Professional Game Development in C++ and Unreal Engine

Master Unreal Engine C++ Game Development with this university-grade course.

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Welcome to my course on game development in C++ with Unreal Engine. In this project-based course, you will build a third-person action game and gain a comprehensive understanding of the Unreal Engine C++ game development architecture. Whether you have been programming for years or are just starting out, this course is designed to help you master Unreal Engine and advance your game development career.

With a focus on hands-on learning, this course covers the essential concepts and techniques of programming in C++ within the Unreal Engine environment. You will learn about Unreal Engine's class hierarchy and core features, as well as best practices for debugging, optimization, and gameplay systems. By the end of the course, you will have the knowledge and skills to confidently create your own games using C++ and Unreal Engine.

With its powerful tools and advanced features, Unreal Engine is a popular choice for game developers. However, information about Unreal Engine C++ is often difficult to find. This course brings together the best of what I have learned from over 10 years of experience to provide you with a structured and engaging learning path. You will learn everything you need to know to start building your own games with C++ and Unreal Engine. Join me and let's master Unreal Engine together!

Is this course for you?

You might be wondering if you are a good fit for this course. This course isn’t for those without any programming skills whatsoever, there simply isn't time to teach general fundamentals of functions/variables and all the amazing intermediate/advanced content into a single course. You should have some foundational skills in programming, but it doesn't have to be C++. I went from C# into C++ myself pretty seamlessly (It was much easier than I had anticipated!), other languages like Java, Python, etc. will do just fine too!

Here are some types of students that would be a great fit:

  • Students in computer science or game development
  • Studio employees just starting out with or on their way to mastering unreal engine C++
  • Any Programming Professionals seeking to re-train themselves in Unreal Engine
  • Intermediate Unreal Developers looking to improve their C++ skills and learn new features
  • Those that are serious about a career in Game Development (Hobbyists welcome too of course!)
  • Students/Programmers still wondering if Game Development is for them (This is a great look into what game programming is like)

During the fall of 2020, this course was taught to Computer Science students at Stanford University (Video Game Development in C++ and Unreal Engine - CS193U) and received raving reviews from the students.


Combat Gameplay

Just a few of the many gameplay features we will build on top of our Gameplay Framework and Ability System.


My students work at (AAA) Studios around the globe

Your Instructor: Tom Looman

My name is Tom Looman, a full-time game developer with 10+ years of Unreal Engine experience, both as an indie developer and as an engineer at Epic Games! Over the years I created dozens of tutorials, courses, and sample projects for the Unreal Engine community from beginner to advanced level.

I've taught Unreal Engine C++ to Computer Science students at Stanford University. My courses have over 40.000 students.

Through my courses, I hope to teach you what I learned over the years and help you in building your games the right way! I love explaining challenging concepts by going hands-on and showing by example. I’m passionate about taking seemingly difficult concepts and boiling them down into simple to follow guides. My goal is to make game development approachable to anyone who is willing to learn.

Besides teaching and writing about game development, I work on game projects daily, which keeps me up-to-date on Unreal Engine, C++, and the game creation process.

You will learn how to properly build your game including a solid framework to write professional-grade code that can be applied to many genres and designs. The code you write will be invaluable regardless of your own game project’s design as you learn to code games containing flexible coding principles that are widely applicable. This includes a ‘Gameplay Ability System’ style system we create from the ground up and event-based coding principles for efficient game loops and UIs.

Throughout the course we will cover the Unreal specific C++ features and concepts including the Unreal Property System which is a powerful tool to expose your code to the editor and Blueprint. We create a game on top of Unreal’s Gameplay Framework using the “unreal-way” of making games. Along the way I will explain the reasoning behind the code we write, normally only discovered through years of tinkering, and iterating.

Debugging your code is an invaluable skill, and so we will cover debugging tools and tricks for both C++ and Blueprint. We finish that up with performance profiling tools to find bottlenecks or bugs that affect your gameplay.

The game would not be complete without some AI opponents or multiplayer with friends, you will learn how to implement both! You will discover how to use the Unreal Engine AI features including Behavior Trees, Environment Query System and create custom C++ nodes to extend the AI capabilities. We then move on to make all our game logic work seamlessly in multiplayer as well.

But even that is not all. I will demonstrate how to save the game state to disk, asynchronously load game assets, how to control VFX and materials from code, build responsive User Interfaces with UMG, GameplayTags, Animation Blueprints, creating of debug commands and so much more!

Major Features

  • Building C++ Game Framework
  • Combining C++ and Blueprint for flexible game logic
  • Unreal’s Gameplay Systems
  • Event-based Programming Principles
  • AI Programming (Behavior Trees, Blackboard, EQS, Custom C++ Nodes)
  • Multiplayer Networking (Replication architecture, low-bandwidth, best practices)
  • Saving Game State to Disk (Saving/loading player progression and world state)
  • Performance Profiling Tools (Unreal Insights & in-editor tools)
  • User Interfaces with UMG (using Event-based Principles)
  • Async Asset Loading & Soft References

Throughout the course you will work on 7 challenging assignments to complete on your own. These are backed up with in-lesson walkthroughs and source code repository to see how your solutions compare to mine including reasoning with code discussed during class.

Besides the countless features listed above, the course contains so much more! It’s packed with so many tips and tricks I’m 100% assured you will learn so much even for more experienced programmers...

All source-code and history can be found on GitHub to analyze and compare.

Course Curriculum


  Lecture 1 - Introduction & Setup
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  Lecture 2 - Project Start & Version Control
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  Lecture 3 - Gameplay, Collision, and Physics
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  Lecture 4 - Interfaces & Collision Queries
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  Lecture 5 - Blueprints 101
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  Lecture 6 - Debugging Tools
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  Lecture 7 - UMG & (Player) Attributes
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  Lecture 8 - (Dynamic) Materials for Gameplay
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  Lecture 9 - Audio, Animation, UI
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  Lecture 10 - Basic AI & Behavior Trees
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  Lecture 11 - Intermediate AI with Custom Tasks & EQS
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  Lecture 12 - More AI, Environment Query Spawn Logic
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  Lecture 13 - Finalizing AI, Extending the Framework
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  Lecture 14 - UMG With C++ & More Framework Extensions
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  Lecture 15 - Console Variables, GameMode Rules
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  Lecture 16 - Writing our own "Gameplay Ability System" alternative
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  Lecture 17 - GameplayTags
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  Lecture 18 – Creating "Buffs", World Interaction
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  Lecture 19 – Multiplayer 1 “Network Replication”
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  Lecture 20 – Multiplayer 2
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  Lecture 21 – Multiplayer 3
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  Lecture 22 – Finishing up Multiplayer
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  Lecture 23 – Serializing Game & Player Progression
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  Lecture 24 – Building Menus in UMG
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  Lecture 25 – UMG & Styling Widgets
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  Lecture 26 – Animation Blueprints & UI Improvements
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  Lecture 27 – Data Assets, Data Tables, Async Loading (Asset Manager)
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  Lecture 28 – Packaging, Performance, Polish
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  Lecture 29 – Wrapping Up
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  Additional Features
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Build AI using in-editor tools like Behavior Trees and custom C++ extensions.

Using 'Environment Query System' to handle spatial reasoning for AI.

All features support multiplayer by the end of the course.

The game will run smoothly thanks to 'Unreal Insights' and other in-editor profiling tools demonstrated in the course.

Multiplayer may be the most intimidating feature of Unreal Engine to learn on your own. I'll be there to help you along the way!

Exclusive JetBrains Trial

All students receive an exclusive 180 days trial for Jetbrains ReSharper C++ (Visual Studio Plugin) and JetBrains Rider (Visual Studio Alternative) products! This includes an exclusive 25% Discount on their ReSharper/Rider personal licenses! These tools will help streamline your Unreal C++ programming experience.

This course contains 10+ years of my Unreal Engine experience and I truly believe it is something you will love to take part in! I have managed to pack so much of what I had to learn the hard way and can now explain all of it in an easy-to-follow curriculum.

A lot of what you will learn here is simply not available elsewhere and certainly not in such a cohesive and structured learning experience. These are not one-off tutorials taking shortcuts while inadvertently teaching you bad habits...You will build a proper game and framework with solid foundational coding skills that you can take into your career as a game developer!

My 2100+ students are from all backgrounds including veteran AAA studios, indie developers, and those just starting out in the industry!

Get started now!



Looking for Studio Training?

Custom Bulk license options are available! Please contact us directly to discuss options and save on bulk enrollment.

Trusted by AAA Studios globally.

Join hundreds of students from AAA studios.
Companies worldwide are using this course successfully to train their in-house teams.
Strengthening their Unreal Engine C++ skillset or re-training from other software such as Unity3D or proprietary engines.

What my students are saying

"I'm so happy with the course! Its the best course I ever had. I'm constantly suprised how well everything connects and adds up from lecture to lecture. This is a great foundation and I hope I'll join some company as game programmer in few weeks time! Thank you"

Tomasz Cichociński

Senior Web Developer

"I had so much fun following this course. I asked many questions, to which I had always a reply. I can say that you are going to learn much more than you imagine with this course."

Juan Belón Pérez

Principal Software Engineer at MPG

"I've been looking for a C++-based Unreal course for a while and this was perfect! Tom covers 3D movement and combat, but also things often missed: multiplayer, behaviour trees, UI and materials. Everything in enough detail to get you started and let you dive deeper if you want."

@_benui

Brace Yourself Games

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact me in the first 30 days and I will give you a full refund.
Is this course compatible with Unreal Engine 5.0?
Yes, the course works for both Unreal Engine 4.25+ and the latest 5.0 and above! The Unreal C++ concepts have remained the same, there are only minor differences for us between both versions. Where necessary, lectures will include the differences between the engine versions.
Can I follow along on Mac and/or Visual Studio alternative?
Yes. It works on platforms other than Windows, and Visual Studio isn't required either! You can use apps like Rider, Visual Studio Code, or XCode. Some code editor features may look a little different. We write exactly the same code and use the same workflow regardless of IDE/OS you wish to use.
What level of programming know-how is expected before starting?
The course is challenging and assumes some basic programming experience. While knowing basic C++ is ideal, other programming languages like C#, Java, etc. work fine too as they all share the same core principles we need to write games with Unreal Engine.
Is this an official Stanford University course?
No, while this course curriculum has been taught to Computer Science students at Stanford University it is not affiliated nor owned/managed by the university in any capacity. Therefore, you can't say you are a Stanford student by enrolling, but it should give you some indication of its quality!
Is there Q&A support?
Yes, there is Q&A available throughout the course. Questions are sent straight to my inbox and I will respond as soon as possible.
How does this compare to your previous courses?
It's been over 4 years since the last course was released. Things have changed and new features have been added to Unreal Engine. I learned a lot of new things myself in that time, which I have been able to put back into this course material! This includes far more detail in explaining C++ concepts and Unreal quirks, building of a proper gameplay framework, and industry best practices. Even if you took my previous course, there is a LOT of new and improved difficult-to-find information in this brand new training program!
Are English Captions available?
Yes! All videos have handmade English Captions.

If you have any questions that are not listed above, feel free you reach out to me through my contact form. I'll get back to you as soon as possible!