Unreal Engine 5 for Beginners: A step-by-step guide to building your first playable third-person game

Learn Unreal Engine 5 through a hands-on game project, progressing step by step from editor basics and Blueprints to AI, UI, cinematics, polish, and packaging

Free with your book: DRM-free PDF version + access to Packt's next-gen Reader*

Key Features

• Build a complete third-person game through a practical, step-by-step workflow
• Develop gameplay systems using Blueprints without writing code
• Create levels, a player character, enemy AI, UI, gameplay, and an opening cutscene in one project
• Solve common problems encountered during game development
• *Email sign-up and proof of purchase required

Book Description

Learning Unreal Engine 5 can feel overwhelming when you’re faced with a professional game engine, multiple editors, and interconnected systems. Instead of overwhelming technical jargon, this book takes a clear, step-by-step approach that shows you how the essential tools fit together as you create a playable game.

You’ll begin by installing Unreal Engine, setting up your first project, and exploring the editor to build and light levels. As you progress, you’ll create gameplay with Blueprints, import and animate a player character, and configure controls with Enhanced Input. You’ll then develop AI enemies and implement gameplay rules, mission objectives, and win-and-lose conditions.

The book also guides you through creating a main menu and heads-up display (HUD) with Unreal Motion Graphics (UMG), producing an introductory cut-scene with Sequencer, and polishing your game with environment assets, audio, and Niagara effects. Finally, you’ll package the project as a standalone Windows game.

By the end, you’ll have built a playable third-person game and gained a foundation in Unreal Engine 5. You’ll understand how its core tools and systems work together in a game development workflow, giving you the practical skills and confidence to create your own projects and take your first steps toward more advanced game development.

What you will learn

• Build and prototype 3D game levels using Unreal's Level Editor
• Create gameplay logic visually with Blueprints (no coding required)
• Import, animate, and set up a playable character
• Configure player controls using Unreal's Enhanced Input system
• Build enemy AI that can sense and chase the player using Behavior Trees
• Design menus and HUDs with Unreal Motion Graphics (UMG)
• Produce an introductory cut-scene using the Sequencer
• Polish your game and package it into a standalone playable file

Who this book is for

This book is for aspiring game developers, students, and hobbyists who want to learn Unreal Engine 5 through hands-on game development. Whether transitioning from another engine or starting fresh, readers will find step-by-step guidance accessible. No prior Unreal Engine or programming experience is required. You should have basic computer skills and be familiar with common video game controls, mechanics, and objectives. It also suits artists, designers, and programmers who want to learn Unreal Engine 5 through practical, hands-on game development and prototyping.

Table of Contents

1. Installing Unreal Engine and Creating Your First Game Project
2. Building Your First Game World in the Level Editor
3. Learning the Basics of Blueprints
4. Creating a Player Character
5. Handling Player Input
6. Creating an AI Character
7. Game UI with Unreal Motion Graphics
8. Designing and Implementing Gameplay Mechanics
9. Creating Cinematics and Cut-Scenes
10. Polishing and Packaging Your Game