Atmosphere, AI, Famous Horror Mechanics, and Final Touches

Overview

Class Central Tips

This course teaches you how to master atmospheric level design and integrate famous horror mechanics into your game, along with powerful AI systems. Beginning with atmosphere and level design, you'll learn how to create eerie environments using advanced lighting, post-processing, fog, and ambient sounds to set the mood. You'll also explore how to design immersive scenes with depth-of-field effects and dust particles, perfecting the visual atmosphere of your horror game. Next, the course focuses on recreating iconic mechanics from some of the most popular horror games, including the camera systems from Outlast, Resident Evil, and Five Nights at Freddy's. These mechanics are essential for adding tension and enhancing player immersion. You’ll learn to build functional camera systems that add new layers of gameplay to your horror project. The final section dives into AI behavior, where you’ll create patrolling enemies that can chase, investigate, and even pull players from hiding spots. You'll develop intelligent AI enemies capable of dynamic interactions such as following the player, opening doors, and triggering jumpscares. By the end of this course, you will have completed a polished horror game with atmospheric environments, sophisticated AI, and iconic horror game mechanics. This course is designed for intermediate to advanced Unreal Engine users who are interested in creating atmospheric horror games with AI-driven enemies. Prior experience with Unreal Engine and game development is recommended.

Syllabus

Atmosphere and Level Design

In this module, we will focus on creating a compelling game atmosphere. You’ll learn to design a small level, set up lighting, add fog and dust particles, and implement depth of field. By the end, you’ll also integrate ambient sound to bring your environment to life, creating a deeper sense of immersion.

Famous Horror Game Mechanics

In this module, we will replicate famous camera systems from beloved horror games. You'll learn to recreate the "Outlast" camera views, the fixed-camera system from Resident Evil, and Five Nights at Freddy's security cameras to create tense and unique perspectives in your game.

Artificial Intelligence

In this module, we will focus on creating intelligent and terrifying enemies. You’ll develop AI capable of patrolling, chasing, and investigating, as well as executing attacks and jumpscares. Additionally, you’ll learn how to make enemies interact with the environment by opening doors and detecting hidden players.

Extras

In this module, we will wrap up by designing a main menu for your game and discussing potential next steps for your learning journey. You’ll gain insight into future possibilities and areas to explore as you continue refining your game development abilities.