Six great Unreal Engine tutorials for beginners (UE4 & UE5)
The art of making games can be a very rewarding profession. Whether it was the first time you stepped into the magical world of an RPG or that memorable all-night session you had playing a multiplayer game until 4am, video games can bring an unbelievable amount of joy to people.
At Hitmarker, we’re all about giving people the tools, advice, and job opportunities they need to break into this field and make their own mark in the video game industry. And if you’re picturing a career in game design or game programming, getting to grips with an industry-leading game engine like Unreal Engine is one of the best places to start.
We’ve compiled six of the best Unreal Engine tutorials for beginners to help you do just that, with sections on both Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Engine 5.
UNREAL ENGINE 5 TUTORIALS FOR BEGINNERS
Unreal Engine 5 is the latest major release from Epic Games. Here are some great tutorials to help you get started with this powerful new engine.
1. "How to Create a Game in Unreal Engine 5" by Unreal Sensei
We’re starting off with a lengthy but very in-depth guide to creating a basic FPS game with Unreal Engine 5.
In just two hours, Unreal Sensei takes us through the entire creation process, from the very basic game controls, to the gameplay functions and in-game UI, all the way to adding an environment for your game to take place in.
This tutorial is super simple and requires no knowledge of Unreal Engine to get started. It’s very well put together and will introduce you to many of the key functions that you’ll use as a game developer. So if you’re wondering how to get started in this world and want to begin with the latest and greatest software, we’d recommend giving it a watch.
Check Unreal Sensei out on Twitter if you want to learn more about both Unreal Engine 4 and 5.
2. "Unreal Engine 5 Beginner Blueprints Tutorial - Complete Introduction to Blueprints from ZERO to HERO" by UNF Games
The beauty of Unreal Engine Blueprints is that they can let you develop working game systems without having to write any code. They’re a great way for beginners to learn the fundamentals of building a game, and this tutorial from UNF Games will give you a top-to-bottom understanding of blueprints by the end of its three hour run time.
The tutorial begins by introducing blueprints, the terminology used in them, and how to navigate around the different menus. It can get rather technical as it goes on, but UNF does a great job at keeping this understandable and explaining what’s happening on screen and why.
Each section is also broken up using YouTube chapters, making it easy to revisit a section or skip forward if you need to.
UNF Games has many other videos on its channel in this same format, so if you find the tutorial helpful be sure to give it a look. You can also find UNF on Twitter here.
3. "How To Create Melee Combat - Unreal Engine 5 Tutorial" by Virtus
If you’re just starting out with Unreal Engine but already know you want to make a game with a working combat system, then this tutorial from Virtus has you covered.
In just 27 minutes, Virtus guides us through adding basic melee attacks to our game along with the animations to go with them. You won’t be developing any insane sequences right off the bat, of course, but this video will introduce you to combat mechanics in games and what to consider when implementing them.
Virtus also provides download links for the assets used in the video, which is always a nice addition to make it easy to follow along yourself.
Their channel is packed with tutorial content for Unreal Engine, so it’s well worth checking out in order to keep learning new tips and tricks. You can also follow them on Twitter to stay updated with new uploads.
UNREAL ENGINE 4 TUTORIALS FOR BEGINNERS
1. "How To Create A Main Menu System In Unreal Engine 4" by Matt Aspland
If we asked you to name the last game you played that didn’t have a main menu, you’d probably struggle to think of one.
They’re a must-have for any polished game, and Matt Aspland has created this tutorial on how to implement a basic—but functional—main menu containing different screens for options, credits, and a quit button. The video goes over how to add functionality to the menu through code, add music, and how to customize the menu to visually fit your game.
It’s straight to the point and very well made — much like the rest of his content. If you want to learn more about Unreal Engine in the future then do check out his channel as Matt has covered a variety of topics, from beginner to advanced features. You can follow him on Twitter here.
2. "How To Create A Multiplayer Game" by Elias Wick
In this tutorial, Elias shows us how to add simple peer-to-peer multiplayer functionality to a game through Unreal Engine 4.
This tutorial covers the very basics such as adding multiplayer functionality itself, as well as providing a way for one player to connect to another using an IP address through the in-game UI. It only runs for eight minutes, but it’s an incredibly straightforward video to teach you how to bring such a popular feature among games today into your arsenal.
Elias is an independent game developer who’s been working in the field for over five years. You can find and follow him on Twitter here.
3. "Unreal Engine 4 - Adding Basic Movement (With controller support)" by Titanic Games
If your game has a playable character, then chances are you need it to move. Whether you’re wanting to learn how to make characters move through a classic keyboard-and-mouse layout, or you’d like to give players more options with controller functionality, this tutorial from Titanic Games will teach you how to do just that in Unreal Engine 4.
The video touches on adding movement inputs, the animation profiles associated with these, and how to move the player camera — all using Unreal Engine blueprints, which means no coding is required. The video is around 14 minutes in length but is very simple and easy to follow, even if you’re an absolute beginner to Unreal Engine 4.
Although this tutorial and many others on the Titanic Games YouTube channel are several years old, they’re all still extremely useful and relevant to the current version of UE4, so don’t be discouraged from exploring the rest of their channel if you find this video helpful.
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That sums up our list! Three great beginner tutorials for both Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Engine 5, ready to help you hit the ground running as you learn more about this area.
To continue learning about the different versions of Unreal Engine available, check out our other tutorial mashups below:
