In 1985, Super Mario Bros. showed the industry that jumping was more than just moving from point A to point B. Shigeru Miyamoto and his team spent months tuning acceleration, gravity, and flight time—before even drawing levels—to ensure that simply running and jumping in an empty room felt engaging on its own.Two superficially similar games can feel vastly different: in one, the character responds instantly to every input; in another, it drifts with momentum. This is influenced by speed, acceleration, timing, camera work, animation, and sound. In this course, you will analyze these differences, test your solutions in Unreal Engine 5, and validate them in gameplay. AI will assist with C++ code, while you will set the objectives, evaluate the results, and refine the prototype.

Within the course, we will explore in minute detail how controls function across various games, teaching you to translate sensory feelings into concrete rules—such as speed, acceleration, timing, and the conditions for running, jumping, and interaction. Following that is the practical application. You will master the complete workflow involving AI: how to set a prompt, convey the project’s context, verify the generated code, and modify it as necessary. Finally, you will assemble all of this into a single scene, complete with effects, sound design, and a user interface.

The final output of the course will be a technical prototype: a character equipped with controls tailored for your game, responsive to every action with animation, sound, or visual effect, and featuring an interface that displays its current state. Alongside the prototype, you will prepare a project design document and a development log.

For aspiring game designers, digital artists, and idea creators—those who want to test their mechanics themselves using AI and are ready to master coding fundamentals.

8 weeks, 64 contact academic hours. Classes are in-person: demonstrations, collaborative practice, error analysis, and a prototype defense at the end.

You should have a comfortable working knowledge of a computer and an understanding of how video games function. Programming experience or knowledge of game engines is not required—we will cover everything during the course.Skills in visual development, level design, or audio production would be helpful, but they are not mandatory; you can develop these concurrently. Ready-made resources are available for the required assignments—you will not need to create anything from scratch.Recommended computer specs: Windows 11, Intel or AMD processor with 4 cores and 2.5 GHz, 32 GB RAM, a graphics card with 8 GB of VRAM supporting DirectX 12—details are available in the Epic Games recommendations.You will also need internet access, access to an AI assistant, and the ability to install UE5, a C++ development environment, and Git.

— Describe character management through actions, conditions, and constraints. — Decompose game mechanics into tasks for the AI and define verification criteria. — Read generated C++ code and explain its functionality. — Modify the generated code and test character behavior. — Integrate pre-made animations, sounds, and effects into in-game actions. — Design an interface to display the character’s state and available actions. — Assemble and test the technical prototype, explaining its structure.

— Comparative analysis of game controls. — Description of character control for your prototype. — A set of tasks for the AI, including context, expected outcome, and validation criteria. — Snippets of generated code with explanations. — A character prototype with configured controls and saved working versions. — A set of character actions featuring animation, audio, and visual feedback. — An interface with state indicators and interaction prompts. — A technical prototype incorporating controls, effects, and the interface. — A system map and development log detailing testing results.

CHARACTER CONTROL AND GAME ACTIONS
— Analysis and comparison of control systems in existing games
— Character actions, conditions, and constraints
— Character and game object states
— Movement, jumping, and camera parameters
— Character interaction with the environmentPROBLEM FORMULATION AND AI WORKFLOW
— Capabilities and limitations of AI assistants
— Decomposing mechanics into smaller tasks
— Project context, constraints, and expected behavior
— Receiving and refining generated C++ code
— Criteria for validating the proposed solutionC++ CODING AND DEVELOPMENT IN UNREAL ENGINE 5
— Project, game scene, and component architecture
— Variables, conditions, functions, and events
— Reading and explaining generated code
— Connecting and modifying components and mechanics
— Debugging and verifying fixes
— Working project versions and change historyANIMATION, SOUND, AND INTERFACE
— Linking character actions to animation
— Sound design and effects as responses to game actions
— Displaying character status within the interface
— Providing hints and indicating available interactionsPROTOTYPE ASSEMBLY AND TESTING
— Integrating control, effects, and interface elements
— Verifying character actions and interactions
— Playtesting with other users and refining mechanics
— Systems map and development log
— Preparation and defense of the technical prototype