Guided resource · Level Design

Unreal Level Designer Quick Start

Epic's practical introduction to viewport navigation, levels, actors, basic geometry, lighting and playtesting.

Level
Level 2 · Level 3
Useful for
Learn it · Teach it
Time
35 min
Original resource

Unreal Level Designer Quick Start · Epic Games

Open original resource ↗

Free. Checked 9 August 2026.

Before you start

Install the same Unreal version across the room and create the required project before the session. The guide's version selector should match your editor where possible.

Key things to watch for

  • Viewport movement and framing before precise placement
  • The difference between a level, an actor and an asset
  • Player Start placement and what the player can actually reach
  • Testing in Play mode after small changes

Don’t worry about this yet

Starter Content, lighting quality and decorative detail are not the main lesson. A plain playable room is enough for the first pass.

Try this afterwards

Delete the example layout and rebuild a small route with a start, visible goal, blocked direct path and one optional space.

Teaching idea

Pause after the first playable room and run a two-minute navigation swap before learners add any materials.

Next step

Move into Greybox before art, then test the route with No-HUD Navigation.

Rights note
Curricly links to this resource and does not mirror it. No reuse licence is claimed.

Keep moving

ExplainerLevel Design

Greybox before art

Use simple geometry to test scale, route and timing while changes are still cheap.

ExplainerGame Engines

Choose an engine for the learning job

Compare engines against the task, machines, teaching time and intended progression rather than arguing for one universal winner.