Game development cheat sheet (Unreal Engine)

1. 1How games are madeWhat a game is under the hood, what an engine does for you, and how to pick a first project small enough to finish.9 concepts

   1. 1Game loopThe loop every game runs many times a second: read input, update the game state, then draw the frame.
   2. 2Game engineSoftware that runs the game loop for you and provides rendering, physics, input, audio, animation, an editor and export to each platform.
   3. 3Engine licences and feesAs of 2026-09: Godot is free under the MIT licence with no fees.
   4. 4Scope controlDeciding the smallest version of a game that is still fun, writing it down, and saying no to everything else until it ships.
   5. 5Cloning classic gamesRebuilding a small, well-known game such as Pong, Breakout, Flappy Bird, Snake or Asteroids to learn the engine without having to design anything.
   6. 62D or 3D2D games use sprites on a flat plane with x and y positions; 3D games use meshes, cameras, lighting and a third axis. 3D multiplies the art, animation, camera…
   7. 7Prototype and vertical sliceA prototype answers one question, usually "is this mechanic fun?", with placeholder shapes.
   8. 8Game jamAn event where people make a game to a theme in a fixed time, usually 48 to 96 hours, then play and rate each other's entries.
   9. 9Version control for gamesGit with a .gitignore that skips generated folders (Unity Library, Godot .godot, Unreal Intermediate and Saved), and Git LFS for large binary files…

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2. 2Programming for gamesHow game code is structured in your engine: the script lifecycle, components, exposed variables, events and the language itself.9 concepts

   1. 1Script lifecycleThe functions the engine calls on your code at set moments: once when the object is created or enters play, then every frame, then at a fixed physics rate, and…
   2. 2Components and compositionBuilding game objects from small parts: a health component, a mover, a sprite, a collider.
   3. 3Exposed variablesVariables marked so they appear in the editor, where you or a designer can tune them without touching code.
   4. 4Events, signals and dispatchersA way for an object to announce that something happened, such as "health changed", so that any number of listeners can react without the sender knowing about…
   5. 5BlueprintsUnreal's node-based visual scripting: events such as BeginPlay or an input action connect through wires to functions, variables and flow control, all inside the…
   6. 6UCLASS, UPROPERTY and UFUNCTIONMacros that register your C++ classes, variables and functions with Unreal's reflection system, so the editor, Blueprints, saving and garbage collection can see…
   7. 7Unreal gameplay frameworkUnreal's built-in roles: the GameMode holds the rules, a Pawn or Character is the body the player controls, the PlayerController turns input into commands, and…
   8. 8State machineModelling an object as one state at a time, such as idle, running, jumping or attacking, with clear rules for moving between states.
   9. 9Debugging gamesPrinting values to the console, pausing on breakpoints in your IDE, and drawing debug lines, shapes and text in the game view to see what the code thinks is…

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3. The engine in depthThe engine systems nearly every game uses: scenes and levels, reusable objects, input, physics and collisions, animation, UI, audio and saving.9 conceptsOpens with credits
4. Game maths and feelThe maths that turns input into smooth movement, and the small touches that make a game feel responsive and alive.9 conceptsOpens with credits
5. Game design basicsWhat makes a game worth playing: the core loop, mechanics, levels, difficulty and learning from real players.8 conceptsOpens with credits
6. Art and audio for programmersGetting good-looking, good-sounding games without being an artist: licences, free asset sources, simple styles and sound effects.9 conceptsOpens with credits
7. Performance and buildsFinding what makes a game slow, the usual fixes, and building for PC, web and mobile.9 conceptsOpens with credits
8. Shipping and publishingGetting a game in front of players: itch.io, Steam, mobile stores, store pages, trailers and wishlists.8 conceptsOpens with credits
9. Money and careersAn honest view of indie income, studio roles, portfolios and the scams aimed at new developers.7 conceptsOpens with credits
10. 10Glossary, A to ZEvery concept in the sheet and the smaller terms it uses, in one list.216 terms

Make and ship your own games.