Fallout 4 Guide: How to Pick Locks

Oh lockpicking, how video games love you so. Bethesda especially enjoys locking away items and quests behind doors that require some work to get through. If you want to explore and find everything within Fallout 4 then you’ll have to master the lockpicking. Luckily, the mechanic has changed little from past games, so if you’re familiar with Fallout 3 or Skyrim, you should be good to go. For everybody else, here’s some tips and tricks to get you through that locked door.

First, the required items. Lockpicking in Fallout 4 uses bobby pins to actually work, so gather as many of them as you possibly can. Then, you need to gain the ability to pick the right locks, via leveling up in the Perks menu. To start, you need to get a Perception of 4, this will allow you to select the Locksmith perk. Once you have this you can get through Advanced locks, but you need to level it up to go after Expert and Master locks. At its highest level, Locksmith will allow you to get through any lock, without breaking a bobby pin.

But how do you actually pick the locks in Fallout 4? You move the bobby pin to the right location, using either the left analog stick or the mouse on PC. Then gently try to pry open the lock with the right analog stick or the WASD keys, this will probably not work the first time, as you just guessed what would work, but it will give you info for your next attempt. Go slow, easing the lock as much as possible. The second you get any resistance, let go of the stick. This is important, because if you keep going, you’ll break the bobby pin.

The question now is, how close to the right spot were you. If the lock didn’t move at all then you weren’t even close, but if it almost turned all the way (meaning turned from the 6 o’clock position to the 9 o’clock position), then you’re close. If it was close, just nudge the bobby pin one way and try again. If it is further away from opening, then pop it back where you were, and move it further into the other direction. If it wasn’t even close, then just shoot to the other side of the lock and try again.

You want to repeat this process over and over until you get to the right spot, which will be bigger or smaller depending on how tough the lock is that you’re trying to pick. Each time you try the lock you should learn something, either that you got closer or further away. Use this info to narrow it down, and you’ll have that door open quick.