Learn how much better living is underground in Vault-Tec Workshop, the penultimate add-on to Fallout 4. There are three new trophies / achievements to earn, and plenty of tasks to complete. If you’re looking to become an Overseer (and don’t want to miss the “Oversight” trophy / achievement) then we’ve got all the tips you’ll need here on our complete guide, covering the full roster of in-game challenges.
That includes the previously mentioned “Oversight“, along with “Better Living Underground” and “Vault Dweller” — all covering aspects some players might’ve ignored in their main playthrough of Fallout 4. Equipping settlers with items, connecting prototypes to terminals with wire, and locating optional workshops are just a few of the topics we’ll cover. Keep scrolling to find all the answers you seek for the Vault-Tec Workshop.
Explore Gameranx’s massive list of guides, how-to’s, secret locations, and everything else a fresh Vault 111 escapee needs to thrive on the Fallout 4 Ultimate Commonwealth Guide and become a true post-apocalyptic survivor.
Uncover everything you need to know about the Vault-Tc Workshop DLC with these guides on Gameranx:
- Fallout 4: Vault-Tec Workshop – How to Unlock Secondary Vault 88 Entrances
- Fallout 4: Vault-Tec Workshop – How to Track Lost Companions
- Fallout 4: Vault-Tec Workshop – Improve Your Face & Hairstyle With New Stations
- Fallout 4: Vault-Tec Workshop – How to Power Your Vault Rooms & Lights
- Fallout 4: Vault-Tec Workshop – All Experiment Rewards & Results
- Fallout 4: Vault-Tec Workshop – Get 100 Settlement Happiness the Easy Way
Vault-Tec Workshop – Trophy & Achievement Guide
Vault-Tec Workshop includes three new trophies / achievements. One can’t be missed, one is miss-able, and one is optional. Don’t worry, completing them all is a cinch, and they’ll push you explore every valuable nook and cranny of Vault 88. Let’s get started.
Vault Dweller
“Equip Vault 88 suit and Pip-boy on a settler”
- For more info, check out our complete guide here:

- Can’t be missed. This trophy / achievement is earned during the quest “A Model Citizen” — this quest begins after completing “Vault-Tec Calling” and “Better Living Underground.”
- After exploring and unlocking one of the three additional Vault-Tec Workshops, Overseer Barstow will call the Sole Survivor to the Vault 88 entrance.
- Complete all three interviews. Overseer Barstow will always choose the third settler to be her test subject. This is Clem, your guinea pig for all future experiment quests.
- Before moving on, you’ll need to equip Clem with a Vault 88 suit and a Pip-boy. The waypoint will guide you to a Vault-Tec container (to the left of the Vault 88 entrance ramp) with 10 Vault 88 suits and 10 Pip-boys.
- Talk to Clem to open the trade menu. Give Clem one (1) Vault 88 suit and one (1) Pip-boy. The Pip-boy will automatically equip.
- To equip the Vault suit, highlight the apparel in Clem’s inventory and press [Triangle] on PS4 — look to the bottom of the menu to find the [Equip] button on other consoles.
- The trophy / achievement will pop after a few seconds. Now let’s move onto trickier (and more optional) challenges.
Better Living Underground
“Unlock all build areas of Vault 88”
- For more info, check out our complete guide here:

- To start unlocking extra build areas, complete the following quests:
- Vault-Tec Calling
- Better Living Underground
- Once the Sole Survivor reaches the quest “A Model Citizen” Overseer Barstow will ask you to check out the rest of the bunker after building the Overseer Desk. This leads to the optional quest “Explore Vault 88” — set this as your active quest.
- Use Workshop Mode to clear the debris blocking the passages to each of the three sectors.
- Target the wall of debris, rock-slide, or other blockage and press [Square / X] to scrap. This clears the way and allows you to explore deeper into Vault 88.
- Next, you’ll need to find Control Boards for all three Vault-Tec Workshops. These Control Boards are not marked on your map. Use our gallery and locations guide to easily find all three in each section:
- North Sector Vault-Tec Workshop Control Board: Found in the subway station. Enter the second subway tunnel and turn left. There is a Vault-Tec container near a desk. The Control Board is located on the desk.
- North-East Sector Vault-Tec Workshop Control Board: The cavern leads to a brick interior cellar structure. At the bottom of the steps, there’s a utility closet. The control board is located on the metal cabinets.
- East Section Vault-Tec Workshop Control Board: The easiest Control Board is in the East Section. Follow the subway tracks down from the start of the east path and turn right into a concrete utility room with several feral ghouls. There is a metal cabinet with the control board.
- If “Explore Vault 88” is your active quest, a waypoint will appear on each of the Vault-Tec Workshops after obtaining the Control Board. Simply return to each and activate them all to complete the quest and earn this trophy / achievement.
Oversight
“Become Overseer”
- For more info, check out our complete guide here:

- NOTE: This trophy / achievement CAN BE MISSED. At the very end of the quest, make sure you DO NOT ask Overseer Barstow to stay in Vault 88. If she stays, you will not earn this trophy / achievement.
- “Oversight” is, basically, the main quest of the Vault-Tec Workshop add-on. Here you’ll spend most of your time running experiments on a hapless test subject named Clem. Here’s the full list of quests you’ll need to complete to earn this trophy / achievement.
- Vault-Tec Calling
- Better Living Underground
- A Model Citizen
- Power to the People [Experiment #1]
- The Watering Hole [Experiment #2]
- Vision of the Future [Experiment #3]
- Lady Luck [Experiment #4 / Last Experiment]
- To complete experiments, you’ll need to follow the same basic steps:
- Build the prototype.
- Connect the prototype to a power generator.
- Connect the prototype to a terminal.
- Assign Clem to the prototype.
- Select an experiment parameter for the prototype with the terminal.
- Wait one hour to see the results.

- The tricky part of these experiments is scrounging up enough materials to construct the prototypes. Here are some tips to get all the parts you need.
- Scrap! Enter Workshop mode and scrap everything in sight. Vault 88 is full of junk.
- Mark important materials with the [Search] icon. This can be done at any crafting station. Screws and aluminum are especially important. That way, while exploring Vault 88, you can take any junk that is marked with an eyeglass icon.
- Create a Supply Line. Select one of your new settlers, then press [R1 / RT] to assign them to a Supply Line. A menu will appear; select the settlement you want to connect to Vault 88. Choose your main settlement, or one that’s already rich with materials. Once you’re connected, you’ll instantly begin sharing materials found in the workshop inventory.
- Need nuclear materials? Vault 88 prototypes require plenty of nuclear materials. Thankfully, the area is overstuffed in uranium. Look for black rocks with specs of green — that’s a uranium deposit. There’s even one location where you can find 250+ uranium, all in a single mine.
- For more detailed explanations covering each quest specifically, check out the full Oversight guide linked above.
- After completing the final experiment, Overseer Barstow will offer to leave. Don’t try to convince her to stay. If she stays, you won’t earn the achievement / trophy.
- If she does agree to leave, you’re in the clear. She’ll wander the wasteland, and you’ll have 100% completion for Vault-Tec Workshop. Now you can get building the vault of your dreams.