The Unreal Fellowship: Games 2025 is now over, but in our Dev Diaries series, we’ve been tracking the progress of some of the talented developers and artists who took part.
To rewind quickly, the Unreal Fellowship is intensive, bootcamp-style training that aims to propel participants to new heights in game development. It’s open to those already working on video games who want to learn Unreal Engine, and the goal is to provide extensive, hands-on experience with the entire Unreal Engine art pipeline.
Over the course of three action-packed weeks, a talented assortment of designers, artists, programmers, modelers, and animators produced their own video games from scratch. Many were coming from other engines and diving into Unreal Engine for the very first time, making their achievement even more impressive.
Check out the sizzle reel from this year’s games fellowship below—and read on for insights into how six of the participants developed their games, along with tips, tricks, and practical advice for others looking to build a game in UE5.
To rewind quickly, the Unreal Fellowship is intensive, bootcamp-style training that aims to propel participants to new heights in game development. It’s open to those already working on video games who want to learn Unreal Engine, and the goal is to provide extensive, hands-on experience with the entire Unreal Engine art pipeline.
Over the course of three action-packed weeks, a talented assortment of designers, artists, programmers, modelers, and animators produced their own video games from scratch. Many were coming from other engines and diving into Unreal Engine for the very first time, making their achievement even more impressive.
Check out the sizzle reel from this year’s games fellowship below—and read on for insights into how six of the participants developed their games, along with tips, tricks, and practical advice for others looking to build a game in UE5.
AEROCUBE I Alexander Mukhitdinov
AEROCUBE is a sci-fi roguelike and first-person boomer shooter set in a huge mysterious cube that always rotates randomly. Each room of AEROCUBE is different, but one thing stays the same: something’s always behind you, ready to kill.Check out Alexander’s Dev Diary to find out the process he went through to develop the visual style of the game, as well some great tips for beginners to Unreal Engine:
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Courtesy of Alexander Mukhitdinov
Captain Commadillo I Mario Veltri
In Captain Commadillo, you must switch between a high-speed ball mode, rolling to dodge bullets, and a bipedal character to fight enemies. The gameplay draws inspiration from the arcade classic Shock Troopers, and the overall vibe and art style take cues from one of Mario’s all-time favorites, Metal Slug 2.Take a look at Mario’s Dev Diary for an insight into how he settled on the concept for this innovative game, and how the character art came together:
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Courtesy of Mario Veltri
Naked Sneak | Marcelo Vianna
Naked Sneak is an arcade-style game that combines Pac Man-esque gameplay with guards inspired by Metal Gear. Oh, and the main character has to evade capture while rocking nothing but his undies.Marcelo provides a comprehensive look at his entire game dev process in his Dev Diary, from testing and prototyping in the pre-production phase right through to refining the game mechanics and learning AI. Check it out:
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Courtesy of Marcelo Vianna
Downhill Fox I Oscar Rickett
Based in the fox-themed universe of one of Oscar’s side projects, Downhill Fox is a two-player, same-screen downhill racing game that sees players pelt down a snowy track, dodging obstacles on the way to the finish line at the bottom.Oscar’s Dev Diary offers a fascinating insight into the development of Downhill Fox, highlighting a number of core lessons he learned relating to concepts, prototypes, developing a satisfying gameplay loop, and more:
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Courtesy of Oscar Rickett
Jetpack Bubblegum | Gabriel Dechichi
Jetpack Bubblegum is a love letter to arcade shooters—an homage to the sticky floors, loud music, and arguments over who gets the next turn. In this explosive anime-inspired arcade shooter, you play a cutesy protagonist fighting enemies and blowing stuff up along the way.Gabriel explores how the concept he settled on for his game would rely on two major factors for success: the controls and the explosions. Read his Dev Diary and find out how he went about nailing them:
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Courtesy of Gabriel Dechichi
Phantom Reactor | Sir Geo
A scientist studying the occult gets in over his head when his experiments open the door to a horde of ghosts—who proceed to steal his dog’s soul. Fend off ghouls with a flashlight and protect your pooch in arcade-style platformer Phantom Reactor.Sir Geo’s Dev Diary provides a fascinating account of how the final version of Phantom Reactor came to be, including a look at the different POVs experimented with and how he explored ideas to ‘find the fun’:
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Courtesy of Sir Geo