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The Ultimate 2D Top Down Unreal Engine Course

Cobra Code

Welcome to The Ultimate 2D Top Down Unreal Engine Course.

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Welcome to The Ultimate 2D Top Down Unreal Engine Course.

This course will teach you everything you need to know about making 2D Top Down Games in Unreal Engine 5 by creating 3 different games.The first 2 projects are 2D games only using sprites, while the last projects is a 2D|3D Hybrid mixing 2D Sprites for the characters with a 3D environment making use of Unreal Engine's cutting edge lighting and post processing.Through teaching Unreal Engine on YouTube and also in person at a Japanese Game Dev school for the past couple of years I've gained an understanding of what students are really looking for and designed this course to teach you the process of making games with Unreal Engine.All of the knowledge you'll acquire by going through this course of course doesn't only apply to Top Down games, but to creating games in general. If you're completely new to Unreal Engine you can check out the Unreal Engine 5 Crash Course which is included in one of the early chapters.After covering the basics we'll jump right into making 3 awesome Top Down Games.

The first game is modeled after retro 'monster catcher' games and you'll learn all about Paper 2D and how we can use sprites and animations in our games.We also cover how to use Tile Maps to build our stages and place obstacles and decorations in it as well that will use proper layer sorting so the character appears in front or behind;You'll also learn how to set up Top Down character movement and directional animations from scratch and we'll end things off by creating an interaction system and a Hud Widget that shows dialogue lines and status text.The second game is a Top Down Adventure game again using Tile maps and Sprites.We'll expand upon what we learned in the first chapter and also learn about the intricacies of sword and bow based combat by implementing hitboxes, knockback and much more.The last project is the Hybrid RPG which uses 2D character sprites in a 3D Environment for that unique high definition look that has become popular for JRPGs in recent years.We'll expand upon the dialogue system by using Data Tables and UI Widgets that change size depending on the length of our text which will build up letter by letter.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • How to make 2d top down games in unreal engine
  • Create 3 awesome top down games with various art styles
  • Mix 2d sprites with 3d backgrounds to create gorgeous 2d/3d hybrid games
  • Create rpg cutscenes using the sequencer
  • Make a dialogue system with data tables and ui widgets
  • Best practices for 2d and 2d/3d hybrid games in unreal engine
  • Unreal engine blueprints, starting from the basics up to advanced usage

Syllabus

Course Orientation
Curriculum Overview
Why make 2D Top Down Games with Unreal Engine?
What Version of Unreal Engine to use (UE5.4)
Read more
Our Discord and how to ask for help
Backing Up Your Projects
Unreal Engine 5 Crash Course
About the Unreal Engine 5 Crash Course
How to Install Unreal Engine 5
How to create a new Project
How to navigate the Editor
Content Drawer and Blueprints
How to make a simple Blueprint
Adding functionality to our Blueprint
Useful Keyboard Shortcuts and Tips
How to debug your Games
Paper 2D Basics
What are Paper 2D and PaperZD?
Monster World Project
Monster World Overview
Setting Up the Project and Importing Assets
Making a Tile Set and Tile Map
Preparing the Character Sprites
Best Project Settings for 2D Games
Character Blueprint and Pixels Per Unit
Setting up the Camera and Possessing the Character
Enhanced Input and Character Movement
Directional Character Animations from Scratch
Adjusting the map and collisions
Foreground and Background sorting
Project files with layer sorting
Creating a simple message UI with custom fonts
Making a pickup
Showing the item message
NPC Dialogue and Interfaces
Wrapping up
Completed Project Files: Monster World
Dungeon Adventure Project
Dungeon Adventure Overview
PaperZD download changes
Initial Setup and Asset Preparation
Inheritance and Character Blueprints
Multi Directional Animations
Setting Up the Remaining Animations
PaperZD Animation Blueprint Setup
Improving Character Turning and Direction
Making Simple Enemies
Damaging the Player on Overlap
Making a Health Component
Stunned and Defeated State
Sword Attack
For Each Loop Fix for Sword Attack
Some additional notes on Knockback
Implementing Knockback
Making Attacks Feel Impactful
Despawning Enemies
Player Invincibility
Health UI
Making the Bow and Arrow
Arrow Interactions
Creating Pickups and Item Drops
Finalizing the Camera and Map
Making an Enemy and Pickup Spawner
Making a Wave System
Wave System UI Widget
Adding Sound Effects
Wrapping Up
Completed Project Files: Dungeon Adventure
Hybrid RPG Project
Hybrid RPG Project Overview
Preparing All Flipbook Animations
Creating the Character Blueprints
Enabling the Camera and Character Movement
Handling Character Animations
Environment Download Changes
Setting Up a 3D Map for Sprite Characters
Camera Improvements and Anti Aliasing
Depth of Field and Post Processing
NPC Interactions Interface
Creating the Dialogue Icon
Creating the Speech Bubble Widget
Positioning the Dialogue WIdget
Locking Characters While Speaking
UI Transitions for Dialogue
Revealing Dialogue Letter by Letter
Dialogue System through Data Tables
Improving NPC Interactions Further
Navigation Meshes and Free Roaming NPCs
Recruiting a Follower
Completed Project Files: Hybrid RPG
Extra: Optional Lessons
Extra Lesson Overview
Pixel Art Textures for Map Assets
Masking Out Foreground Objects
Making Cutscenes With the Sequencer
Adding Gamepad Support
Retro Character Movement

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Uses Unreal Engine 5, which is a leading industry game engine, to create 2D top-down games, providing practical experience with industry-standard tools
Covers Paper2D, Tile Maps, and sprite animations, which are fundamental concepts for creating 2D games, offering a solid foundation for beginners
Includes a crash course on Unreal Engine 5, which helps beginners quickly grasp the basics before diving into game development, accelerating the learning process
Explores the creation of 2D/3D hybrid games, which allows learners to create visually appealing games that blend retro aesthetics with modern graphical capabilities
Teaches how to create dialogue systems using Data Tables and UI Widgets, which are essential for building engaging RPGs and adventure games, enhancing storytelling capabilities
Requires Unreal Engine 5.4, which may necessitate learners to upgrade their systems or ensure compatibility, potentially posing a barrier for some

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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 The Ultimate 2D Top Down Unreal Engine Course with these activities:
Review Paper 2D Basics
Refamiliarize yourself with Paper 2D to better understand how sprites and animations are used in Unreal Engine.
Show steps
  • Watch tutorials on Paper 2D fundamentals.
  • Create a simple Paper 2D project with a moving sprite.
Brush up on Unreal Engine Blueprints
Review Blueprint basics to prepare for creating game logic and interactions in Unreal Engine.
Browse courses on Blueprints
Show steps
  • Review Blueprint syntax and common nodes.
  • Practice creating simple interactions using Blueprints.
Read 'Unreal Engine 5 Blueprints'
Supplement your Blueprint knowledge with a dedicated book to gain a deeper understanding of the system.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Unreal Engine 5 Blueprints'.
  • Read the chapters relevant to 2D game development.
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Create a Simple Top-Down Prototype
Solidify your understanding of top-down mechanics by creating a basic prototype with character movement and camera control.
Show steps
  • Set up a new Unreal Engine project with a top-down template.
  • Implement basic character movement using Enhanced Input.
  • Configure the camera to follow the character.
Document Your Learning Journey
Reinforce your understanding by creating a blog or video series documenting your progress and challenges in the course.
Show steps
  • Choose a platform for your documentation (blog, video, etc.).
  • Document your learning process for each module.
  • Share your content with the course community.
Study '2D Game Development with Unity'
Broaden your understanding of 2D game development principles by studying a book focused on a different engine.
View Beginning 3D Game Development with Unity 2018 on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of '2D Game Development with Unity'.
  • Focus on chapters covering core 2D game concepts.
Expand the Hybrid RPG Project
Deepen your understanding by adding new features to the Hybrid RPG project, such as new enemies, items, or quests.
Show steps
  • Brainstorm new features to add to the Hybrid RPG project.
  • Implement the new features using Blueprints and assets.
  • Test and refine the new features.
Contribute to a Paper2D Plugin
Enhance your skills by contributing to an open-source Paper2D plugin, fixing bugs, or adding new features.
Show steps
  • Find an open-source Paper2D plugin on GitHub.
  • Identify a bug or feature to work on.
  • Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete The Ultimate 2D Top Down Unreal Engine Course will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Indie Game Developer
An Indie Game Developer is often responsible for all aspects of game creation, including design, programming, and art. This role requires a strong foundation in multiple areas of game development. This course is perfect for an aspiring indie developer as it takes a hands-on approach to building three different 2D top-down games in Unreal Engine. The course covers essential skills, such as character animation, user interface design, and game mechanics, preparing learners to independently develop their own games. Furthermore, the course not only focuses on 2D games, but extends into the realm of 2D and 3D hybrids which is extremely valuable for a modern indie game developer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Indie Game Developer
Gameplay Programmer
A Gameplay Programmer is a software developer who focuses on implementing the game mechanics, character controls, and other interactive elements of a video game. This role uses programming skills to bring game designs to life. This course provides a practical approach to game programming using Unreal Engine and Blueprints. The course provides learners with the ability to create character movement systems, animation, combat interactions, and user interface elements. This foundation is directly applicable to the work of a gameplay programmer, helping a learner to build a portfolio using this course's three projects. In particular the use of data tables to create the dialogue system will be a valuable skill.
See salaries and explore the career path for Gameplay Programmer
Game Designer
A Game Designer conceptualizes and designs the rules, mechanics, and overall gameplay of a video game. This role often involves creating game documentation, prototyping systems, and iterating on designs based on feedback. This course helps build a foundation in game development by teaching the use of Unreal Engine to make three top down games. These projects familiarize the learner with the process of creating game systems, character movement, and user interfaces, all of which are key components of a game designer's responsibilities. This course will prepare learners for the design challenges of a variety of game types as it covers different art styles and also introduces hybrid 2D and 3D development.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer
User Interface Designer
A user interface designer creates the visual elements and interactive components of a game that allow players to access information and use game functions. This role requires creativity and an understanding of user experience design. This course introduces the skills required to create game interfaces by tasking students with building several user interface widgets. These include a user interface for dialogue, for showing game messages, and for displaying health. The course teaches how to use custom fonts, how to create interfaces that change depending on the length of the text, and how to make these interfaces appear and disappear smoothly. A user interface designer will find the material in this course extremely relevant.
See salaries and explore the career path for User Interface Designer
Game Level Designer
A Game Level Designer is responsible for creating the environments and layouts within a video game. This role includes tasks such as planning the flow of the game through the level as well as the arrangement of obstacles. This course provides a great learning experience for level design as it guides learners using Tile Maps, and teaches how to build game levels using this technology, which is quite common in the game industry. This hands on experience, paired with the course's teaching of proper layer sorting, helps build a foundation for an aspiring game level designer. The course will also teach how to create a hybrid 2D/3D game, which requires different level design techniques.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Level Designer
Technical Artist
A Technical Artist bridges the gap between artists and programmers, using their technical knowledge to solve problems with the game's art pipeline. This role often involves creating tools and workflows to enhance art production. This course helps a future technical artist gain the experience of working on a real game project. The course's focus on integrating 2D sprites with 3D environments and creating visual effects such as lighting and post processing, teaches methods of working with art at the technical level within Unreal Engine itself. The knowledge of how to set up multiple projects with varying art styles also demonstrates the technical problem solving work of a technical artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist
Animator
An Animator creates the moving images that bring characters and objects to life in a video game. This role involves using software and artistic skills to produce smooth and engaging animation sequences. The course teaches learners how to import, prepare, and animate sprites for 2D games. Specifically, the course covers the creation of directional animations from scratch and the setup of animation blueprints. This work is relevant to a role as an animator who is looking to make 2D games. The course also helps the learner build up a portfolio of work which they can show to potential employers.
See salaries and explore the career path for Animator
Software Developer
A Software Developer is a professional responsible for designing, developing, and testing software applications. This role usually requires programming skills and proficiency in software development methodologies. This course introduces game development through visual scripting with Unreal Engine Blueprints, which is an introduction to general programming concepts. These concepts, such as how to define the functionality of an object and how to debug programs, will help a software developer understand programming in general. As such, this course may help a software developer that is new to game development transition into this field. The three game projects provide hands on experience that is also helpful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Software Developer
Video Game Writer
A Video Game Writer creates the narrative, dialogue, and lore of a video game. This role requires storytelling skills and a deep understanding of character development. This course may help a video game writer understand the technical aspects of implementing the dialogue in a game. The course teaches how to create UI widgets for dialogue, how to use data tables to manage dialogue text, and how to transition between dialogue screens. A video game writer may benefit from a knowledge of how dialogue is implemented in a game engine. The course may also inspire them to create stories that would fit the top down genre.
See salaries and explore the career path for Video Game Writer
Quality Assurance Tester
A Quality Assurance Tester is responsible for identifying and documenting bugs in a software application. This role requires a strong attention to detail and a passion for finding errors. This course may be helpful to a quality assurance tester who is looking to transition into the game industry. The course teaches the techniques and workflows used to create games, and this inside knowledge of the processes makes the tester better at their job. It also helps to understand bugs in a more profound way. The course introduces learners to debugging techniques, which also may be useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Assurance Tester
Game Producer
A Game Producer oversees the development process of a video game, managing timelines, budgets, and the team to ensure the game is delivered on time and within budget. This role often requires a deep understanding of the game development pipeline. This course may help a future game producer understand the process of making a game. The course teaches learners how to bring a video game to life from start to finish. The course's three projects offer a broad overview of the game development process. The course also demonstrates various approaches to game design, which will help the game producer during their planning stages.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Producer
Project Manager
A Project Manager is responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. They are skilled at coordinating resources, managing timelines, and mitigating risks within a project. This course may be useful for a project manager who is interested in understanding the workflow and technical challenges involved in game development. Since the course focuses on developing three separate games from beginning to end, it may help a future project manager understand the various processes of creating a game. The course could also be helpful in giving a project manager the knowledge to better communicate and coordinate with game developers.
See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager
Sound Designer
A Sound Designer is responsible for creating the auditory elements of a game, such as music and sound effects. This role involves using audio design software and technical skills to produce high quality audio experiences that enhance the game. This course may help a future sound designer to understand how all elements of game creation fit together. The course teaches skills of visual design, programming, and user interface creation, which may be useful for a sound designer who wishes to use game sound in a more powerful ways. The course mentions how to add sound effects to the games, which could also be useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Designer
Instructional Designer
An Instructional Designer is a professional who creates learning experiences and materials. This role requires the ability to structure content in an engaging way that has clear learning objectives. This course may help an instructional designer who wants to explore the game development field. The course’s learning objectives are clearly defined and the syllabus presents the curriculum in a way that is easy to understand. An instructional designer may be able to use the course as an example of good instructional methodology. The three hands on projects are also a good example of active learning.
See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer
Concept Artist
A Concept Artist creates visual representations of characters, objects, and environments for a game. This role involves using drawing and digital painting skills to create artwork that serves as a reference for the game's art team. This course may be useful to a concept artist in understanding the practical concerns of implementing art in a game. For example, the course teaches how to make Tile Maps, which are important for level design. The course teaches how to create multiple art styles, which may help a concept artist broaden their portfolio. The course also teaches how to use 2D sprites in a 3D environment, which may also be applicable to the work of a concept artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist

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 The Ultimate 2D Top Down Unreal Engine Course.
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
Provides a comprehensive guide to using Blueprints in Unreal Engine 5. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic scripting to advanced gameplay mechanics. It useful reference for understanding how to implement game logic and interactions in the course projects. This book is valuable as additional reading to deepen your understanding of Blueprints.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check
Beginning 3D Game Development with Unity 2018
Save
While this course focuses on Unreal Engine, this book provides valuable insights into general 2D game development principles. It covers topics such as character animation, level design, and game mechanics. It is more valuable as additional reading to broaden your understanding of 2D game development concepts. Many of the concepts are transferable between game engines.
Beginning 3D Game Development with Unity 2018
Paperback
Check
Beginning 3D Game Development with Unity 2018
Kindle Edition
Check

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Effort
17 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Cobra Code
Language
English
Good to know
Uses Unreal Engine 5, which is a leading industry game engine, to create 2D top-down games, providing practical experience with industry-standard tools
Covers Paper2D, Tile Maps, and sprite animations, which are fundamental concepts for creating 2D games, offering a solid foundation for beginners
Includes a crash course on Unreal Engine 5, which helps beginners quickly grasp the basics before diving into game development, accelerating the learning process
Explores the creation of 2D/3D hybrid games, which allows learners to create visually appealing games that blend retro aesthetics with modern graphical capabilities
Teaches how to create dialogue systems using Data Tables and UI Widgets, which are essential for building engaging RPGs and adventure games, enhancing storytelling capabilities
Requires Unreal Engine 5.4, which may necessitate learners to upgrade their systems or ensure compatibility, potentially posing a barrier for some
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