Van Buren was the codename of a canceled role-playing video game developed by Black Isle Studios.

The main antagonist was a mad scientist named Victor Presper, who planned on using the prisoner as an inadvertent vector to spread a deadly virus.

After the initial project was canceled, designer Chris Avellone worked on a Fallout themed tabletop role-playing game in his spare time.

He ran two separate games with Black Isle members, and the actions of the players inspired nearly all of the content in Van Buren.

Fans have attempted to recreate and finish Van Buren using a leaked playable demo and 700-page design document as reference.

Set in the year 2253, the plot of Van Buren revolved around a prisoner, who the player could decide was either guilty or wrongfully accused of their crime.

[2] The map consisted of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, and the player could visit locations like Denver and the Grand Canyon.

[4] The climax of the game would reveal that a mad scientist named Victor Presper tricked the player into capturing prisoners so that they could spread the virus as a vector.

[4] Other notable mechanics included the usage of a theme song for any skill of the player's choosing, and the need to repair railway lines in order to fast travel.

[10] Black Isle's publisher Interplay Entertainment canceled the project, and moved the team over to the development of what would become Icewind Dale.

[10] After the project's cancellation, designer Chris Avellone worked on a Fallout themed tabletop role-playing game in his spare time.

[11] During this period, series creator and former Interplay developer Tim Cain was asked to play a demo of Van Buren.

"[14] Interplay's parent company Titus Interactive wanted to focus on console releases, and Van Buren was canceled in favor of Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.

[19] One month after Bethesda purchased the Fallout intellectual property, a playable demo for Van Buren was leaked online, along with a 700-page design document.

[2][20] Jody MacGregor of PC Gamer noted that Van Buren holds a "mythic quality among Fallout fans" due to the wealth of information about the game.