Make a 2D Action Platformer in Unreal Engine 5

Download and install Unreal Engine 5 via the Epic Games Launcher, manage versions in the library, and sign in to set the install location and accept the license terms.

Create a new blueprint project in Unreal Engine 5.3 using the third person template on desktop with maximum quality. Name it Crash Course and open the third person template map.

Navigate the Unreal Engine editor, master the viewport and gizmo, switch between translate, rotate, and scale with shortcuts, adjust snap values, and test gameplay in play mode for 2D games.

Explore the content drawer and blueprint visual scripting in Unreal Engine 5. Open the BP_third_person blueprint, view the event graph, and adjust camera and movement components for rapid iteration.

Create a new blueprint class (actor) named bp_beep_pickup, add a sphere component, apply a blue material, compile and save, then drag instances into the world.

Master Unreal Engine shortcuts like undo (Ctrl Z), redo (Ctrl Y), and copy-paste (Ctrl C/V); multi-select with Ctrl or Shift in world or content browser, alt-drag copies, blueprint getter/setter tips.

Debug your 2D action platformer in Unreal Engine 5 by using print strings to track execution paths and variable values in blueprints.

Explore paper 2D and paper XRD, a sprite based system for 2D and 2D-3D games in Unreal Engine. Import sprites, create flipbook animations, tile maps, use animation graph with notifies.

Build a 2D action platformer in Unreal Engine 5 by importing sprites, creating a character blueprint, wiring inputs and animations, and implementing projectiles, health, enemies, user interface, and level design.

Create a blueprint Unreal Engine 5.3 project from blank template for 2D 3D, debug map default, pixels per unit 0.25, enable fxaa, disable motion blur, and install Paper XRD.

Create a playable character by building a blueprint hierarchy using inheritance. Derive BP action char base from paper character, then BP player for shared and player-specific properties.

Configure a game mode to set the default pawn and possess it, add a spring arm camera, and adjust distance and angle for a side view.

Master Unreal Engine 5.3's enhanced input system by creating input actions and a mapping context, binding jump to spacebar and movement to D and A with negate for axis 1D.

Constrain movement to a fixed plane so all characters and enemies stay on the same lane, then tune gravity, jump velocity, and air control for a responsive Megaman-style platformer.

Learn to limit player shots in Unreal Engine 5 by despawning off-screen projectiles and implementing a shot energy system, balancing risk and performance with the player projectile base.

Create the bp enemy base as a shared parent for all enemies, build the crab, align sprite and collision, and implement a faction-based projectile system with destruction VFX.

Implement a modular health and damage system using an actor component (BPC vitality) to track max health, current health, and is defeated, enabling reusable damage handling across actors and plugins.

Create a damage flash by using a dynamic sprite material with emissive color and a flash multiplier, triggered on damage and faded by a timeline.

Enable player damage on enemy overlap by switching pawns to overlap, applying damage via the BP action chart base, and implementing a 1.5 second invincibility with sprite flicker.

Apply knockback and stun on damage in Unreal Engine 5 by launching the player with a directional vector and triggering a hurt animation with movement and shooting disabled.

Learn to implement a charge shot in a 2D Unreal Engine 5 game by detecting hold and release, then spawning partial and full charge projectiles.

Explore implementing charge material flashing in a 2d action platformer with unreal engine 5, using dynamic sprite material, a charge flash timer, and color changes for partial and full charge.

Build a small testing playground with Unreal Engine 5 cube grid for gray boxing to test wall slide and wall jump, aligning the player and crab on the grid.

Implement wall slide animation and wall jump in Unreal Engine 5, enabling shooting while sliding, adjusting pivot and shoot positions, and using launch character with wall jump power and friction.

Polish 2D platformer slide in Unreal Engine 5 by preventing sliding in air or off ledge, damage, canceling on jump or opposite input, and adding a cancel slide event.

Implement player respawn in Unreal Engine 5 by destroying and respawning the pawn via the game mode, binding a defeated event, and fading the camera at the player start.

Create a checkpoint system in unreal engine 5 with a bp checkpoint, box collision trigger, and game mode that stores the active checkpoint and respawns at it or the start.

Create a bp_fall_detector with a box collision to detect the player, apply damage, and trigger a screen fade for controlled respawn when they fall or reach hazards.

Build a simple crab enemy AI in Unreal Engine 5 using a base AI controller and a crab AI to walk forward, detect walls and ledges, and turn around.

Design a stationary Unreal Engine 5 lizard enemy that shoots fireball projectiles at intervals, using an AI controller, Paper XD animations, and animation notifies to spawn from the mouth.

Fix projectile knockback by passing the projectile as the damage causer, ensuring knockback direction follows the projectile's position. Tested with a lizard and charge-shot reset.

Create a BP enemy bat that flies between point A and point B using a timeline-based patrol in Unreal Engine 5, with adjustable move rate for designers.

Learn to create a chaser enemy in Unreal Engine 5 by building BP enemy base with an aggro detection system, an AI controller, and a chasing movement toward the player.

Build a health UI in Unreal Engine by creating a HUD widget with a widget blueprint, then spawn it in begin play via the game mode and add to viewport.

Show how to make the health UI functional by wiring the HUD through the game mode to the health component and updating health visuals with a loop over health images.