Unreal Engine 5: Create a top-down 2D survivors style game from Udemy

First of all, this course is based on a my commercial game I created.

And I recommend to learn this course by using UE5.3 . If you use newer version, some plugins might be not available.

This course took me several hundreds of hours to develop, with detailed videos spreading over more than 70 lectures, covering wide scope of modules to create a survivors style game including:

Setup paper flipbook animations for player character, 20+ mobs and..

For more information, please check outline of this course for a glimpse into topics we will go through.

Last but not least, I highly recommend you follow instructions in detailed video tutorial exactly before you tweak any logics, so that it is more effective for you to learn the course.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Unreal engine blueprint fundametals - more than 70 lectures, using completely visual scripting blueprint system to handle various actors (20+ mobs and 2 bosses)
Skill upgrade roguelike mechanics - design 10+ unique skills including active and passive types, enemy waves with different patterns, experience and magnet item
Pooling system for performance optimization - creating "pools" to store instances for large number of actors including enemies, bullets and pickable items
Shop system and auto save-loading system - increase player character stats by costing in-game resource, refund function included with saving and loading system

Real-time leaderboard - encourage players to achieve high scores by adding free real-time leaderboard, competing other players!
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Unreal engine blueprint fundametals - more than 70 lectures, using completely visual scripting blueprint system to handle various actors (20+ mobs and 2 bosses)
Skill upgrade roguelike mechanics - design 10+ unique skills including active and passive types, enemy waves with different patterns, experience and magnet item
Pooling system for performance optimization - creating "pools" to store instances for large number of actors including enemies, bullets and pickable items
Shop system and auto save-loading system - increase player character stats by costing in-game resource, refund function included with saving and loading system
Real-time leaderboard - encourage players to achieve high scores by adding free real-time leaderboard, competing other players!
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Show less

Syllabus

Introduction

Active Skill 1: Ring of Orbs Part 2

Reference project (UE5.3)

Able to create an animated paper 2D character, create a scene with tile map and dummy enemy

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Uses Unreal Engine's visual scripting system, Blueprint, which allows developers to create game logic without extensive coding knowledge, making it accessible to designers and artists

Covers performance optimization techniques like object pooling, which is essential for handling a large number of actors (enemies, bullets, items) common in survivor-style games

Includes a real-time leaderboard implementation, which can significantly enhance player engagement and competition in the game

Recommends using UE5.3, which may limit access to newer features and plugins available in later versions of Unreal Engine

Teaches the creation of a shop system and auto save-loading system, which are common features in many games and can enhance the player experience

Focuses on creating a specific type of game (2D survivor), which may not be suitable for learners interested in other genres or 3D game development

Reviews summary

Ue5 blueprint survivors game course

According to learners, this course offers a highly practical and engaging way to learn game development by guiding you through creating a complete top-down 2D survivors-style game in Unreal Engine 5. Students particularly praise the clear and detailed Blueprint instruction and the coverage of complex systems like pooling, save/load, and shop mechanics. The step-by-step approach is seen as a major strength, allowing learners to apply concepts directly. However, a recurring point noted is that the course was built using UE 5.3, and using newer versions of Unreal Engine might require some troubleshooting due to potential changes in Blueprint nodes or plugin availability. While great for applying concepts, some learners felt it could benefit from more theoretical depth or coverage of debugging.

Includes pooling, save/load, shop system.

"The detailed explanation of pooling for performance optimization was a significant takeaway for me."

"Implementing the shop and save/load system added a ton of value; these are crucial game features."

"Liked learning how to integrate a real-time leaderboard and other advanced mechanics."

"Covering systems beyond basic movement and combat made this course stand out."

Detailed and easy-to-follow Blueprint guide.

"The instructor's explanation of the Blueprint logic was incredibly clear, even for complex systems."

"I appreciated how well the Blueprint steps were broken down, making it easy to follow along and understand."

"Helped me understand complex Blueprint systems like pooling and save states much better than other resources."

"The visual scripting was explained very well; I never felt lost in the Blueprint graphs."

Hands-on creation of a complete game.

"I absolutely loved building a complete survivors-style game from start to finish; it made learning so much more concrete."

"This course gave me the practical experience of putting together a full project in Unreal Engine, which is exactly what I needed."

"The focus on creating a playable game is fantastic and kept me motivated throughout the lectures."

"Learning by building was incredibly effective; I feel much more confident in my game dev skills now."

Great 'how-to,' less focus on 'why.'

"While excellent for following steps, I wish there was more theoretical explanation behind certain design choices."

"It's more of a step-by-step guide to build a specific game than a deep dive into general game design principles."

"Could use more explanation on underlying programming concepts, but it's strong on implementation."

Might be challenging for absolute beginners.

"This course is not for absolute beginners; some prior familiarity with Unreal Engine concepts is highly recommended."

"It assumes you know your way around the UE interface and basic Blueprint setup."

"Might be challenging without prior experience with Unreal Engine, but it's doable with persistence."

"I found it helpful that I wasn't starting from zero with Unreal."

Designed for UE 5.3; issues with newer versions.

"Experienced some issues trying to follow along using Unreal Engine 5.4, as some Blueprint nodes had changed or moved."

"The course explicitly mentions using UE 5.3, and I strongly recommend sticking to that version to avoid compatibility problems."

"Had to do some troubleshooting when using a newer version than specified in the course material..."

"Be prepared for potential differences if you are not using UE 5.3 as recommended."

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 5: Create a top-down 2D survivors style game with these activities:

Review Unreal Engine Fundamentals

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Solidify your understanding of Unreal Engine fundamentals to better grasp the course's more advanced topics.

Browse courses on Game Development Basics

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Review the Unreal Engine documentation.
Complete a beginner tutorial series.
Practice creating a simple project.

Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine 5

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Deepen your understanding of Blueprint visual scripting.

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

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Read the chapters on Blueprint fundamentals.
Experiment with different Blueprint nodes.

Unreal Engine 5 Character Creation, Animation, and Cinematics

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Expand your knowledge of character animation in Unreal Engine 5.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

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Read the chapters on animation blueprints.
Experiment with different animation techniques.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Practice Blueprint Scripting

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Reinforce your Blueprint scripting skills through targeted exercises to improve your ability to create game logic.

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Create a simple Blueprint script.
Modify existing Blueprint scripts.
Debug Blueprint scripts.

Document Your Learning Journey

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Solidify your understanding by creating a blog or video series documenting your progress and challenges while learning Unreal Engine 5.

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Choose a platform for your content.
Document your learning process.
Share your content with others.

Create a Simple Top-Down Shooter Prototype

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Apply the course's concepts by building a simplified version of the game, focusing on core mechanics like movement, shooting, and enemy AI.

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Set up a basic player character.
Implement basic enemy AI.
Add shooting mechanics.
Implement a simple scoring system.

Explore Advanced Pooling Techniques

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Enhance your understanding of pooling systems by following advanced tutorials that cover more complex scenarios and optimizations.

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Find tutorials on advanced pooling.
Implement advanced pooling techniques.
Test and optimize your pooling system.

Career center

Learners who complete Unreal Engine 5: Create a top-down 2D survivors style game will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Indie Game Developer

An indie game developer works independently or as part of a small team to create and publish games. This course is directly applicable to indie game developers, as can help one create a game. This course covers a wide range of modules for creating this style of game, including setting up paper flipbook animations. Using this course, an indie developer can create an entire survivor style game using the skills from this course. This type of focused knowledge can lead to success as a indie game developer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Indie Game Developer

Unreal Engine Developer

An Unreal Engine developer creates and implements game features, mechanics, and systems within the Unreal Engine. This course is directly applicable to the role, as it provides hands-on experience with Unreal Engine 5. The course focuses on using visual scripting blueprints to handle actors, an important skill for Unreal Engine developers. Through this course, knowledge of creating a survivors style game, including setting up paper flipbook animations, designing skills, and implementing enemy waves can be garnered. The course's emphasis on using visual scripting blueprints to handle various actors can lead to success as an Unreal Engine developer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Unreal Engine Developer

Gameplay Programmer

A gameplay programmer is responsible for implementing game mechanics, character controls, and artificial intelligence. This course is highly relevant for this role, as it covers a wide range of modules for creating a survivor-style game, including setting up paper flipbook animations, designing skills, and implementing enemy waves. The course covers topics such as skill upgrade roguelike mechanics, which can expand any programmer's knowledge. The course's focus on using visual scripting blueprints to handle various actors can lead to success as a gameplay programmer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Gameplay Programmer

Game Designer

A game designer conceptualizes and designs the rules, gameplay, and overall structure of a video game. This course may be useful for aspiring game designers, especially those interested in top-down 2D games similar to the survivor style. The course covers a wide range of modules for creating this style of game, including setting up paper flipbook animations, designing skills, and implementing enemy waves. Skills such as level design and visual scripting would prove relevant. The course touches upon skill upgrade roguelike mechanics and customizing patterns, which can help a game designer create engaging challenges.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer

Technical Artist

A technical artist bridges the gap between art and programming, optimizing art assets and developing tools to improve the art pipeline. This course may be useful for a technical artist working on a game, as it covers the creation of paper flipbook animations and the implementation of visual effects. Knowledge of creating a survivors style game, including setting up paper flipbook animations, designing skills, and implementing enemy waves can be garnered. Understanding how to optimize assets and implement visual effects within Unreal Engine can lead to success as a technical artist.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist

Mobile Game Developer

A mobile game developer specializes in creating games for mobile platforms, focusing on performance and user experience. This course may be useful for mobile developers interested in porting or creating 2D games. This course covers a wide range of modules including pooling systems for performance optimization and creating save-load systems. The course's coverage of mobile game mechanics, such as real-time leaderboards and shop systems, can also lead to success in mobile game development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile Game Developer

Animator

An animator creates the moving images that bring characters and objects to life in video games. This course may be useful for animators, especially those interested in 2D animation. The course covers the setup of paper flipbook animations for a player character and mobs. By taking this course, one can become familiar with game animation techniques and principles that can lead to success as an animator.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animator

Level Designer

A level designer creates the environments and layouts in which gameplay takes place. This course is useful for a level designer working on a 2D game. This course teaches you how to create a scene with a tile map and dummy enemy. By taking this course, a level designer can create an engaging environment that can lead to success as a level designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Level Designer

UI Designer

A user interface designer focuses on the visual layout and interactivity of user interfaces. This course may be useful for UI designers. The course covers the creation of a shop user interface and main user interface. Utilizing this knowledge of user interface implementation can lead to success as a user interface designer.

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Game Development Instructor

A game development instructor teaches the principles and practices of game development to students. This course provides a practical, project-based learning experience that an instructor could leverage to improve a curriculum. This course covers a wide range of modules for creating the game. The course's detailed video format may be of assistance to a game development instructor.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Development Instructor

Game Producer

A game producer oversees the development process of a video game, managing the team and budget. This course may be useful for aspiring game producers, as hands-on experience with game development can garner experience and improve team management skills. This course covers a wide range of modules for creating a survivor style game. This can instill a knowledge base that can lead to success as a game producer.

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Extended Reality Developer

An extended reality developer creates immersive experiences using augmented reality or virtual reality technologies. This course may be useful to those developing games for virtual reality. Through this course, knowledge of visual scripting and the Unreal game engine can be gained. Using visual scripting blueprints to handle various actors can lead to success as an extended reality developer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Extended Reality Developer

AI Programmer

An AI programmer designs and implements artificial intelligence systems for games and simulations. This course may be useful for an AI programmer looking to learn game development. This course covers a wide range of modules, including enemy wave design with different patterns. Using knowledge of blueprint scripting in Unreal Engine can lead to success as an AI programmer.

See salaries and explore the career path for AI Programmer

Software Engineer

A software engineer designs, develops, and tests software applications. This course can be useful for understanding game development principles. The course covers a wide range of modules for creating a survivor style game. Concepts like pooling systems for performance optimization and save-load systems may generalize to other software engineering domains.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Simulation Engineer

A simulation engineer develops and implements computer simulations for various purposes, such as training, testing, or research. While this course focuses on game development, it may be useful to those seeking a role as a simulation engineer. The course covers the Unreal Engine blueprint fundamentals, which can be applied to simulation tasks. Using visual scripting blueprints to handle various actors can lead to success as a simulation engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Simulation Engineer

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 5: Create a top-down 2D survivors style game.

Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine 5

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Comprehensive guide to using Blueprints, Unreal Engine's visual scripting system. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic concepts to advanced techniques. It is particularly useful for understanding the logic behind the game mechanics covered in the course. This book can serve as a valuable reference for those looking to deepen their understanding of Blueprint scripting.

Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine 5:...

Kindle Edition

Putting Knowledge to Work

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Provides a comprehensive guide to character creation, animation, and cinematics within Unreal Engine 5. It covers topics such as importing characters, rigging, animation blueprints, and creating cinematic sequences. While the course focuses on 2D paper flipbook animations, this book can provide a broader understanding of character animation principles within Unreal Engine. It useful reference for those looking to expand their knowledge beyond the scope of the course.

Putting Knowledge to Work

Paperback

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Putting Knowledge to Work

Kindle Edition

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