Fallout 4 is all about surviving the nuclear Apocalypse and defending your settlements from raiders. But one more thing the game has introduced as a fun side quest is the Romance system. You will come across multiple romance options throughout the storyline; some are disgusting, while others are just beautiful and liked by all. Although it isn’t one of the essential mechanics of the game, it can help you get perk bonuses from a loveable partner and come out of that Sole Survivor condition for a while.
Interestingly, romance options in Fallout 4 are not gender specific and only depend on your Charisma level and behavior. The first thing you should do is have the highest level of companion relationship status (affinity) with a potential romantic partner. Then, select the “Romance” option during your Flirt dialogue with them, and you will have their consent once you do a successful Persuasion check(s).
The guide below provides a tier list of all romance options in Fallout 4 and individual ranking based on different factors as well.
Fallout 4 Romance Options Tier List
| Rank (Tier) | Name | Maximum Affinity Perk |
| B | Gilda (female robobrain) | Lover’s Embrace |
| Magnolia (female synth) | Lover’s Embrace | |
| Porter Gage (male) | Lessons in Blood | |
| Preston Garvey (male) | United We Stand | |
| A | MacCready (male) | Killshot |
| Piper (female) | Gift of Gab | |
| Hancock (male ghoul) | Isodoped | |
| S | Cait (female) | Trigger Rush |
| Paladin Danse (male) | Know Your Enemy | |
| Curie (female synth) | Combat Medic |
With Tier List out of the way, let’s rank all the romance options in Fallout 4.
10. Gilda Broscoe
The redhead beauty of past times, Gilda Broscoe may not be a potential companion, but she does have that romantic touch from her career as a Hollywood actress before the Great War. She and her lover, Keith McKinney had no choice but to be Robobrains to survive the horrors of war. You will meet her during the Brain Dead side quest in Fallout 4’s Far Harbor DLC.
Flirting with her is quite easy, and if you do so a couple of times, she will agree to go on a date with you, leading to a temporarily passionate experience. By temporary, we mean you can’t build a long-term relationship with her. Romancing Gilda will yield the Lover’s Embrace perk, which adds 15% extra experience points for 8 hours.
9. Magnolia
Magnolia is arguably one of the most gorgeous female romance options in Fallout 4. However, she is in the B tier of our list as she is not a companion and you cannot build a relationship with her. You can see Magnolia singing at the Third Rail bar in Goodneighbor, and even sleep with her after passing three Charisma checks.
Your night of quality time will be spent at Hotel Rexford, after which the synth says her first love will always be the stage, so you shouldn’t get too attached to her. You will get the Lover’s Embrace perk (15% additional EXP for 8 hours) after this interaction.
8. Porter Gage
Coming from the Nuka World DLC, Porter Gage is the guy responsible for the rise of Nuka World’s raiders. His interaction with you initiates with him convincing you to be the Overboss of his town. He is one of the permanent companions in Fallout 4 who likes to wield a rifle to kill enemies.
To come closer to Gage, you need to meet him at Fizztop Grille. The conversation will be quite cold at the start, as he innately loves violence and is a hardcore fighter. With these qualities, it may take you a while before persuading him to be your romantic partner. Raising your affinity with Porter Gage to the maximum will get you Lessons in Blood perk, which earns you 5% extra XP per kill.
7. Preston Garvey
Preston Garvey may not be among the perfect male romance options in Fallout 4, but he is definitely not at the bottom of the list due to certain reasons. He is the only survivor from the Commonwealth Minutemen faction who tells you much of the game’s backstory and enlightens you about the settlement system.
Additionally, having max affinity with Preston earns you the United We Stand perk. It increases your damage output by 20% and resists 20% incoming damage when you are facing three or more enemies in combat. The thing that makes Preston somewhat annoying is that he keeps giving you radiant quests during the conversation. And if you don’t do as he says, there’s no chance of him getting into a relationship with you.
6. Robert MacCready
MacCready is a mercenary who once used to be the mayor of Little Lamplight in 2277 in the previous title. When you meet him in Goodneighbor, you will notice that the notoriously ill-mannered ex-mayor is now quite opposite to his previous personality. He is very polite in his tongue now and provides you with ammo if you decide to make him your travel companion.
Robert got married a few years back and even had children. But after his better half’s death, he only focuses on hostile activities he’s asked to do and doesn’t bother getting along with his children. However, after immense effort, the family may be reunited, followed by your romantic relationship with the man. The perk you get from him is Killshot, which increases your chances of hitting headshots by 20% when using VATS.
5. Piper
If you are looking for a relationship with the truth himself, Piper is your gal. She is a reporter from Diamond City who runs a famous newspaper, Public Occurrences with the help of her sister Nat. Due to her straightforward behavior, she is always threatened by influential figures in the city.
Piper is a girl of honesty, trust, and principle. The only way to impress her is that you keep yourself away from the shadow of lies. A couple involving such a partner will surely stamp out lawlessness no matter what journey you take ahead. Maxing the relationship status with Piper unlocks the Gift of Gab perk, which earns you bonus experience for discovering more locations and succeeding in Charisma checks.
4. John Hancock
Being the mayor of the Goodneighbor settlement, John Hancock is an influential personality, seen by many as their idol. However, when you try to rob him along with Bobbi No-Nose, he will be impressed and convinced to be your companion in your next ventures. In the past, he tried to save his kind by relocating them to Goodneighbor. However, as most of them were killed due to starvation, he blames himself and is addicted to Chems.
Hancock is a cool and loyal guy who will not let you down in any way, whether it be a hostile situation or a romantic interaction. Although he looks grumpy from the outside, you will be amazed by his swift communication skills once he is your partner. Isodoped is the perk you get from max affinity with John, which gives you 20% faster Critical Hit generation if you have 250+ radiation damage.
3. Cait
Cait is the type of woman who will not judge you even if you come home smelling like alcohol. Her dark background is responsible for her being addicted to Chem, although it is also the reason for her extraordinary character development. She is a strong and fierce fighter (what else can we expect from a former cage fighter?) who will never leave your side through tough thick and thin.
You can help Cait change her hard outlook by romancing her. Achieving maximum affinity with her gets you the Trigger Rush perk, which makes your Action Points regenerate 25% faster if your health is below 25%. This perk may not be one of the best, but Cait’s enjoyable company will surely make up for this.
2. Paladin Danse
The Brotherhood of Steel’s most trusted Paladin, Danse is arguably one of the strongest companions you can have by your side. Fortunately, it is possible to romance with him, taking the friendship to the next level. You will be able to get close to him in the later stages of the game.
Remember that Danse is very serious about the Brotherhood of Steel and will not tolerate anyone against his faction. Thus, only invest time and effort in this relationship if you intend to go with this faction in your play.
Danse is strong, dependable, and devoted to the things he cares about. Maxing out your affinity with him gets you a powerful perk, Know Your Enemy. This perk grants 20% increased damage dealt to ghouls, synths, and super mutants.
1. Curie
The female-programmed Miss Nanny robot, Curie has one of the most heartwarming voices and dialogues, which is why you won’t be surprised knowing she is also a romance option in the game. She is absolutely one hell of an intelligent robot, on top of being a smart doctor. So, next time you feel a severe cough in your bed, Curie will be the first one to make you feel better.
At one point, she will show her desire to feel what it means to be “human”, and you can grant her wish by giving her a synth body. You can romance Curie in Fallout 4 when you head to Vault 81 to get the cure. The perk you get for reaching maximum affinity with her is Combat Medic. This perk replenishes all of your health once it is below 10%, once per day.
