Summary

• Fallout 4 has hundreds of quests, but some being activated requires the player to visit very specific locations or talk to certain NPCs.
• Players can follow clues from messages in bottles found on the Commonwealth coast.
• Other obscure side quests have players solving a murder mystery or helping a cult reach the stars.

There is certainly no shortage of things to do in Fallout 4 when adventuring and exploring the Commonwealth. With faction quests, fun side quests, and settlement building, these are all perfect distractions when taking a break from finding Shaun. However, some side quests are a little harder to find than others, with them requiring visits to very specific locations to trigger their start.

Packed into the Commonwealth are hundreds of quests and hundreds more unique locations that are fantastic for gaining XP and gear in Fallout 4. While many quests are linked to factions, characters, or well-known spots, there are plenty more that the Sole Survivor will need to go out of their way to find. However, these hidden gems are definitely worth it, with lore, equipment, and quirky characters to add that little bit of extra fun to any playthrough.

10 Bottle Message - Six Locations Along The Coast

Follow The Clues To Find Treasure

While walking along the coastline of the Commonwealth, the Sole Survivor may spot something sticking out of the sand. The bottle messages are not a single quest but a collection of short side quests involving six bottles with notes inside. There is no particular order that these mini-quests need to be done in, as each tells its own self-contained tragic story, although there has been some speculation about whether the notes are pre- or post-war.

The messages that can be found range from simple two-word notes to heartbreaking final words from someone trapped in a no-win situation. Once a bottle is found, a quest marker will appear showing the Sole Survivor where to go next to retrieve the steamer trunk with the rewards. Each message will require a trip underwater, with some being a little trickier to spot than others in the murky ocean.

The bottle message named Difficult to Kill has a direct quote from Die Hard inside: "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs."

9 Trip To The Stars - Outside Nuka-World

Help A Cult With A Trip Into Space

The main focus of the Nuka-World DLC is the Nuka-World theme park itself, and because of that, there are plenty who might not have gone exploring the area around the park. There are plenty of interesting places to explore, such as the town of Bradberton, a shovel museum, and the Hubologist's Camp. The Hubologist's Camp is located to the southwest of Nuka-Town USA and directly west of Nuka-Station on the site of an old diner, and if the group's leader, Dara, is spoken to, an odd quest can be started.

"Trip to the Stars" features a space-focused cult first seen in Fallout 2 who will ask the Sole Survivor to help them travel into space. After collecting spacesuit costumes for them and clearing out hostile robots, it’s revealed that the group's spaceship is really a broken theme park ride. Obviously, there is no way to actually get them into space, but helping the group is a fun side quest with a cool alien blaster as a reward.

The quest can also be ended with an evil Fallout 4 choice, by putting an extra fusion core in the ride. This will send the ride spinning too fast and kill all the Hubologists inside.

8 Here There Be Monsters - Boston Harbor

A Large Pre-War Secret Lurking In The Water

Sometimes finding a Fallout 4 side quest is about finding the right location, but sometimes it is also about timing. "Here There Be Monsters" is a great quest but is very easy to miss as it either requires the right NPC to be found or for the Sole Survivor to swim out to precisely the right spot. However, whether the quest is obtained from Donny Kowalski or a dip in the ocean, once begun, this intriguing questline is packed full of pre-war lore.

Swimming out into the ocean near the Shamrock Taphouse, the Sole Survivor can find the Yangtze, a pre-war Chinese submarine, and its ghoul crew. Sadly, all except Captain Zao have become feral, and Zao will request help in repairing the deteriorating craft. Along with all the great lore, aiding Zao will result in three Homing Beacons which can each call a tactical nuclear strike from the sub.

7 Eliza's Journals - Cranberry Island

Learn About A Young Pre-War Girl

While exploring Far Harbor's Cranberry Island, the Sole Survivor may find themselves at the Gibbons' family farm and learn about the terrible fate of this family after the bombs fell. Scattered across Cranberry Island are seven journal entries by the young Eliza Gibbons as she writes about her life in 2077. Along with an insight into her family's life, Eliza's drawings of her family and a map showing the locations of generators can be found in one of 12 randomized locations on the island.

Once all three generators are active, the bunker beneath the family home can be accessed and the fate of the family revealed. The Gibbons family can be found inside the bunker but will be immediately hostile, having turned into feral ghouls long ago. Interestingly, Eliza and her brother Nathan are not in the bunker, leaving their fate open to speculation.

A note can be found inside the bunker that reveals that wayward brother Nathan failed to stock the family's bunker, leaving them with no food once the door controls malfunctioned.

6 Pool Cleaning - Diamond City

Dive Down Into Diamond City's Reservoir

Every Sole Survivor will end up in Diamond City at some point during a playthrough of Fallout 4. Whether ing through to trade or making a home there by purchasing Home Plate, the large settlement is very familiar to most. However, a surprising number don't know that Sheng Kawolski, the young boy who runs the city's water purifying system, has a short but fun side quest.

Speaking with Sheng starts the quest "Pool Cleaning," as the young entrepreneur will explain that filters get overloaded with junk people throw in. Sheng will pay 100 caps for the Sole Survivor to head into the irradiated water to find five items of junk, including a skull. When asked about the skull, Sheng will explain there was another helper before the Sole Survivor who unfortunately found a grenade.

With high enough Charisma, Sheng can be persuaded to pay more caps. A Charisma of eight can get 125 or 150 on a second attempt, and a Charisma of nine can get 200 caps.

5 Blood Bank - Prydwen

Gather Blood Samples For The Brotherhood

As expected, there are plenty of quests to complete if the Sole Survivor s the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4. Along with the main, side, and radiant quests that are present with the other factions, the Brotherhood also has three repeatable quests available. The least known of these is "Blood Bank" given by Senior Scribe Neriah, who many may miss meeting as she's tucked away on the Prydwen.

Neriah can be found on the upper level of the main deck, past the sleeping area, and towards the back of the ship in a large lab area. Speaking to her will start the quest and the Sole Survivor will need to find Viable Blood Samples to help Neriah with her research. These samples are very easy to obtain and Neriah will pay 50 caps for each, making this a nicely profitable quest.

4 Brain Dead - Cliff's Edge Hotel

Catch A Murderer Inside A Strange Vault

For a fun murder mystery to break up the combat and settlement building, the Far Harbor DLC has the great quest "Brain Dead." "Brain Dead" can be started either by exploring the Cliff's Edge Hotel on the island or meeting a Miss Nanny named Pearl in Far Harbor. Pearl will explain there has been a terrible murder in Vault 118, otherwise, this information will be given once Vault 118 has been discovered.

"Brain Dead" is wonderfully silly with lots of pre-war characters who have decided to trade in their bodies in a bid for immortality. After meeting the robobrain residents of the vault, the Sole Survivor will have to piece together the clue and catch a killer. With lots of great vault lore and over-the-top characters, "Brain Dead" is an easily overlooked quest with a fun twist.

3 Detective Cases - Valentine's Detective Agency

Solve Two Of Nick's Old Case Files

Nick Valentine is a great detective, but he's only one synth, so once Nick has been rescued from Vault 114, the Sole Survivor can assist with some of the open cases. Two cases can be solved with their case files found in Nick's Diamond City office. One is a classic missing persons case called "The Disappearing Act," which takes place entirely in Diamond City and involves one of the city's doctors.

The second case, "The Gilded Grasshopper", involves Nick's old partner Marty Bullfinch and some mysterious treasure. Following Marty's clues will lead, unfortunately, to the treasure hunter's body on top of Faneuil Hall, but also a cache of gold, silver, and copper bars hidden in Shem Drowne's grave. It's also a good idea to take Nick as a companion during "The Gilded Grasshopper" as he will have extra dialogue and comments.

2 Galleria - General Atomics Galleria

Killer Robots Are Not Good For Business

The General Atomics Galleria is an easy-to-miss location that can be found by heading directly east from Tenpines Bluff until finding Lake Quannapowitt and then following the lake south. The pre-war commercial district is remarkably intact and manned entirely by Mr. Handy and Mr. Gutsy robots. Unfortunately, the robots' programming hasn't stood the test of time, and they all misunderstand their orders, resulting in them attacking the Sole Survivor.

The quest "Galleria" involves either shutting down the robot director or initiating the Galleria's re-opening. The quest does a great job of telling the story of the downfall of this galleria and the issues with the Mr. Handy director, who may have murdered all the previous human supervisors. It is well worth attempting the grand re-opening as it will stop the Mr. Handys from being hostile and allow the area to be looted without issue.

1 Diamond City Blues - Colonial Taphouse

A Complicated But Easy To Miss Questline

Finally, there is a long and complex quest that can only be gained by visiting the Colonial Taphouse in Diamond City. After watching a confrontation between Paul Pembroke and Henry Cooke, the quest "Diamond City Blues" will begin. There are multiple ways this quest can play out depending on actions taken by the Sole Survivor and who they side with in the different stages.

With infidelity, crashing a drug deal, and lots of action, "Diamond City Blues" is a great Fallout 4 side quest. There are even consequences further down the line if certain NPCs are killed, with their family later seeking out the Sole Survivor. With plenty of XP, caps, and chems, "Diamond City Blues" is a perfect example of thorough exploration paying off.