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Fallout 4 How To Hack Terminals
Screenshot: PC Invasion

How to hack terminals in Fallout 4 – Hacking Tips & Tricks

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Trying to hack terminals was always the bain of my life in the Fallout until I figured out the technique. There are a few tips and tricks to use that will get you through even Fallout’s hardest terminals.

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How does hacking a terminal work in Fallout?

To hack a terminal, you first need to understand how it works. The simple answer is a word-guessing game of elimination. You pick out certain words from the list on the screen and deduce which one is the correct answer. This has to usually be done in four tries.

As you pick words from the screen the terminals will tell you how many letters in that word are in the correct answer. To hack a terminal in Fallout, you simply need to be able to deduce which word has all the letters you want, using the others on screen. However, there is a method to make this much, much easier.

Hack Terminals Fallout 4
Screenshot: PC Invasion

How to hack terminals easily

There are a few methods apart from the power of education that can work to speed up your hacking process.

  • Use the brackets – A little-known trick in the Fallout games is the use of brackets to hack the terminals. If you find a pair of open and closed brackets on the same line, click them. This will do one of two things. It will either give you back a failed try or eliminate one of the wrong answers. The brackets can be any type, such as <([{. If they are open and close on the same line, you should click them.
  • Pay attention to the words you click – Randomly clicking words will quickly deplete your tries. Mark the words you use, and notice the similarities in the letters.
  • If a word has no letters, you’re onto a winner – Rather than a word with no likenesses in your terminal hack in Fallout being a bad thing, it’s usually a good thing. You can note down all the letters in the word and know that none of them will appear in the final one.
  • Exit after 3 attempts – If you have failed 4 attempts at hacking a terminal in Fallout, back out. If you fail 4 times, you will be locked out until you get the computer whizz perk. However, if you back out after 3 attempts, you can try it all again.

if you’re thinking about your next Fallout game, you could do with some tips on which ones are considered the best.


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Author
Image of Leo Gillick
Leo Gillick
Leo is a Freelance Writer for PC Invasion. He has a degree in English Literature and Film Studies and more hours buried into videogames than he cares to admit. He has worked extensively in the Videogame and Travel writing industry but, as they say, get a job doing something you love and you'll never work a day in your life. He uses his writing as a means to support indefinite global travel with the current five year plan seeing him through Latin America.