Unreal Engine: Intro To Game Design

Build a playable UE4 shooting-gallery game without coding

Duration 11h 17m Rating (4.6) Price Included with subscription on Skillshare
Created by Greg Wondra
Platform: Skillshare Topic: Game Development Skills: Blueprint Scripting Level Design Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine: Intro To Game Design is a project-based introduction that guides learners through building a shooting-gallery game using Unreal Engine 4. The course emphasizes practical workflows—level layout, visual polish, Blueprint scripting, UI, audio, lighting, and final packaging—so students finish with a working project.

It targets beginners and creative hobbyists who want hands-on experience with UE4 tools and prefer visual scripting over traditional coding. Expect a lesson-by-lesson progression focused on applied skills and a finished deliverable rather than abstract theory.

At a Glance

Unreal Engine: Intro To Game Design is an introductory online course taught by industry instructor Greg Wondra that guides learners through building a simple shooting gallery game using Unreal Engine.

The curriculum emphasizes practical, project-based instruction across level creation, visual polish, Blueprint scripting, user interface, and project packaging so students finish a playable project.

Level Beginner
Rating 4.6 out of 5
Duration 10+ hours
Languages English
Learners 5K+ students
Certificate No certificate
Access Access while your subscription is active
Course includes
  • 76 video lessons
  • Hands-on class project
  • Downloadable content packs
  • Student project gallery
Price Included with subscription

What This Course Teaches

Learners complete the class with demonstrable, project-based competencies that map directly to building and polishing a simple playable game in Unreal Engine 4.

By course end students can create a UE4 project, prototype and dress levels, implement Blueprint-driven interactions, and assemble menus and HUDs into a packaged game.

Project setup
Create and configure a new Unreal Engine 4 project with correct settings and content structure.
Engine tools
Navigate the UE4 editor and apply core tools for level and asset manipulation.
Design document
Draft a concise game design document outlining gameplay, goals, and scope for the shooting gallery project.
Graybox level
Build a graybox level layout to prototype gameplay flow and player navigation.
Level dressing
Apply static meshes, materials, particles, sounds, and lighting to visually polish levels.
Blueprint scripting
Implement interactive gameplay mechanics and objects using Blueprint scripting without coding.
Menus & HUD
Design and implement interactive menus and a heads-up display for game flow and scoring.

How the Course Is Structured

The class is arranged as a linear, project-driven sequence of short video lessons that moves learners from initial setup through final packaging of a playable shooting-gallery project.

The syllabus contains 76 lessons presented in order and totals approximately 10+ hours of video content.

Curriculum overview

01Project Preview1:30
02Project Primer2:37
03Download and Install6:24
04Project Creation7:11
05Project Organization4:41
06Game Design Overview6:50
07Player Metrics #13:39
08Player Metrics #211:23
09Geometry Overview5:03
10Additive and Subtractive Brushes5:50
11Geometry Brush Settings10:01
12Geometry Editing10:27
13Building to the Grid8:13
14Building Efficiency Tips7:37
15Level Layout #113:10
16Level Layout #210:09
17Level Layout #35:26
18Level Layout #410:16
19Import Marketplace Assets3:41
20Materials15:35
21Static Meshes9:32
22Particles6:28
23Sound8:48
24Lighting14:54
25Day Night Scene4:09
26Blueprint Overview6:36
27BP Construction – Moving Platform4:53
28BP Construction – Door7:18
29BP Construction – Steam Jet7:57
30BP Construction – Fan9:07
31BP Construction – Health Pickup6:42
32BP Construction – Parent Target9:57
33BP Construction – Point Targets8:25
34BP Construction – Special Targets4:29
35BP Construction – Target Spawner7:48
36BP Construction – Level Complete4:21
37BP Scripting – Moving Platform16:58
38BP Scripting – Door17:08
39BP Scripting – Character Health13:49
40BP Scripting – Steam Jet6:56
41BP Scripting – Fan8:24
42BP Scripting – Health Pickup6:22
43BP Scripting – Parent Target #15:47
44BP Scripting – Parent Target #215:58
45BP Scripting – Parent Target #310:12
46BP Scripting – +Speed Target17:29
47BP Scripting – Target Spawner #115:38
48BP Scripting – Target Spawner #25:22
49Widget Blueprint Overview14:47
50Layout – HUD16:30
51Layout – Start Menu12:32
52Layout – Level Complete Menu16:35
53Layout – Game Over Menu2:15
54Layout – Pause Menu2:08
55Framework Blueprints4:58
56Start Menu12:05
57Game HUD6:01
58HUD Bindings10:57
59Game Music4:28
60Game Score8:24
61Game Instance Blueprint5:33
62Game Timer #110:37
63Game Timer #25:08
64BP Scripting – +Time Target6:30
65Player Respawn17:59
66Level Complete Menu #112:38
67Level Complete Menu #212:53
68Game Over Menu #16:35
69Game Over Menu #26:00
70Pause Menu #114:18
71Pause Menu #27:43
72Troubleshooting9:32
73Project Postmortem10:40
74Packaging a Project11:06
75Making It Rain8:28
76Customized Projectile9:22

Audience & Requirements

The course is aimed at beginners and creative hobbyists who want a hands-on, project-driven introduction to Unreal Engine through building a simple shooting-gallery game; it also suits aspiring level designers and indie creators who prefer visual scripting over traditional coding.

It is designed for learners with little or no programming experience who want to learn UE4 tools, level layout, visual polish, and Blueprint-based interactivity via a guided project.

Who It’s For
  • Beginner game developers and hobbyists learning Unreal Engine through a guided project.
  • Aspiring level designers seeking practical layout and dressing techniques.
  • Indie creators prototyping gameplay mechanics without writing code.
  • Students or instructors looking for a project-centered UE4 teaching resource.
What You’ll Need
  • Unreal Engine 4 installed (free to download).
  • A desktop-class PC or Mac that meets UE4’s recommended hardware requirements.
  • Willingness to download and install the instructor’s content packs into the project’s Content folder.
  • No prior programming knowledge — Blueprint scripting is used for interactions.

Final Verdict

This course is a practical, hands-on introduction to Unreal Engine that enjoys strong peer approval and broad learner adoption, making it a cost-effective way to acquire working UE4 skills if you have access to the platform subscription.

It’s well-suited to beginners, hobbyists, and indie creators who want to produce a playable project and learn visual scripting and level design workflows quickly; learners who need an accredited certificate or very deep, advanced engine research should plan to supplement it with additional, certification-focused or specialist training.