Course

Virtual Worldbuilding in Unreal Engine

Self-paced
Instructor: Michael Bradbury

Spots remaining: 16

£150 Enroll

Full course description

Virtual Worldbuilding in Unreal Engine

Format: Face-to-face | 4 hrs/day (2 hrs AM + 2 hrs PM)
Level: Beginner–Intermediate
Focus: Environment design, asset integration, and storytelling through worldbuilding

Course Introduction

This 16-hour course introduces learners to the core practices of virtual worldbuilding in Unreal Engine. Designed for creative artists, designers, and storytellers, the course focuses on building immersive, explorable environments. Learners will practice environment blockout, terrain sculpting, asset integration, lighting, atmosphere, and environmental storytelling to produce a visually compelling world that communicates mood, place, and narrative potential.

On completion, learners will not only have designed a fully realised environment in Unreal Engine, but will also unlock access to three professional development pathways that each culminate in a portfolio-ready project:

  • Natural Landscapes – sculpting and dressing large-scale terrains with foliage, water, and atmosphere
  • Architectural Environments – designing built spaces such as temples, ruins, or futuristic structures
  • Storytelling Worlds – creating atmospheric scenes that convey narrative or thematic ideas through design

Beyond the classroom, learners benefit from curated resources, portfolio capture tips, and guidance on refining their environments to professional standards.

Day 1 – Fundamentals of Worldbuilding 4 hrs

Morning (2 hrs): Orientation & Core Tools

Learners are introduced to the Unreal Engine interface and basic worldbuilding principles.

  • Course scope and portfolio expectations
  • Overview of worldbuilding in games, film, and visualization
  • Editor orientation: viewport, content browser, outliner
  • Basic level setup and navigation

Afternoon (2 hrs): Blockout & Layout

Students begin shaping their virtual worlds by establishing the foundational layout of spaces.

  • Grayboxing environments with geometry tools
  • Establishing scale, player path, and focal points
  • Blocking major structures and terrain volumes
  • First playtest of environment flow
Outcome: Students create a blocked-out environment demonstrating scale, flow, and spatial composition.

Day 2 – Terrain, Assets & Atmosphere 4 hrs

Morning (2 hrs): Terrain & Natural Features

Students develop landscapes and natural features using Unreal’s built-in tools.

  • Landscape sculpting basics
  • Applying landscape materials and painting layers
  • Adding foliage and natural props
  • Water bodies and environmental detail

Afternoon (2 hrs): Atmosphere & Lighting

Learners create mood and realism through lighting and environmental effects.

  • Lighting types and placement
  • Sky sphere, skylight, and fog
  • Volumetric effects and post-processing
  • Establishing time-of-day mood
Outcome: Students produce a natural environment with terrain, foliage, lighting, and atmosphere.

Day 3 – Asset Integration & Storytelling 4 hrs

Morning (2 hrs): Asset Dressing

Students populate their blocked-out spaces with imported assets and props.

  • Importing static meshes and textures
  • Using Quixel Bridge and Marketplace assets
  • Optimizing meshes: collisions, pivots, scale
  • Environmental dressing for detail and believability

Afternoon (2 hrs): Environmental Storytelling

Learners embed narrative cues into their world through design choices.

  • Visual storytelling through props and set dressing
  • Creating focal points and leading the player’s eye
  • Building mood with lighting, decals, and audio
  • Shaping the narrative arc of an environment
Outcome: Students create a dressed environment with storytelling elements and mood-defining details.

Day 4 – Polish, Optimization & Showcase 4 hrs

Morning (2 hrs): Refinement & Performance

Students refine their worlds for visual quality and performance.

  • Material instances for variation
  • Performance checks: LODs, instancing, light baking
  • Adding audio ambiance and environmental FX
  • Polish pass for cohesion and realism

Afternoon (2 hrs): Showcase & Portfolio

The course concludes with final presentations and portfolio preparation.

  • Capturing screenshots and video flythroughs
  • Student showcases and peer feedback
  • Instructor feedback on composition and polish
  • Portfolio pathways and further study options
Outcome: Students present a polished, portfolio-ready Unreal Engine world with strong environmental storytelling and atmosphere.