The Cherno (YouTube channel)

What the channel covers

The Cherno is Yan Chernikov's channel. He is building a game engine called Hazel, and most of the channel orbits that work: modern C++, graphics programming with OpenGL, engine architecture, rendering and the reasoning behind design decisions. It mixes structured tutorial series with devlogs, livestream-style coding and code reviews.

Series worth starting with

• C++: a long playlist that goes from how compilation and linking work through pointers, references, classes, templates, smart pointers and move semantics.
• OpenGL: setting up a renderer from scratch: buffers, shaders, textures, the maths and abstractions around them.
• Game Engine: the original series that builds Hazel step by step, with the design decisions explained along the way.
• Batch Rendering and Ray Tracing: focused graphics series once you are comfortable with the basics.
• Code Review: he reads through viewers' projects on screen and explains what he would change. This is one of the most practical formats for learning how experienced engineers judge code.
• Architecture: videos on how to structure larger codebases.

Who it suits

Students and developers who already know one programming language and want to learn C++ properly, or who are interested in game engines, graphics or performance-sensitive code. The engine series moves fast and assumes C++ comfort, so finish the C++ playlist first.

How to learn from it without getting stuck in tutorial loops

Engine series are the classic trap: you can watch a hundred episodes and type along without understanding a line. Instead:

1. Finish the C++ playlist with your own small exercises after each video, and check details on LearnCpp.com and cppreference.com.
2. When you start OpenGL, stop after each milestone (a triangle, a textured quad, a camera) and rebuild it without the video.
3. Build something smaller than an engine first: a 2D game with a simple renderer. Then compare your structure with his.
4. Watch the Code Review videos with your own project open and apply the same critiques to it.

Pair it with on Sefism

• The Game development roadmap and its cheat sheet give the wider path, including when to use an existing engine instead of writing one.
• The Programming foundations roadmap and cheat sheet suit you if C++ is your first serious language.
• Game Programming Patterns explains the architecture ideas he uses, and the GDC Vault has industry talks on engines and rendering.
• If you want a working game sooner, Brackeys teaches a ready-made engine workflow.

Best for: learners who want deep, honest C++ teaching and a real look at how a game engine is built.