Best UE5 Beginners Course: Create Your First Project

Name: Best UE5 Beginners Course: Create Your First Project
Rating: 4.7 (59 reviews)

Master the Basics of Unreal Engine with Hands-On Projects and Challenges for Newcomers

Created byDev Enabled

Last updated 3/2025

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Familiarity with the Unreal Engine editor & interface
Ability to create your own custom materials
Understand how to work with audio and effects
Complete an entire scene from concept to a fully designed level
Understand how to work with features including the landscape and water plugin
Explore the Unreal Engine Framework
Implement basic Blueprint functionality

Course content

7 sections • 52 lectures • 10h 8m total length

Introduction1:33
Start with Unreal Engine basics, master core features, lighting and atmosphere, materials, blueprint code, and event-driven animation to build a cave scene and a final cinematic.

Epic Launcher Download3:13
Epic Launcher
The Epic Games Launcher is a digital distribution platform developed by Epic Games, primarily known for downloading and managing games from the Epic Games Store, such as Fortnite and Rocket League.
Additionally, it serves as the main hub for developers to access the Unreal Engine. As a developer, you will primarily use the Epic Games Launcher to download, install, and update the Unreal Engine, as well as access various resources and tools to aid in your game development journey.
Note: If you have already signed up and have the Epic Launcher installed you can mark this as complete and move to the next topic.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Download and Install the Epic Launcher
Step 1: Download the Installer
Go to the Epic Games website. Please use a search engine of your choosing as Udemy restricts URL sharing.
A simple search for something like "Download Unreal Engine" should put you in the correct place.
Click on the "Get Epic Games" button in the top right corner of the screen.
Click on the "Download for Windows" button to download the Epic Launcher installer.
Step 2: Install the Epic Launcher
Once the download is complete, locate the installer file in your Downloads folder or wherever your browser saves downloaded files.
Double-click the installer file to run it.
Follow the prompts in the installer to install the Epic Launcher on your computer.
Step 3: Login and Start Using the Epic Launcher
Once the installation is complete, launch the Epic Launcher from your desktop or Start menu.
Log in to your Epic account using your email address and password.
Epic Launcher Overview6:31
Unreal Engine Versions6:06
Install and manage Unreal Engine versions via the Epic Games Launcher, navigate the library tab, choose stable vs preview builds, and save space by keeping templates and removing starter content.

First Project7:30
Editor Basics17:19
Explore core features of the Unreal Engine editor, including the viewport, outliner, details panel, and content drawer. Optimize performance by turning off real-time and adjusting engine scalability for your project.
Exploring the Editor17:24
Navigate the Unreal Engine editor viewport with pan, zoom, orbit, and fly-through controls, then master move, rotate, and scale tools in world or local coordinates.
Challenge - Editor Navigtion1:17
Creating Levels9:30
Working with Geometric Shapes21:53
Challenge 2 - Knowledge Check1:42
Challenge 2 - Knowledge Check - Solution (No Cheating!!)5:59

Editor Preferences2:26
Importing Assets14:57
Fab13:12
Unreal Marketplace9:20
Explore importing assets from the unreal engine marketplace, including permanently free items, and add them to your project, while learning asset organization (meshes, textures, maps, vfx) and plugin management.
Migrating Assets8:10
Quixel8:13
Learn how to import Quixel Megascans into Unreal Engine via the Megascans Bridge plugin, sign in with your Epic account, search and download assets, and add them to your level.
OPTIONAL/EXTRA - Custom Template7:26
Challenge - Projects0:49

Importing Level Assets16:00
Create a dedicated asset holder project to manage megascans assets and migrate only what's needed into your main ue5 project, using instanced meshes for efficiency.
Terrain / Landscape7:47
Landscape Material Basics19:12
Landscape Material Improvements12:34
Expose a uniform UV scale as a scalar parameter and route it with a named reroute node across sand layers; use a material instance for live updates on the landscape.
Water Plugin13:08
Enable the experimental water plugin in UE5, add an ocean water body, adjust height and waves, and tweak the water material in a live material instance.
Level Design - Part 1/224:15
Design a cave-backed island scene in UE5 by placing rock assets, duplicating and flipping them to build a cohesive backdrop using instanced meshes and Megascans.
Level Design - Part 2/222:30
Craft a cave-level design in UE5 by shaping the core form, hiding obvious geometry, and balancing lighting with shadows, god rays, and water features to create engaging silhouettes and atmosphere.
Landscape Painting10:26
Foliage32:52
Use the foliage tool to paint rocks, moss, ivy, and climbers across cave floors and walls, adjusting density, scaling, and alignment with 3D assets and shared materials.
Set Dressing & Polish16:11
Lighting & Atmosphere9:44
Migrating Our Final Assets29:24
Learn to migrate level assets from a test environment to a core Unreal project, prep landscapes, props, and Niagara effects, and align plugins and lighting for a seamless transfer.
Challenge - Level Design1:59

Working With Audio13:15
Niagara Particles7:28
Blueprint Lantern11:22
Blueprint Door10:47
Create a cave door blueprint by converting a static mesh into an actor, adjusting components, and using scene and billboard visuals to help locate it in the world.
Lantern Functionality21:04
Master lantern functionality by toggling the point light and Niagara particle at runtime with blueprints, using begin play, event graph, and a custom event triggered by Sequencer.
Door Functionality25:57
First Person Character15:03
Flame Pickup15:22
Character Interaction12:57
Challenge - Lantern Interaction0:49
Lantern Challenge Breakdown18:38
Explore a lantern challenge in Unreal Engine blueprints: light lanterns only when the torch is held, using overlap checks, casting to the first person character, and door interaction.
Challenge - Door Communication0:36
Door Challenge Breakdown21:35

Requirements

No experience necessary. Everything is covered from installing Unreal all the way through to completing your first interactive experience.

Description

Unlock the power of Unreal Engine with this comprehensive beginner’s course. Designed specifically for those new to game development, this course guides you through every step, from installing the engine to creating fully interactive levels. Unlike traditional tutorials that simply ask you to follow along, our unique approach includes practical exercises and challenges to reinforce your learning. This ensures you not only understand the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’ behind each step.

Throughout the course, you’ll explore the core features of Unreal Engine, gaining hands-on experience with its powerful tools. You’ll start by learning how to install and set up the engine, then move on to creating and customizing your own levels. Each module is designed to build on the previous one, gradually increasing in complexity to help you develop a solid foundation in game development.

One of the standout features of this course is the inclusion of interactive exercises and challenges. These are designed to test your understanding and help you apply what you’ve learned in a practical context. By the end of the course, you’ll have created a fully interactive level, complete with custom elements and features.

Whether you’re looking to start a career in game development or simply want to explore a new hobby, this course provides the perfect introduction to Unreal Engine. With clear, step-by-step instructions and plenty of opportunities for hands-on practice, you’ll gain the skills and confidence needed to create your own custom levels. Join us today and take the first step on your game development journey!

Who this course is for:

Beginner game developers interested in learning all of the core Unreal Engine features

Best UE5 Beginners Course: Create Your First Project

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 2min

Epic Launcher3 lectures • 16min

First Project8 lectures • 1hr 23min

Project Management and Assets8 lectures • 1hr 5min

Materials6 lectures • 53min

Level Design13 lectures • 3hr 36min

Features & Functionality13 lectures • 2hr 55min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: