Slatten Dale. She offers a Knife blueprint, a Metal Detector, a Stealth Manual, a Battery, and a few other useful resources.
While all of these can be handy, the one item you need to trade for is the Metal Detector.
This tool helps you locate buried crates and lunchboxes filled with loot and leads. Batteries will become invaluable later on, but for now, your priority should be getting the Metal Detector within the first 30 minutes of gameplay—it’s essential for making the most of your exploration.
The Sewers
Believe it or not, you can miss out on fast travel in Atomfall.
No, unfortunately, you won’t be teleporting between phone booths by picking up the receiver. Instead, fast travel is handled through the underground Sewers, allowing you to quickly move in and out of different areas.
You can access the Sewers in the north-central region of Slatten Dale, just east of Molly’s Trading Camp. But be warned—once you step inside, you’ll be trespassing, which means everything in there is hostile, including swarms of rats.
Despite the Outlaws, Druids, and all the creepy crawlies lurking in the tunnels, I highly recommend sneaking your way through. If you can make it to Wyndham Village or Casterfell Woods, you’ll unlock new areas filled with valuable resources, NPCs, and fresh leads to chase down.
About the Author
Discover more from Bonus Action
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
