Make a 2D platformer in Unreal engine 5 C++

First up, we'll be installing Visual Studio in visual studio installer. This is a powerful Integrated Development Environment, or IDE, for C++ development within Unreal Engine

If you're planning on developing your game for Android devices, we'll need another tool called Android Studio.

We'll also need a Java Development Kit, or JDK, for compatibility with Unreal Engine. Versions 17 or 20 are compatible with Unreal Engine 5.3.

While Visual Studio is a great option, JetBrains Rider is another popular IDE that can be used with Unreal Engine. It offers a 30-day free trial, so you can explore it if you prefer, we’ll using it along the tutorial

Now that our development environment is set up, let's begin creating our game project within Unreal Engine.

Before diving into coding, let's first optimize our development environment by implementing best practices.

Select "Tools," then "New C++ Class," create a blank class in the Project directory, click "Create Class," remove unnecessary automatic imports, adjust as needed, and initiate the build process.

In Unreal Engine, Game Mode is a class that defines the rules and flow of the game. It is a crucial component in determining how a game behaves, including what actors are present, how players interact with the game world, and what conditions dictate winning or losing. Game Mode is typically specified in C++ or Blueprints, and it is instantiated when a level is loaded.

In Unreal Engine, the Player Controller is a class that acts as an intermediary between the player and the game world. It processes input from the player and translates it into interactions with Pawns (characters or other controllable objects). The Player Controller is responsible for handling player input, controlling camera movements, and managing player-specific HUD (heads-up display) elements.

In Unreal Engine, a Player Character is a type of Pawn that includes built-in functionality for movement and player control. It extends the basic functionality of a Pawn with additional features such as walking, running, jumping, and crouching, and it is specifically designed to be controlled by a Player Controller. The Player Character class provides a convenient starting point for creating characters that the player can control in a game.

Before we start coding, let's make sure our project has the essential tools for creating a 2D platformer. We'll do this by adding dependencies within the Rider editor.

In this section, we'll embark on a journey to craft a stunning 2D map using Unreal Engine's powerful tools: the Tileset and Tilemap.

Constructing a Tilemap in Unreal Engine 5 involves importing tile assets, creating Tile Sets, designing the Tilemap using the Tilemap editor, and integrating the Tilemap into your level. This process provides a flexible and powerful way to create 2D game levels or 2D elements within a 3D game environment.

In this section, I will teach you how to work with sprites in Unreal Engine to create a 2D platformer. This involves setting up your project, importing and animating sprites.

This guide provides a concise overview of animating sprites in Unreal Engine, detailing steps from organizing assets in structured folders, optimizing and extracting sprites, to creating and adjusting Flipbooks for different animations like idle and run cycles.

This guide details organizing project files by creating an "Assets" folder for sprites, creating and configuring a character Blueprint from the "Platformer2DCharacter" C++ class, adjusting the Capsule Component to fit the Flipbook, resolving missing components by rebuilding the project, setting up the SpringArmComponent and Camera Component for proper display and movement lag, positioning the character in the level, testing the setup by selecting the correct Game Mode, adding a Player Start for character spawning, linking the character to the Game Mode, and troubleshooting any errors using the Output Log.

Create a C++ class named "CharacterGameComponent," define and implement movement and jump functions, and integrate it with the player character in Unreal Engine. Rebuild the project, assign default values, and verify the component in BP_PlayerBaseCharacter.

This guide covers implementing Unreal Engine's Enhanced Input system by overriding the "SetupPlayerInputComponent" function, declaring an "UEnhancedInputComponent" variable, including necessary headers, binding movement and jump actions, overriding and implementing the "PawnClientRestart" function to set up input mappings, and finally building and testing the project to verify input functionality in BP_PlayerBaseCharacter.

Set up input actions in Unreal Engine by creating "IA_Move" and "IA_Jump" in an "Input/Actions" folder and defining mappings in "IM_EnhancedInput" for movement and jump actions. Assign these mappings to your character Blueprint, compile, and save to implement Enhanced Input for character controls.

Create a CharacterGameComponent by defining movement and jump functions, setting properties, and implementing them in the CPP file. Integrate this component with Platformer2DCharacter, declare native functions for jumping, and enhance movement and jump functionalities, then rebuild and test.

To enhance character control in Unreal Engine, override "SetupPlayerInputComponent" in the character's Blueprint class, integrating UEnhancedInputComponent for advanced input handling. Implement bindings for "MovementAction" and "JumpAction" with specific triggers, update the "PawnClientRestart" function to accommodate new input mappings, and verify functionality within the Unreal Editor to ensure precise player actions.

Configure your character's movement in Unreal Engine by adjusting parameters in the "Character Movement" component, setting constraints for optimal 2D movement, and fine-tuning jumping mechanics. Test these changes by playing the game and modify settings like camera collision and motion blur for enhanced visual clarity and gameplay experience.

Create an "AnimationComponent" in Unreal Engine by adding a new C++ Actor Component class, implementing character states through an enum, and controlling sprite rotation based on movement direction, using a Tick function to update regularly. State machines are set up in C++ to manage transitions between these states.

Create and manage character animations in Unreal Engine by implementing an "AnimationStateMachine" and specific state functions like "RunAnimation" and "JumpAnimation", integrating them using "UpdateAnimation" within the "TickComponent" function for dynamic transitions, and setting up flipbooks for each animation state in Blueprints.

Incorporate structured organization into your Unreal Engine project by leveraging structs to define animation properties, integrate them seamlessly with Blueprints for easy configuration, and refine animation logic for efficient and polished character animations, enhancing the overall visual experience.

Ensure smooth character animations in Unreal Engine by implementing state-based animation functions, managing animation updates, and integrating flipbooks for seamless transitions, resulting in polished character movements and actions.

Effortlessly manage your 2D game's animations in Unreal Engine! This tutorial explores using Data Tables for a more organized and efficient animation state machine.

Harnessing inheritance, create a ParentActorInteraction class that defines shared properties like PaperSprite and PlayerCharacter, ensuring reusability and simplified development. Implement the BeginPlay function to obtain and assign the player character reference, set default values in the constructor, and verify the setup in Unreal Engine.

Create a FallingInteraction class derived from ParentActorInteraction to implement a crumbling platform in Unreal Engine. Define properties such as UBoxComponent for collision detection, and UProjectileMovementComponent for gravity and falling behavior. Implement functions like BoxBeginOverlap, OnFall, and OnReset to manage platform behavior, including triggering falls and respawning the platform. Finally, build and test to ensure proper functionality.

Create a BP_Falling Blueprint class based on FallingInteraction and organize it in a new "Interactions" subfolder. Assign a visual sprite to the platform, configure the Box Component for accurate collision detection, and link the interaction class to the player character. Customize parameters like DropDelay and RespawnDelay in the Details panel for fine-tuning, then test and iterate to ensure the platform behaves as desired.

To enhance performance, we'll optimize our falling platform interaction by refining the code and reducing unnecessary computations. This will ensure smoother gameplay and more efficient resource usage.

Greetings, developers! Today, we'll create a trampoline interaction in C++ to launch the player character skyward. We'll derive a "TrampolineInteraction" class from "ParentActorInteraction," set up properties and components for collision detection and visual states, and implement functions to handle player interaction and reset the trampoline's state.

Let's integrate our C++ "TrampolineInteraction" class into Unreal Engine's Blueprint system. We'll create a "BP_Trampoline" Blueprint, assign visual assets, configure collision properties, and tweak parameters for customization and testing within your game level.

Today, we'll be developing a new "LadderInteraction" class in C++ for ladder functionality in our game. We start by creating a standalone Actor class, followed by implementing collision detection and tracking player state to determine when they are on the ladder. The class includes essential properties and overlap functions to change the player's movement mode, enabling and disabling ladder interaction dynamically.

We enhance ladder mechanics in our game by developing a "MoveUpAndDown" function in the "CharacterGameComponent" to manage vertical player movement. This integrates seamlessly with the "Platformer2DCharacter" class via an "EnhancedClimb" function, which activates when players use the newly defined "ClimbAction." Input actions are set up and mapped to keyboard controls, ensuring intuitive climbing controls are available for gameplay testing.

A new "BP_Ladder" Blueprint class is created from the "LadderInteraction" base class and added to the "Ladder Interactions" subfolder for organization. The ladder's interaction mechanics are configured through Blueprint scripting, and the Blueprint is placed within the game level for alignment with the ladder sprite. The "Braking Deceleration Flying" property is adjusted to fine-tune character movement during ladder interactions. Finally, the game is built and tested to ensure the ladder climbing functionality works as intended with the assigned controls.

The "AnimationComponent" is expanded to include two new states, "Climb" and "IdleClimb," for ladder interactions. A "ClimbAnimation" function is implemented to check if the player is on the ladder and assign the appropriate animation state based on movement. This function is integrated into the animation state machine, giving priority to ladder animations over others like jumping or falling. For testing, temporary animations are assigned to these new states in the "BP_PlayerBaseCharacter" Blueprint, and the project is built and tested to ensure the ladder animations are triggered correctly during gameplay.

The "SpikeInteraction" class is created as a derived class from "ParentActorInteraction" to manage spike behavior in a game environment. It includes functions to change the spike state, handle damage on player contact, and automate state transitions with a timer. The spike has configurable properties such as damage amount, activation delay, and looping behavior. Visual representations for the spike's raised and lowered states are managed via sprite switching, and collision detection is enabled or disabled accordingly. The entire setup is tested within the game engine after building and checking for errors to ensure functionality.

The process involves setting up a spike interaction in a game using Unreal Engine's Blueprint system. First, the "Apply Damage" function is configured to manage damage to the player, similar to C++'s "Take Damage." The visual assets for the spike are imported and renamed for clarity. A new Blueprint class, "BP_Spike," is created from the "SpikeInteraction" class and configured with initial sprite settings and various parameters for damage, activation delay, and collision behavior. Finally, the spike is tested in the game environment to ensure it functions as intended, with precise damage application and collision detection.

The development process for a checkpoint system in a game involves creating a new C++ class named "CheckpointInteraction" derived from "ParentActorInteraction." This class incorporates collision detection, visual representation, and respawn location components to manage player interactions with checkpoints. The system uses "BoxBeginOverlap" to handle player collisions, updating the player's respawn location upon checkpoint activation. Additionally, visual cues switch between active and inactive states to visually signify checkpoint activation. The process concludes with code compilation and testing to ensure functionality and error-free operation.

We're enhancing our player character with a "DeathComponent" to manage player death logic efficiently. This involves creating the component, tracking player state with an "IsDead" variable, and implementing a death trigger function. Integrating this component into the player character streamlines death handling and adds organization to the codebase.

We're creating a Blueprint class based on "CheckpointInteraction" to handle checkpoint functionality visually. After setting up assets and flipbooks, we configure parameters like "CheckpointOff" and "CheckpointOn" to control the checkpoint's visual appearance. Finally, we test the checkpoint in-game to ensure proper functionality, including visual changes upon player interaction.

Projectiles, propelled objects influenced by gravity, are vital in gaming for simulating realistic motion. The "ProjectileComponent" class properties include visual representation, collision detection, and projectile movement. By implementing functions like "SphereOverlapped," we manage player interaction upon collision, inflicting damage and destroying the projectile. After building and testing, we ensure smooth functionality in the game.

In this video, we'll focus on creating a "Turret Interaction" class to integrate our projectile system with a static turret. Key class properties include a timer handle for projectile spawning, variables for controlling firing rate and looping behavior, and references to the projectile class and turret visual. Implementations cover constructor setup, timer management in BeginPlay, and firing logic within the Fire function, ensuring seamless integration of the turret's behavior with projectile spawning.

In this challenge session, you're tasked with creating Blueprints for both the "Turret" and "Projectile" entities. Key steps involve asset uploads, configuring parameters within the Blueprints, setting up projectile movement, and testing the turret's functionality. Remember to organize assets efficiently, adjust component sizes, and fine-tune parameters for optimal performance. Finally, place the turret Blueprint in your game level for testing and iteration.