Unlock your Game Development potential!

Trained 150+ Students in Unreal Engine & Game Development

Courses

Small Groups. Expert Mentors. Hands-On Learning. Game UP Your Skills!

GAME VFX WITH UNREAL ENGINE - 4 WEEKS

299€ 199€

  • This course is ideal for aspiring VFX artists with some 3D experience who want to start creating effects in Unreal Engine. Over four weeks, you’ll learn the full real-time VFX workflow—from materials and shaders to Niagara—guided by an Unreal-certified industry mentor.

    Whether you’re building your first VFX portfolio, leveling up your skills, or finally diving into Unreal with focus, this course sets you on the right path.

  • Week 1 – Unreal & VFX Foundations
    Unreal Engine overview: editor basics, importing assets, and lighting
    The 5 Principles of VFX and how they apply to games
    Intro to Materials: material editor, inputs, parameters, and instances

    Week 2 – Shaders for VFX
    Using math nodes to create dynamic visuals
    Setting up materials for Niagara integration

    Week 3 – Niagara Essentials
    Understanding the Niagara stack model: stages, modules, renderers
    Working with user parameters and creating reusable systems

    Week 4 – Final Projects
    Bringing it all together: create two VFX step-by-step — a bonfire and a tornado
    Mentor feedback, polish, and next steps for your VFX journey

  • All sessions are live on Zoom and taught in a small group format to allow time for feedback and support.

    🔥Course starts: Monday, 14 April 2025

    Each session lasts 3 hours with a break.

    Week 1

    • Monday, 14 April at 20:00 EET / 18:00 CET

    • Saturday, 19 April at 14:00 EET / 12:00 CET

    Weeks 2–4

    • Saturday, 26 April at 14:00 EET / 12:00 CET

    • Saturday, 3 May at 14:00 EET / 12:00 CET

    • Saturday, 10 May at 14:00 EET / 12:00 CET


    • Live expert-led sessions via Zoom.

    • All shared course materials.

    • Two real-time VFX scenes you’ll build from scratch.

    • A Certificate of Completion from Game UP! Academy.

    • Access to a private Discord community to connect with your mentor and other game developers.

      • Option to book follow-up mentoring sessions with Cesar


  • With 20 years in film and VFX, César transitioned to games in 2020 and has since specialized in real-time workflows with Unreal Engine. As a certified Unreal Instructor, he’s here to help you understand not just the “how,” but the “why” behind great visual effects — and support you in building a strong creative foundation.

Learn to create stunning real-time VFX inside Unreal Engine with expert guidance, hands-on sessions, and a supportive game dev community.

UNREAL ENGINE FUNDAMENTALS - 5 WEEKS

259€ 159€

Explore how modern game engines work and build your first playable level in Unreal — with hands-on guidance from a top industry mentor.

  • This beginner-friendly course is perfect for artists, designers, and aspiring devs who want to start creating their own games. You’ll learn the core systems of Unreal Engine in small, live sessions — from Blueprints to the game framework — while building your first third-person level step by step.

    Whether you're curious about programming, prototyping, or technical design, this course gives you the tools to begin.


  • Week 1 – Game Engines & Unreal Basics

    • Game development history & how game engines evolved

    • What is Unreal Engine and how it compares to others

    • Unreal Editor walkthrough: interface, templates, plugins, project settings

    • Creating your first game build

    • Homework: build a playable level using the third-person template

    Week 2 – Programming & Blueprints

    • Programming basics: variables, functions, OOP, events

    • How Blueprints work and how to build logic visually

    Week 3 – Unreal Game Framework

    • Understanding game class structure and order of execution

    • Begin play, tick, and destroy logic

    • Communication between Blueprints

    • Spawning and destroying actors

    Week 4 – Input & Controls

    • Unreal’s Enhanced Input framework

    • How to bind and unbind player actions

    Week 5 – Wrap-Up & Application

    • Finalizing your level

    • Q&A, mentor feedback, and tips for your next steps


  • All sessions are live on Zoom and held in a small group for personalized support.

    🔥Course starts: Sunday, 20 April 2025

    Each session lasts 3 hours with a break.

    Session 1
    • Sunday, 20 April at 15:00 EET / 13:00 CET

    Session 2
    • Sunday, 27 April at 15:00 EET / 13:00 CET

    Session 3
    • Sunday, 4 May at 15:00 EET / 13:00 CET

    Session 4
    • Sunday, 11 May at 15:00 EET / 13:00 CET

    Session 5
    • Sunday, 18 May at 15:00 EET / 13:00 CET

    • Live expert-led sessions via Zoom

    • All course materials and shared content

    • A fully playable third-person level built during the course

    • A Certificate of Completion from Game UP! Academy

    • Access to a private Discord community to connect with your mentor and other developers

      • Option to book follow-up mentoring sessions with Obiwan


  • Currently working at Epic Games, Obiwan brings 5 years of experience in B2B, AA, and AAA game development. He specializes in Unreal Engine, technical art, and production pipelines — helping teams streamline workflows and build better games. Now, he’s here to help you start your journey with confidence.

INDIE GAME MARKETING - 4 WEEKS

279€ 179€

Learn how to get people to care about your game — with hands-on support from a veteran game marketer. You'll shape your message, build an audience, and sidestep common pitfalls — all without a big studio budget.

  • This mentor-led bootcamp is built for small indie teams and solo devs who already have a playable prototype or are actively building their game. You’ll learn how to define your audience, build early hype, and craft a marketing strategy that supports your development timeline — not distracts from it.

    Each live session includes practical frameworks, real feedback, and industry-proven methods you can apply immediately to your game.


  • Session 1 – Who’s Your Game For?

    • Define your ideal audience

    • Find your unique hook & niche in the market

    • Live feedback on your current positioning

    Session 2 – Building Hype on a Budget

    • No-cost and low-cost tactics that work

    • How to grow your community and wishlist base

    • Using Discord, social media & devlogs the right way

    Session 3 – Getting Eyes on Your Game

    • How to pitch to press and influencers

    • Making your Steam/Itch pages stand out

    • Live critique of your store pages

    Session 4 – Roadmap to Release

    • Build a lightweight, realistic marketing plan

    • Dev-focused timelines, habits, and execution tips

    • Tools to keep your momentum up to launch


  • All sessions are live on Zoom and held in a small group format to allow time for feedback and practical exercises.

    Each session lasts 3 hours with a break.

    🔥Course starts: Saturday, 10 May 2025

    Session 1
    • Saturday, 10 May at 11:00 EET / 10:00 CET

    Session 2
    • Saturday, 17 May at 11:00 EET / 10:00 CET

    Session 3
    • Saturday, 24 May at 11:00 EET / 10:00 CET

    Session 4
    • Saturday, 31 May at 11:00 EET / 10:00 CET

    • 4 live mentor-led sessions via Zoom

    • Actionable templates and checklists

    • Personalized feedback during the course

    • Access to a private Discord community

    • Certificate of Completion from Game UP! Academy

    • Option to book follow-up mentoring sessions with Brandon


  • Brandon is an industry veteran with deep experience in project management, marketing, PR, copywriting, and non-dev roles. He’s worked on titles like Bootstrap Island, Into the Radius, Hot Wheels: Infinite Loop, and The X-Files: Deep State. Brandon is also a game business educator, having taught at Tallinn University, Estonian Business School, and Mainor.

    This is your chance to learn directly from someone who’s been in the trenches — and knows how to make indie games stand out.

Learn from Industry Experts!

Our mentors are seasoned and active professionals in game development, Unreal Engine, and more. Whether you're looking for one-on-one guidance, a team session, or specialized training, we’ve got you covered!

Daniel Corredor, Unreal Engine developer

“Joining her previous academy was one of my best experiences in Estonia. Maret has a golden touch when it comes to helping people grow.”

Tracey McGarrigan, Games Marketing Strategist

“Game UP! Academy is practical, mentor-driven, and built for real growth. Maret’s vision creates a space where hands-on learning truly makes a difference.”

Eerik Hannus, Recruitment specialist

“What makes Game UP! Academy special is the people behind it! They really care about the industry and help people succeed in that by providing hands-on, mentor-led learning!”

Get Inspired!

See some of the stunning games created with Unreal Engine, showcasing the power of small teams and independent studios.

Unreal Engine empowers creators of all sizes to achieve AAA-level quality with cutting-edge tools. Whether you're an indie dev or part of a small team, ambition is your only limit.

Let’s Connect!

Got a question? A course idea? Want to learn more about Game UP! Academy or collaborate?

We’d love to hear from you!