Courses Digest: Starting Your Journey in GameDev with Unreal Engine

Hi there! Throughout the last week of 2023, we were celebrating the passing year by honoring our favorite environments of 2023 and revisiting the remarkable projects that have served as inspiration to us throughout the year.

Today, we want to share some incredible and useful courses that will come in handy if you've ever dreamed of starting your journey in gamedev with Unreal Engine.

Our digest opens with the official tutorials, which are free and available to anyone eager to learn but may not have the opportunity to do so. Unreal Engine offers a vast wealth of knowledge at no cost. You can check out Unreal Engine's official YouTube channel to find more videos and learn more about the process of game creation.

On the official website of Epic Games, you can also find lots of introductory courses and videos that are perfect for aspiring artists. So, make sure to check out Epic Games' documentation and forum, as well as courses and tutorials.

Your First Game In Unreal Engine 5

Take a look at this free-of-charge course for beginners where you'll start creating your first-ever top-down small game from scratch in Unreal Engine 5. The tutorial has already been watched by over 253 thousand people. You're not alone in this journey since you can leave comments, talk to other artists, and learn together.

Your First Hour in Unreal Engine 5.2

Check out another course offered by Epic Online Learning that provides an in-depth understanding of the fundamental concepts of Unreal Engine 5.2. Here you will learn how to create projects using project templates and incorporate custom or pre-made assets using the Content Browser.

You will learn to add and adjust Actors in levels, control environmental lighting with Lighting Actors, and create and manage Blueprint Actors using the Blueprint Editor. Additionally, the course will teach you how to package your projects for playtesting and sharing.

Create Your First Game In Unreal Engine 5

Here's another course on our list that will help you to create your first game, as the creators say "no previous experience is needed".

In this 6-hour development course, you will learn the basics of Unreal Engine and Blueprints. You will also explore character blueprints, abilities, level sequences, and the process of packaging and playing your first game.

Aims:

• Understand the fundamentals of Unreal Engine and Blueprints
• Explore character blueprints and their abilities
• Learn about level sequences
• Discover the process of packaging and playing your game

By the end of the course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of creating games using the powerful Unreal Engine. To demonstrate your skills, you will be tasked with creating your own game in Unreal Engine.

Check out the games that were created by the students who completed the course:

Unreal Engine for Filmmakers Connectors Program

Here's one more 8-week LIVE course waiting for you to embark on an extraordinary adventure where technology and creativity converge. Led by industry professionals Franco Vilanova, Daniel Langhjelm, and Edd Dawson-Taylor, this course offers unparalleled expertise.

You will dive into Unreal Engine 5 basics, asset creation, environment enhancement, rendering, character animation, and more. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience in Unreal Engine, filmmaking, or VFX, expert instructors will guide you. Unlock your creative potential and master Unreal Engine with this course!

Intro to Game Development in Unreal Engine: Learn the Highly Sought-after Skills Studios Are Searching for in 8 Weeks

In this course, you'll learn game design theory and practical application, even without art or programming experience. You'll get knowledge of how to use Unreal Engine 5 to design game levels with bots, triggers, jump pads, and teleporters, master game balance, incorporate genre conventions, and refine mechanics based on feedback.

Included:

• 40+ hours of LIVE mentorship over 8 weeks
• Interactive lessons every Tuesday (6:00 pm to 9:00 pm PST)
• Project Lab and Q&A sessions every Thursday (6:00 pm to 9:00 pm PST)
• Learn from industry instructors and guests
• Hands-on experience for portfolio-ready projects
• CG Pro micro-credentials and certification by Epic Games
• Access to course materials and recordings
• Exclusive CG PRO private community access post-graduation
• Post-graduation support for career advancement

Unreal Engine 5 – FPS Shooting Games Development Workflow

This is the next course we'd like to recommend to you. Game Developer Jing Yang, with over 10 years of experience, created this course to address the limitations found in existing shooting game resources. Designed for beginners and intermediate students, the comprehensive curriculum guides you in creating a fully playable first-person shooting game using Unreal Engine 5. Topics covered include blueprint application, character movement, weapon mechanics, sound effects, and AI behavior trees. Gain practical experience implementing various weapons and dive into concepts like recoil simulation, ray tracing, and effective sound effects.

Interior Environments for Games with Unreal Engine

In this tutorial, you'll explore professional approaches to creating game environments. This step-by-step course covers both interior and exterior scenes using AAA game studio workflows.

You also will learn how to effectively block out scenes with Maya and Unreal Engine, focusing on modularity, and discover real-world production processes for texture creation and creating hero props. The curator of the tutorial will also show you how to create game-ready vegetation and organize assets for a visually appealing environment.

Creating Sci-Fi Environments for Games – In-Depth Tutorial Course

The last course we want to share with you will immerse you in a wide range of topics focused on 3ds Max, Substance 3D Painter, Substance 3D Designer, and Unreal Engine 5. The main areas you will explore include project planning and blockout scene creation, using Trim Sheets for detailed models, creating large assets with tileable materials and weighted normals, designing tileable materials with Substance 3D Designer, adding custom decals for additional scene detail, and creating models with unique textures. You will also delve into level art, lighting, composition, and post effects within Unreal Engine 5. With so much to learn, this course offers a comprehensive and immersive experience.

We wish you luck in your journey and hope to hear from you soon! Who knows maybe you'll be the next one to feature on our 80 Level website!

Don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.