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Unreal University

Course in a Nutshell

Are you ready to embark on a spine-chilling journey into the world of game development? Join us in our "Learn How to Create a Survival Horror Game in Unreal Engine" course, where you'll gain the skills and knowledge needed to bring your own terrifying visions to life. This immersive course is designed for aspiring game developers, artists, and storytellers who want to create a truly immersive and haunting gaming experience.

Course Overview

In this intensive course, you'll dive deep into the world of survival horror game development using Unreal Engine. Here's what you can expect:

Read more

Course in a Nutshell

Are you ready to embark on a spine-chilling journey into the world of game development? Join us in our "Learn How to Create a Survival Horror Game in Unreal Engine" course, where you'll gain the skills and knowledge needed to bring your own terrifying visions to life. This immersive course is designed for aspiring game developers, artists, and storytellers who want to create a truly immersive and haunting gaming experience.

Course Overview

In this intensive course, you'll dive deep into the world of survival horror game development using Unreal Engine. Here's what you can expect:

  1. Introduction to Unreal Engine: Get acquainted with the Unreal Engine, the industry-standard game development platform used by many AAA game studios.

  2. Character Design and Animation: Design your own sinister characters, monsters, and survivors. You'll also learn to animate them to enhance the fright factor.

  3. Game Mechanics: Explore the mechanics unique to survival horror games, including inventory systems, puzzles, and enemy AI. Discover how to create tension and suspense through gameplay.

  4. Audio and Sound Design: Delve into the world of audio and sound design, a critical element in creating a spine-tingling atmosphere. You'll learn how to use sound to build anticipation and fear.

  5. Programming and Blueprinting: Gain essential programming skills to implement game functionality and interactive elements. Unreal Engine's Blueprints visual scripting system will be your ally in bringing your game to life.

By the end of this course, you'll have the skills and knowledge to create your very own survival horror game from scratch, complete with a captivating storyline, immersive environments, and spine-chilling gameplay.

What Will You Learn In this Course?

After taking this course, you will:

  • Have a deep understanding of Unreal Engine, enabling you to create your own games and projects.

  • Create your own unique characters, animate them, and design interactive gameplay mechanics.

  • Master sound and audio design to enhance the tension and atmosphere of your game.

  • Gain programming skills and learn to use Blueprints for game functionality.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction
Setting Up Player Input
Adding Look Input
Adding A Jump System
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Uses Unreal Engine, which is an industry-standard game development platform used by many AAA game studios, providing learners with practical skills
Covers character design and animation, which allows learners to design sinister characters, monsters, and survivors, enhancing the fright factor of their games
Explores game mechanics unique to survival horror games, including inventory systems, puzzles, and enemy AI, teaching learners how to create tension and suspense
Delves into audio and sound design, a critical element in creating a spine-tingling atmosphere, teaching learners how to use sound to build anticipation and fear
Teaches essential programming skills to implement game functionality and interactive elements using Unreal Engine's Blueprints visual scripting system
Requires learners to use Unreal Engine, so learners will need a computer that meets the minimum specifications to run the software smoothly

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Reviews summary

Practical survival horror game development in unreal engine

According to students, this course provides a highly practical, step-by-step guide to creating a survival horror game in Unreal Engine. Many found it a comprehensive introduction covering key mechanics like inventory systems, monster AI, and environmental design. Learners appreciate the project-based approach, allowing them to build a full game. However, some note that the content can be challenging for absolute beginners and that certain sections may feel slightly outdated due to Unreal Engine updates. Despite this, it's widely seen as a valuable resource for those interested in the genre and engine.
Provides a solid base for further learning
"This course gave me a strong foundation to build my own unique game projects later."
"This course was a fantastic introduction to the core concepts of game development using Blueprints in Unreal Engine."
"Highly recommend if you want to get started with Unreal Engine and specifically making horror games; it covers the essentials."
"It's a great springboard for diving deeper into specific areas of game development after finishing."
Includes inventory, AI, environment, etc.
"It covers everything from player movement and interaction systems to inventory and monster AI."
"Learned a lot about implementing different systems needed specifically for a horror game like the flashlight with battery."
"The section on creating the monster AI behavior was particularly helpful and well-explained."
"The course delves into environmental design, lighting, and atmospheric effects crucial for the genre."
Builds a full game step-by-step
"This course is amazing! I finally feel like I can build a full game on my own after completing it."
"I loved that we built a complete project from start to finish, covering all necessary aspects of game creation."
"The hands-on approach with the survival horror project is exactly what I needed to learn Unreal Engine in a practical way."
"It's great having a tangible game project at the end to showcase my skills and understanding."
Assumes some prior UE or coding knowledge
"As a complete beginner to Unreal Engine, I found the pace very fast at times and had to rewatch lessons multiple times."
"Probably not for someone who has absolutely never opened Unreal Engine before; it's more helpful if you know the basics."
"While it's titled 'Learn How To Create', it feels like it's better suited for intermediate users or fast learners who grasp concepts quickly."
"Some explanations could be more in-depth for those new to visual scripting or game logic."
Some sections need updates for new UE versions
"Some nodes and workflows shown are a bit old due to Unreal Engine updates, requiring extra troubleshooting."
"Had to figure out some changes and equivalent methods myself as the engine version used in the course is not the latest."
"Instructor updates would be greatly appreciated as Unreal Engine 5 has introduced some different approaches to certain tasks."
"Be prepared to adapt some lessons to newer engine versions; it adds a layer of difficulty."

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 Learn How To Create A Survival Horror In Unreal Engine with these activities:
Review Unreal Engine Fundamentals
Strengthen your understanding of Unreal Engine's core concepts before diving into survival horror specifics. This will make grasping advanced topics easier.
Browse courses on Unreal Engine
Show steps
  • Complete an introductory Unreal Engine tutorial.
  • Practice creating a simple scene with basic lighting and objects.
  • Experiment with Blueprint scripting for simple interactions.
Read 'Mastering Unreal Engine'
Gain a deeper understanding of Unreal Engine's capabilities and best practices. This will help you implement complex survival horror mechanics more effectively.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters relevant to level design and gameplay scripting.
  • Experiment with the techniques described in the book within your own Unreal Engine project.
Design a Simple Puzzle
Practice designing and implementing a simple puzzle mechanic using Unreal Engine's Blueprints. This will reinforce your understanding of interaction systems and logic.
Show steps
  • Brainstorm puzzle ideas suitable for a survival horror setting.
  • Create the necessary assets and Blueprints to implement the puzzle.
  • Test the puzzle thoroughly to ensure it's challenging but solvable.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Prototype a Monster Encounter
Develop a basic monster AI and encounter scenario. This will solidify your knowledge of AI, animation, and gameplay scripting.
Show steps
  • Design a simple monster AI with basic chase and attack behaviors.
  • Create an environment where the player encounters the monster.
  • Implement the encounter using Blueprints, focusing on tension and suspense.
Compose Ambient Horror Sounds
Experiment with sound design to create a creepy and immersive atmosphere. This will enhance your understanding of audio implementation in Unreal Engine.
Show steps
  • Gather or create sound effects suitable for a horror environment.
  • Use audio editing software to manipulate and layer the sounds.
  • Implement the sounds in Unreal Engine, paying attention to volume and spatialization.
Read 'Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design'
Learn fundamental game design principles to create a more compelling and engaging survival horror experience. This will help you make informed decisions about gameplay, level design, and narrative.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on level design and player psychology.
  • Analyze existing survival horror games to see how they apply these principles.
Create a Post-Mortem Report
Reflect on your learning experience and document the challenges and successes you encountered. This will help you consolidate your knowledge and identify areas for improvement.
Show steps
  • Summarize the key concepts and techniques you learned in the course.
  • Describe the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
  • Identify areas where you need further practice or study.
  • Outline your plans for future game development projects.

Career center

Learners who complete Learn How To Create A Survival Horror In Unreal Engine will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Survival Horror Game Designer
A survival horror game designer focuses on creating the gameplay, story, and overall experience for survival horror games. This course directly addresses the core elements of survival horror game development, including character design, game mechanics, audio design, and programming. Therefore, this course helps a survival horror game designer conceptualize and implement the key features that define this genre. For those specifically interested in designing survival horror games, this course helps build a foundation in the necessary skills and knowledge.
Game Developer
A game developer brings video game concepts to life, and this course helps build a foundation in the use of Unreal Engine. Game developers need to be familiar with industry-standard tools and practices when it comes to level design, character animation, and gameplay mechanics. This course explores how to create tension and suspense through gameplay and how to implement game functionality and interactive elements. If you want to get started as a game developer, then this course is helpful.
Unreal Engine Developer
An Unreal Engine developer specializes in using the Unreal Engine platform to create video games and interactive experiences. This course is designed to provide a deep understanding of Unreal Engine. It helps build skills in areas such as character design and animation, game mechanics, audio and sound design, and programming using Blueprints. Specifically, the course helps you learn how to create interactive gameplay mechanics, implement game functionality, and enhance the tension and atmosphere of your game. If you want to become an Unreal Engine developer, this course is very useful.
Indie Game Developer
This course may be useful for aspiring indie game developers, who often work independently or in small teams to create and publish their own games. Indie development requires being self-sufficient in many areas of game creation. With its lessons on character design, animation, game mechanics, and audio design, the course is helpful. By covering all aspects of game development, including the use of Unreal Engine, this course helps build essential skills for indie game developers. The course also helps build a strong foundation in the use of Unreal Engine.
Gameplay Programmer
A gameplay programmer is responsible for implementing the interactive elements and mechanics of a game. This course helps build essential programming skills using Unreal Engine's Blueprints visual scripting system. With this course, you can learn how to implement game functionality, create interactive elements, and design unique gameplay mechanics. Furthermore, the course will help you gain a solid understanding of how to create a survival horror game from scratch.
Level Designer
The level designer crafts the environments and layouts in a video game, and this course helps you design immersive environments. The course covers character animation and audio design, which are important for creating a compelling game world. With this course, you can expect to gain essential programming skills to implement game functionality and interactive elements. Level Design is also covered in the latter half of the course.
Sound Designer
A sound designer creates and implements audio elements in games to enhance the player experience. This course delves into the world of audio and sound design, a critical element in creating a spine-tingling atmosphere. You will learn how to use sound to build anticipation and fear, which is particularly relevant to survival horror games. If you want to be a sound designer for games, then this course is very useful.
Technical Artist
A technical artist bridges the gap between artists and programmers, and this course provides a foundation in both areas. Technical artists need to understand both the artistic and technical aspects of game development. The course covers character design and animation, game mechanics, audio and sound design, and programming using Blueprints. With this course, you can learn about the technical aspects of implementing art assets in Unreal Engine and how to ensure they function correctly within the game.
3D Artist
A 3D artist creates three dimensional models and textures for video games, and this course helps build valuable skills in visual design. With this course, you can create your own unique characters and environments that will immerse players in the game. The course helps you become acquainted with the Unreal Engine, the industry-standard game development platform used by many AAA game studios. This course is particularly helpful to 3D artists who are interested in survival horror games.
Animator
Animators are responsible for bringing characters and objects to life through movement. This course covers character design and animation, which makes it useful for aspiring animators. The course teaches you how to design your own sinister characters, monsters, and survivors, and how to animate them to enhance the fright factor. In conclusion, if you want to animate for games, then this course is for you.
Virtual Reality Developer
A Virtual Reality developer creates immersive experiences using VR technology. While this course focuses on survival horror games, the skills learned are transferable to VR development. You'll learn how to design interactive gameplay mechanics, create immersive environments, and use audio to enhance the player experience. These skills are important for creating compelling VR experiences. Many concepts taught in this course transfer over directly to the realm of VR.
Game Writer
A game writer crafts the narrative, dialogue, and lore within a video game. While this course primarily focuses on the technical aspects of game development, it also touches on creating a captivating storyline. Game writers may find this course useful for understanding how their stories can be integrated into game mechanics and environments within Unreal Engine. By taking this course, a game writer can learn about the unique challenges and opportunities of writing interactive narratives.
Quality Assurance Tester
A quality assurance tester is responsible for finding and reporting bugs in video games. While this course focuses on creating games, it can also provide valuable insights into the game development process. Understanding how games are built and the common issues that can arise is very useful for a QA tester. By taking this course, a QA tester can gain a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of game development.
Project Manager
This course may be useful for project managers in the gaming industry, who oversee the development process and ensure projects are completed on time and within budget. Knowledge of Unreal Engine may contribute to your work in this role. The intensive nature of the course in Unreal game development can help project managers gain insight into the creative and technical challenges of game development.
Digital Marketing Specialist
This course may be useful for digital marketing specialists who work with video game companies, because they will gain a better understanding of the nuances of game design. While this course focuses on game creation, it can provide a deeper understanding of what goes into making a successful game. Marketing specialists may use the knowledge from this course to make better marketing plans. The course also helps build a strong foundation in the use of Unreal Engine.

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 Learn How To Create A Survival Horror In Unreal Engine.
Provides a comprehensive guide to Unreal Engine, covering topics from basic setup to advanced gameplay mechanics. It's particularly useful for understanding the engine's architecture and best practices. While not strictly focused on survival horror, it provides a solid foundation for building any type of game in Unreal Engine. It valuable reference tool for intermediate to advanced users.
Provides a broad overview of game design principles, including level design, character design, and gameplay mechanics. While not specific to survival horror, it offers valuable insights into creating engaging and immersive game experiences. It is more valuable as additional reading than as a current reference. It is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions.

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