Unreal Engine: Ultimate Survival Horror Course from Udemy

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Syllabus

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Introduction

Set up your project.

Get your game ready and playable!

Learn about game instances and their importance to creating a game.

Learn about game modes and their importance to creating a game.

Learn about game states and their importance to creating a game.

Learn about player states and their importance to creating a game.

Create a HUD.

Creating a Player Controller.

Creating a player character to control and possess.

Create the first essential part to a first person character, the camera movement.

Create the second essential part to a first person character, the movement.

Add jumping to our character.

Creating a robust interaction system to use throughout the course.

Adding a crosshair to our screen.

The basics of interacting with doors.

Slightly more advanced doors that always open away from the player.

"Amnesia" type doors that you have physical control over with your mouse.

Making a slightly better level to work in.

What's a horror game without a flashlight?

Adding lights that flicker.

Creating an interactable object linked to a light in the world.

Adding sprint functionality with depleting stamina.

Adding the ability to crouch down for slower (and later on quieter) movement.

Adding a realistic head bob while we walk or run.

How to add fonts into Unreal Engine.

The overview of what we will be creating.

Laying out what the inventory will look like on our screen.

Designing our inventory.

Creating an inventory component to allow us to easily add to more characters.

Improving the inventory widget UI.

Adding functionality to add multiple items to our inventory at once.

Not letting the player interact with inventory slots that have no items.

Creating a drop down menu when selecting an inventory item with options such as use, drop, and inspect.

Using items from our inventory.

Dropping items from our inventory.

Making the functionality for picking up items better.

Adding names and descriptions to items to help the QOL for the player.

Creating icons for our items, directly in Unreal.

Advanced item inspection.

Continuation of the item inspection.

Adding a "backpack" type item to increase amount of inventory slots.

Learning how to create more inventory items.

Having our flashlight deplete battery life.

Having our flashlight fade as the battery depletes.

Creating a health system for our character.

Adding a better user interface for our flashlight, health, and stamina.

Creating a blood screen as a visual element to represent our health.

Adding a robust system to hiding in places from AI.

Adding interactable combination locks.

A continuation on the combination locks.

Adding notes with customizable messages.

Examining notes in the same vein as our inventory system.

Adding jumpscares to our horror game.

Adding dynamic footsteps for walking, running, and jumping for different ground materials.

The basics of creating cutscenes in Unreal Engine.

Basic updating objectives.

Leaning left and right for peaking around doorways.

Creating a more appropriate level for our game.

Adding proper lights to illuminate the scene.

Basics of post processing to stylize your scene.

Adding exponential height fog for the atmosphere of our scene.

Creating depth of field that updates based on your camera's position.

Adding ambient sound to round out our environment.

Recreating the camera views from the famous horror series Outlast.

Recreating the original fixed-camera system from the original Resident Evil games.

Creating a security camera system reminiscent of the ones from the Five Nights at Freddy's series.

Creating a bone modifier to have the AI's head follow your movements.

Creating an enemy who patrols the map and explores the rooms.

Having the AI chase you when noticed.

Having the AI investigate the area when you've lost their sight.

Playing the jumpscare audio when the enemy sees you.

Having the enemy attack and/or kill you when they catch you.

Allowing the enemy to open doors.

Allowing the enemy to pull you from your hiding spot if they witnessed you entering it.

Creating a basic main menu.

What to do now that you've finished the course!

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers the fundamentals of game creation within the survival horror genre, providing a solid foundation for building various types of games

Explores mechanics inspired by popular horror games like Outlast, Amnesia, Resident Evil, and FNAF, offering practical insights into established game design techniques

Develops skills in level design, lighting, post-processing, and atmosphere creation, which are essential for creating immersive game environments

Features an advanced inventory system with 3D item inspection, enhancing the player experience and adding depth to gameplay

Requires using Unreal Engine, so learners should ensure their systems meet the software's minimum requirements for optimal performance

Teaches AI implementation for enemies, including patrolling, chasing, investigating, and attacking, which are crucial for creating engaging gameplay

Reviews summary

Unreal engine survival horror game creation

According to students, this course offers a comprehensive guide (positive) to building a survival horror game from the ground up in Unreal Engine. Learners appreciate that the course covers a wide range of classic and advanced horror mechanics (positive), from basic interactions like doors and flashlights to more complex systems like detailed inventory with 3D inspection (positive) and smart AI enemies (positive). The focus on hands-on application (positive) allows students to see concepts implemented directly. While many find the explanations clear and the process rewarding, some note that the pace can be fast (warning) at times, requiring learners to rewind or seek external clarification. Given Unreal Engine's frequent updates, some segments might require minor adjustments, though the core principles remain largely applicable.

Content may require minor adjustments for newer UE versions.

"Some parts needed slight tweaks due to updates in Unreal Engine since the course was made."

"While mostly current, I encountered a few minor differences working with the latest UE version."

"The core principles remain solid, but be prepared for minor version differences."

"It's expected with software like UE, but a few sections required consulting documentation for newer features."

Effective methods for creating enemy AI.

"The AI section was fantastic, teaching how to create patrolling, chasing, and investigating enemies."

"I found the AI tutorials very useful for adding a genuine threat to the game."

"Learning how to make the AI open doors and interact with the environment was a great addition."

"The AI bone modification for head tracking was a cool detail taught in the course."

Includes a particularly detailed inventory system.

"The inventory system with 3D item inspection was a highlight; it's very robust and well-explained."

"I was really impressed by the depth of the inventory section, showing how to handle items, descriptions, and inspection."

"Creating the inventory was complex but the course broke it down effectively."

"Having a detailed inventory tutorial was a major plus for this genre."

Focuses heavily on practical implementation and projects.

"The strongest part is building the game step-by-step; you see the concepts come to life immediately."

"It's a very practical course, focusing on building mechanics rather than just theory."

"I appreciated the hands-on approach; it makes learning Unreal Engine much more digestible."

"Building a playable game throughout the course was incredibly motivating and effective for learning."

Covers a wide range of essential horror game features.

"I was amazed by how many different horror mechanics were covered, from basic doors to complex inventory and AI."

"The course really dives deep into implementing specific survival horror features you'd find in popular games."

"It covers everything needed to build a complete game, including interaction systems, AI, and atmosphere."

"I learned how to create flickering lights, jumpscares, hiding spots, and other crucial horror elements."

Some sections may feel fast or require re-watching.

"Sometimes the instructor moves a bit fast, especially in more complex Blueprint sections."

"I occasionally had to pause and rewatch parts to fully grasp the concepts being taught."

"While generally clear, some explanations could be slightly more in-depth for beginners."

"The pace picked up significantly in later sections, which required more focus to follow along."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Unreal Engine: Ultimate Survival Horror Course with these activities:

Review Blueprint Scripting Fundamentals

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Solidify your understanding of Blueprint scripting to better grasp the course's game mechanics implementation.

Browse courses on Blueprint Scripting

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Complete a basic Blueprint tutorial.
Practice creating simple game logic.
Review variable types and control flow.

Read 'Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine 5'

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Deepen your understanding of Blueprint scripting with a dedicated resource.

View Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine 5... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of the book.
Read the introductory chapters.
Experiment with the examples provided.

Prototype a Simple Horror Mechanic

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Apply course concepts by building a small, focused project centered around a single horror game mechanic.

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Choose a mechanic (e.g., flickering lights, jump scare).
Create a new Unreal Engine project.
Implement the chosen mechanic using Blueprints.
Test and refine the implementation.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Read 'Mastering Unreal Engine 5'

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Explore advanced Unreal Engine concepts to enhance your survival horror game.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of the book.
Focus on chapters relevant to your project.
Experiment with the advanced techniques.

Document Your Horror Mechanic Prototype

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Reinforce learning by documenting the process of creating your horror mechanic prototype.

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Record a video walkthrough of your prototype.
Write a blog post explaining the implementation.
Share your work on a game development forum.

Follow Advanced AI Tutorials

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Expand your knowledge of AI implementation in Unreal Engine by following advanced tutorials.

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Find tutorials on advanced AI behaviors.
Implement the techniques in your project.
Adapt the AI to your specific game needs.

Contribute to an Unreal Engine Horror Project

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Gain practical experience and collaborate with others by contributing to an open-source Unreal Engine horror game project.

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Find an open-source horror game project on GitHub.
Review the project's contribution guidelines.
Identify a bug or feature to work on.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete Unreal Engine: Ultimate Survival Horror Course will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Indie Game Developer

An Indie Game Developer works independently or in a small team to create and publish their own video games. For an Indie Game Developer, this course can be helpful to improve confidence to independently develop a game from start to finish. The course covers all aspects of the game development process, from setting up the project to creating gameplay mechanics, artificial intelligence, and level design. This is a genre-focused course, so an Indie Game Developer working in horror would likely find it useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Indie Game Developer

Game Designer

A Game Designer conceptualizes and designs the elements of a video game, including the setting, story, rules, and gameplay. This course helps build the foundation for creating a survival horror game from scratch, including character setup, gameplay mechanics, artificial intelligence, and level design. A Game Designer would find the course useful because it helps build skills in creating interactive systems, designing levels with appropriate lighting and atmosphere, and implementing horror mechanics. The course may be useful in jumpstarting a career as a Game Designer because it covers many areas of game creation.

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Unreal Engine Developer

An Unreal Engine Developer specializes in creating games and other interactive experiences using the Unreal Engine. This course will teach you how to make a survival horror game, which encompasses many of the areas required of an Unreal Engine Developer. The course dives into setting up a character from scratch, well-designed gameplay, classic and advanced horror mechanics, artificial intelligence, and level creation. The course may be useful through its detailed exploration of creating a full game from beginning to end. With the breadth of topics covered, the course may improve your skills as an Unreal Engine Developer.

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Level Designer

Level Designers are responsible for creating engaging and immersive environments within video games. If you are a Level Designer, this course may build on your skillset by teaching level creation using Unreal Engine. The course emphasizes level design principles such as lighting, post processing, atmosphere, and particle effects. A key aspect of level design is creating a mood, and the course covers this in the context of a horror game. Aspiring Level Designers might find the course a compelling place to start because of its comprehensive approach to creating a playable game level.

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Gameplay Programmer

A Gameplay Programmer focuses on implementing the interactive elements of a game, such as character movement, combat mechanics, and user interfaces. This course helps build the foundation for creating core gameplay mechanics within Unreal Engine. The course covers topics like creating character controllers, implementing interaction systems, and designing inventory systems. Becoming a Gameplay Programmer may follow naturally from taking this course as you will learn how to create many commonly used systems. Any Gameplay Programmer would benefit from learning how to make a survival horror game.

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Technical Artist

A Technical Artist bridges the gap between artists and programmers. This course may help you learn to create and implement game-ready assets and visual effects within Unreal Engine. The syllabus includes creating particle effects, implementing post-processing effects, and optimizing game performance. The experience of creating a full game will prove useful, specifically given the wide array of content taught in the course. A Technical Artist would be well-served in knowing how to create an inventory system, implement artificial intelligence, and create cutscenes, which are all part of this course.

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Artificial Intelligence Programmer

An Artificial Intelligence Programmer designs and implements the behavior of non-player characters (NPCs) within a game. This course helps build skills for creating smart artificial intelligence enemies to add suspense and objective to your game. The course will be useful for building the foundation in creating AI behaviors such as patrolling, chasing, investigating, and attacking. An aspiring Artificial Intelligence Programmer may choose this course to rapidly get up to speed on the specifics of creating horror-themed enemies.

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Game Development Instructor

A Game Development Instructor teaches aspiring game developers the skills and knowledge they need to create video games. This course may be helpful to hone your skills in Unreal Engine and survival horror game development, which can then be shared with your students. If you are a Game Development Instructor, you may find some of the content covered in this course useful as you prepare your own lesson plans. The course may be useful in helping one structure their own curriculum.

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Virtual Reality Developer

A Virtual Reality Developer creates immersive experiences for virtual reality platforms. This course helps build skills in designing and creating interactive environments using Unreal Engine, which may be useful for virtual reality development. The course touches on level design, lighting, and atmosphere which translate to a virtual reality environment. The specific mechanics taught in the course may also be applicable because it directly teaches you how to create interactive objects.

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Animator

Animators create moving images for video games. This course may be useful because it creates a playable character from scratch. It also will help animators to understand how animation fits inside of a game engine. Often, animators also must know how to implement their animations, not only create them. The course provides direct experience with this. By the end of the course, an Animator may have a better understanding of how to implement animations.

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Sound Designer

Sound Designers create and implement audio for video games, including sound effects, music, and dialogue. This course may be useful to understand how sound design fits into the overall game development process, especially within the horror genre. The course covers the implementation of sound effects, ambient sounds, and music, which are important aspects of creating a horror atmosphere. A Sound Designer may find this course very helpful to create sounds effects specifically for a survival horror game and also implement them.

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Digital Artist

A Digital Artist creates visual assets for video games, such as textures, models, and concept art. This course may be useful to learn the fundamentals of game creation within Unreal Engine and how visual assets are integrated into a game. It also covers level design, lighting, and post-processing effects, which can help a Digital Artist understand how their work contributes to the overall look and feel of a game. The course may be most useful for visual assets specific to the horror genre.

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Game Tester

A Game Tester will generally test a game, or portions of a game, to ensure it is functional. This course may broaden your understanding as a Game Tester as it provides insight into how all facets of a game come together. This course teaches how a character can be created from scratch, how artificial intelligence can factor into gameplay, and how a level can be designed. A Game Tester may find themselves a more effective tester by understanding the scope of game development.

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Quality Assurance Tester

A Quality Assurance Tester identifies and reports bugs and defects in video games. This course may provide insights into the various components of a game, such as gameplay mechanics, artificial intelligence, and level design. The course helps build an appreciation for the complexity of game development, which can inform the testing process. By understanding how a game is constructed, a Quality Assurance Tester may be more effective at finding and reporting issues.

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Project Manager

A Project Manager is responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. This course helps you understand the game development pipeline from start to finish. It also will improve your understanding of the many pieces that are needed to create a video game. While the focus of this course is on game creation, its holistic approach to doing so may be useful for a Project Manager. By understanding the many pieces of game creation, a Project Manager is more likely to be effective on each project.

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Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Unreal Engine: Ultimate Survival Horror Course.

Putting Knowledge to Work

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Delves into advanced techniques for Unreal Engine 5, covering topics such as rendering, performance optimization, and advanced gameplay systems. It's a great resource for students looking to push their skills beyond the basics and create high-quality games. This book is more valuable as additional reading than it is as a current reference. This book is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions and by industry professionals.

Putting Knowledge to Work

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Putting Knowledge to Work

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Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine 5

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Provides a comprehensive guide to using Blueprints in Unreal Engine 5. It covers everything from the basics of visual scripting to more advanced topics such as creating custom nodes and integrating with C++. This book valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to use Blueprints to create games in Unreal Engine.

Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine 5:...

Kindle Edition

Unreal Engine

Ultimate Survival Horror Course

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Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Unreal engine survival horror game creation

Activities

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