Fallout 76 continues to expand the lore of Vault-Tec’s twisted social experiments, introducing new vaults with disturbing secrets. While some are hard to miss, others are cleverly hidden in environmental storytelling, terminal entries, and holotapes. As a longtime Fallout player, I’ve scoured Appalachia to uncover these dark experiments—some of which even tie into the game’s economy, including the importance of Fallout 76 Caps for survival. Here are seven Vault-Tec experiments you may have overlooked.

1. Vault 51: The Automated Overseer

Vault 51 was designed to test how an AI could manipulate dwellers into selecting an Overseer through conflict. With no human supervision, ZAX, the vault’s AI, pitted residents against each other in psychological games, escalating tensions until only one survivor remained. Exploring this vault in Nuclear Winter mode (before its removal) revealed chilling logs of dwellers turning on each other—an experiment that feels eerily relevant in a multiplayer wasteland where teamwork can quickly devolve into betrayal.

2. Vault 63: The Isolation Experiment

Vault 63’s experiment revolved around extreme isolation. Dwellers were kept in separate quarters with minimal interaction, leading to paranoia and mental breakdowns. While the vault isn’t fully explorable yet, scattered notes and holotapes hint at dwellers hearing "ghosts" (likely other residents) through the walls. The eerie silence makes it one of the most unsettling vaults—especially when you realize how valuable social bonds are in Fallout 76’s harsh world.

3. Vault 94: The Pacifist Challenge

Vault 94 tested whether a community could survive relying solely on non-violent solutions. Dwellers were given no weapons and forced to cultivate a garden for sustenance. Unsurprisingly, when raiders broke in, the pacifist approach failed catastrophically. The vault’s ruins now host the Mission: Countdown event, where players must defend the garden—ironically, through force. It’s a grim reminder that even in Fallout 76, sometimes you need Cheap Fallout 76 Caps to arm yourself against threats.

4. Vault 96: The Genetic Archive

Vault 96’s experiment involved preserving genetic material from endangered species—except the dwellers were unknowingly part of the experiment themselves. The vault’s AI secretly collected their DNA, leading to revolts and eventual collapse. Today, the vault is a high-level instanced dungeon where players battle mutated creatures, some of which were likely born from the vault’s twisted research.

5. Vault 79: The Gold Hoarding Experiment

While not a traditional Vault-Tec experiment, Vault 79’s purpose—hoarding the U.S. gold reserves—created an unintended social test. The secretive nature of the vault led to distrust among dwellers, and later, the Appalachia factions fighting over its riches. Securing gold here allows players to trade for Fallout 76 Caps, making it a crucial (if morally ambiguous) part of the economy.

6. Vault 76: The "Control" Vault That Wasn’t

Vault 76 was marketed as a control vault with no experiment—but that wasn’t entirely true. While less overtly sinister, the vault’s early reopening forced dwellers into an unprepared wasteland, testing their adaptability. The Scorched plague added another layer, turning survivors into either heroes or casualties. It’s a meta-commentary on Fallout 76’s multiplayer survival mechanics, where cooperation (or lack thereof) dictates success.

7. The Unmarked Vault-Tec Observations

Beyond physical vaults, subtle environmental details reveal smaller-scale experiments. Abandoned monitoring stations, like those near Flatwoods, show Vault-Tec observing wastelanders post-war. Some terminals even reference tracking players’ actions, suggesting we’re all part of an ongoing experiment—whether we realize it or not.

From psychological manipulation to economic exploitation, Fallout 76’s vault experiments deepen the franchise’s dark themes. And while some players focus on gathering Fallout 76 Caps or hunting for Cheap Fallout 76 Caps to thrive, these stories remind us that in Appalachia, the real currency is survival—and Vault-Tec is always watching.