Stylized Realtime FX for Games (2023) by Urban Bradesko, Ge Lush, Sjors De Laat

Learn to build stylized, character-driven realtime FX for games. This course focuses on the artistic side of VFX, using Houdini for simulation and Unreal Engine for realtime rendering. You’ll go from basic concepts to creating polished, portfolio-ready effects inspired by anime and modern game design.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Create stylized sword slashes and energy beams.
• Build pulse bombs and radial effects from scratch.
• Use Substance Designer to create custom VFX textures.
• Set up playable scenes with Unreal Engine Blueprints.
• Polish and finalize FX for a professional game-ready look.

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic understanding of Houdini and Unreal Engine.
• Tools: 3-button mouse, drawing tablet recommended.
• Hardware: Dedicated GPU, 16GB+ RAM recommended.

📝 Description

This isn’t just about clicking buttons. It’s about understanding the artistic principles behind great game VFX. The course is built around a simple idea: you learn by doing. week, you tackle a new, specific effect—a sword slash, a pulse bomb, a directional beam—and build it from the ground up.

The instructors, all working professionals, focus on the practical pipeline. You’ll learn how to use Houdini to generate complex simulations, then bring them into Unreal Engine to make them look incredible in realtime. The curriculum is structured to build your skills progressively, starting with the fundamentals of Niagara and Substance Designer before moving into more complex, multi-layered effects. By the end, you won’t just have a collection of tutorials; you’ll have a solid workflow for creating any stylized effect you can imagine.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Intermediate FX artists looking to specialize in realtime game VFX.
• Houdini artists wanting to transition into Unreal Engine.
• Game developers who want to create high-quality, stylized effects for their projects.

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

This course is taught by three industry veterans. Urban Bradesko is an FX Supervisor with deep experience in high-end VFX. Ge Lush and Sjors De Laat are both professional Game FX Artists who work daily with the tools and techniques taught in this course. Together, they bring a blend of supervisory experience and hands-on game development knowledge.

🏁 Final Result

• A portfolio-ready reel of stylized, character-driven realtime FX.
• A playable Unreal Engine scene featuring your custom effects.
• A deep understanding of the Houdini-to-Unreal pipeline for VFX.

📢 Guys, this is a Group Buy campaign, check the GBC forum thread to get access

You can find the course preview in the download section below.