The Ultimate 2D Top Down Unreal Engine Course from Udemy

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.

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

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)

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Uses Unreal Engine 5, which is widely adopted in the game development industry for its powerful features and capabilities

Covers Paper2D, which allows developers to create 2D games within the Unreal Engine environment, opening doors for diverse game styles

Includes an Unreal Engine 5 crash course, which helps beginners quickly grasp the fundamentals of the engine and its interface

Explores the creation of 2D/3D hybrid games, which is a popular aesthetic choice in modern JRPGs, offering a unique visual style

Focuses on Unreal Engine 5.4, which may require learners to upgrade their existing projects to the latest version of the engine

Teaches Data Tables and UI Widgets, which are essential for creating dynamic and interactive dialogue systems in games

Reviews summary

Project-based ue5 2d game development

According to learners, this course is an absolutely phenomenal and highly recommended way to dive into 2D game development using Unreal Engine 5. Students praise the incredibly logical progression and the fantastic project-based approach, where building three distinct games helps solidify learning and provides practical experience. The instructor's explanations of Blueprints and Paper 2D are frequently described as crystal clear and easy to follow, even for beginners. The final 2D/3D hybrid project is noted as a unique touch. While overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, a few students found some parts, particularly in later sections or advanced Blueprint setups, felt a tiny bit rushed or required rewatching and additional troubleshooting.

Includes a project combining 2D sprites with 3D.

"I especially loved the final 2D/3D hybrid project; it's a unique style I wanted to learn."

"mixing 2D/3D. The project-based approach is brilliant."

"The final project combining 2D and 3D elements was challenging but very rewarding."

"The hybrid project was a unique touch I hadn't seen elsewhere."

"The final hybrid project was a brilliant inclusion."

Good coverage of core 2D features like Paper 2D and Blueprints.

"Covers everything you need from Paper 2D basics to more complex systems."

"Covered Paper 2D and Blueprints extensively."

"The explanations for things like character movement, animations, and UI were very clear."

"I learned so much about creating characters, animations, interactions, and UI in UE for 2D games."

"Solid foundation for UE5 2D game dev."

Instructor provides clear and helpful explanations.

"The instructor's explanations of Blueprints and Paper 2D were crystal clear."

"The instructor is very knowledgeable and explains complex topics simply."

"The instructor's teaching style is engaging."

"Excellent course! The instructor is top-notch, explaining everything clearly and concisely."

"Instructor is clear."

Learn by building 3 distinct games hands-on.

"Building the three distinct projects was a fantastic way to solidify learning."

"The project-based approach is brilliant. I learned so much building the three games."

"The structure building up through three projects is very effective."

"The projects are great for hands-on practice."

"The projects are ambitious."

"The projects are well-chosen and provide practical experience."

May need external help for some issues.

"I had to rewatch some lectures or look things up to fully grasp them."

"Had a few small issues getting things to work exactly like the video, but troubleshooting is part of game dev!"

"Ran into several bugs that weren't addressed directly in the videos, requiring significant troubleshooting and forum searching."

"Needs some polishing, particularly in supporting students when things don't work out of the box."

"Had to refer to Unreal Engine docs sometimes."

Some advanced sections may feel fast-paced.

"My only minor quibble is that some parts felt a tiny bit rushed, particularly in the later sections..."

"some explanations lacking depth, especially when dealing with more complex Blueprint setups."

"Some of the advanced Blueprint logic in the later projects was difficult to follow and could have used more step-by-step explanation."

"Some specific techniques felt glossed over quickly, and I had to spend extra time practicing them."

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

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Refamiliarize yourself with Paper 2D to better understand how sprites and animations are used in Unreal Engine.

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Watch tutorials on Paper 2D fundamentals.
Create a simple Paper 2D project with a moving sprite.

Brush up on Unreal Engine Blueprints

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Review Blueprint basics to prepare for creating game logic and interactions in Unreal Engine.

Browse courses on Blueprints

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Review Blueprint syntax and common nodes.
Practice creating simple interactions using Blueprints.

Read 'Unreal Engine 5 Blueprints'

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Supplement your Blueprint knowledge with a dedicated book to gain a deeper understanding of the system.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Unreal Engine 5 Blueprints'.
Read the chapters relevant to 2D game development.

Five other activities

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Show all eight activities

Create a Simple Top-Down Prototype

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Solidify your understanding of top-down mechanics by creating a basic prototype with character movement and camera control.

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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

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Reinforce your understanding by creating a blog or video series documenting your progress and challenges in the course.

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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'

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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

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Obtain a copy of '2D Game Development with Unity'.
Focus on chapters covering core 2D game concepts.

Expand the Hybrid RPG Project

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Deepen your understanding by adding new features to the Hybrid RPG project, such as new enemies, items, or quests.

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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

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Enhance your skills by contributing to an open-source Paper2D plugin, fixing bugs, or adding new features.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Ultimate 2D Top Down Unreal Engine Course

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Project-based ue5 2d game development

Activities

Career center

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