Where to find companions in Fallout 4

Seeking a friend for the end of the world? Good idea.

The Commonwealth is a nasty place. Even if you can handle super mutants and deathclaws, it’s best to bring a buddy along if for no other reason than to have someone help haul that growing stockpile of extra guns, armor pieces, and miscellaneous junk.

There are around a dozen companions to find in Fallout 4. While you’ll meet some of them without even trying, others aren’t quite so obvious. I thought I’d lend a helping hand.

A few notes:

Thankfully, companions can’t die. If they’re taken out in combat, they’ll squat down and wait for you to a) heal them with a stimpack or b) kill all nearby enemies. There are lots of dead dogs in this video game, but rest assured, you won’t have to dig a grave for your beloved Dogmeat.

If you stick with the same companion, over time, you can gain their loyalty and a unique perk.

That deathclaw in the first picture isn’t going to hurt me, but he’s not my buddy, either. I wish! If you’d like to know more, head to the Museum of Witchcraft at the top right of the map.

There will be spoilers in this post, of course, but I’ll try to keep them to a minimum. This little guide is intended for people who either want a specific type of companion (say, a super mutant) as soon as possible and don’t know where to look, or just have a desire to catch ’em all.

How to find Codsworth in Fallout 4

Your family robot Codsworth survived the bombs! Drop by your old neighborhood, Sanctuary Hills, to recruit Codsworth as a companion in Fallout 4.

How to find Dogmeat in Fallout 4

You can’t miss Dogmeat. Fallout 4‘s beloved canine companion can be found at a place called Red Rocket Truck Stop, which is one of the first areas you’ll encounter after emerging from Vault 111. Just follow the path straight out of Sanctuary Hills.

How to find Preston Garvey in Fallout 4

You’ll bump into Minutemen supporter Preston Garvey early on in Fallout 4‘s main story. He needs help clearing out the nearby town of Concord and will become a potential companion upon completing his The First Step quest. Later in your journey, once you’ve helped rebuild the Minutemen, he’ll be a seemingly never-ending source of cookie-cutter quests to find and help the other settlements scattered across the Commonwealth.

How to find Paladin Danse in Fallout 4

Paladin Danse can be found on your way into the Brotherhood of Steel. Go to the Cambridge Police Station and take on a few quests. Eventually, he’ll want to tag along with you as a companion.

How to find Curie in Fallout 4

Fallout 4‘s second robot companion, Curie, is associated with a quest in Vault 81 called Hole in the Wall. To access the vault, you’ll first need to cough up three fusion cores (the “ammo” for power armor), and those don’t come cheap. With that in mind, after using most of the energy in a core, set it aside; the vault gatekeeper will accept mostly-used fusion cores, so don’t hand over fresh ones. Be sure to keep Curie around at least until she asks for help with something. It’s a neat little quest.

How to find Nick Valentine in Fallout 4

Over the course of Fallout 4‘s story, you’ll end up in Diamond City. There’s a detective agency in the back of town, but the owner, Nick Valentine, has gone missing. Head over there and complete the Getting a Clue quest to recruit him as a companion.

How to find Piper in Fallout 4

There’s also a news reporter called Piper in Diamond City. You’ll bump into her on your way in, and she’ll become a potential Fallout 4 companion upon completing the Reunions quest.

How to find Cait in Fallout 4

It took me about 50 hours before I randomly decided to enter the Combat Zone, so Cait was one of the last Fallout 4 companions I recruited. Go inside, kill a bunch of raiders, and then speak with the ghoul.

How to find Strong in Fallout 4

This milk-loving super mutant says a lot of weird stuff, but that’s what makes Strong so endearing. Keep an eye out for Trinity Tower and a side quest called Curtain Call; complete it and Strong will join you as a companion.

How to find John Hancock in Fallout 4

There are some entertaining characters in Goodneighbor, so make sure to stop by sooner than later. After you’ve helped some of the locals (one side quest is The Silver Shroud), report back to cool ghoul Hancock in the settlement’s Old State House and he’ll become your next companion.

How to find Robert MacCready in Fallout 4

If you’ve played Fallout 3, you’ll remember Robert MacCready as one of the annoying kids from that game. He’s since grown into a less annoying companion in Fallout 4, and can be found in Goodneighbor. Visit The Third Rail. head all the way downstairs, and swing by the VIP room. Bring caps and/or charisma.

How to find Deacon in Fallout 4

One of my other favorite companions is man of a thousand faces Deacon, simply because he’s hilarious. Deacon belongs to a major faction in Fallout 4 called The Railroad, and finding their secret base is a pain in the ass. It starts with the quest Road to Freedom, which has you follow the Freedom Trail, a winding path that goes from Boston Common to the Old North Church. If you’re going to do the trail proper, follow the red markers on the street at Boston Common, not the nearby lanterns. Chris and I both had trouble with this at first.

How to find X6-88 in Fallout 4

A third generation synth (or artificial human), X6-88 can be recruited as a companion inside The Institute. You’ll have to go there as part of Fallout 4‘s main story and, once you do, complete the quest Mankind – Redefined to bring X6-88 into the party.

How to find Ada in Fallout 4

Some of Fallout 4‘s DLC expansion packs add more companions for you to recruit, so you won’t find them anywhere in the base game. The first, Ada, requires you to own the Automatron expansion. She can’t be missed since she’s a part of the expansion’s story. In fact, she joins you upon completing the expansion’s very first quest, Mechanical Menace, near Wattz Consumer Electronics. Be prepared to fight off plenty of robots.

How to find Automatron in Fallout 4

The second Fallout 4 companion in the Automatron expansion is, well, your own Automatron. You’ll get the option to build one at a robot workbench at any of the settlements, and it can be fully customized in terms of appearance and weapons.

How to find Old Longfellow in Fallout 4

Old Longfellow is the exclusive companion in Fallout 4‘s Far Harbor expansion. Once you’ve got the expansion installed, you’ll activate a quest called Walk in the Park. Head for the town of Far Harbor and look for a bar called The Last Plank. This is where you’ll find Longfellow and, upon completing the quest, he’ll join you as a companion.

How to find Porter Gage in Fallout 4

Second-in-command of the Nuka Raiders, Porter Gage can only be recruited as a companion in Fallout 4‘s Nuka-World expansion. You need to complete the quest An Ambitious Plan, which involves taking the elevator to Fizztop Mountain. Upon speaking with Gage, you’ll help him smooth things over between Nuka-World’s three raider gangs, after which he’ll not only become a companion, but also serve as a merchant while in Nuka-World.