Dev-initely Mario

Our official Discord server is now open! 👻

You can join to ask questions about the Unreal Engine horror game tutorial series, get help with Blueprints, share your progress, vote on future topics, and talk with the community.

Join here:
discord.gg/PjpwgNAhE

4 days ago | [YT] | 1

Dev-initely Mario

What should we work on first next week?

On Monday, July 6th, 2026, we will start the next big part of our Unreal Engine Horror Game course. Now you can decide what we should build first:

👻 Create the Base Ghost
We will build the foundation for our ghost: the blueprint, basic structure, first behavior, and the base for later AI systems.

🏠 Create the First Level
We will start blocking out our first playable horror level with rooms, paths, and the first atmosphere setup.

Don’t worry: the option that is not chosen will be created directly the week after. So this poll only decides what comes first.

The poll ends this Friday, July 3rd, 2026 at 6:00 PM.

Vote now and help decide how the course continues!

1 week ago | [YT] | 0

Dev-initely Mario

What’s Coming Next Week: Thermometer, UV Evidence, Ghost Book & Inventory System

Hey everyone,

next week we are moving into a really exciting part of the project. After building more and more of the core horror gameplay systems, we will now focus on tools, evidence mechanics, item interaction and the foundation of the inventory system.

The goal for this week is not just to create single features, but to connect them step by step into a stronger gameplay loop. We want the player to investigate rooms, detect paranormal signs, use different equipment and finally manage items in a clean and expandable way.

Thursday: Thermometer Display UI

We will start by improving the thermometer system with a proper display UI.
The thermometer should not just read values in the background. The player needs visual feedback, so we will create a clear display that shows the current temperature in a readable and useful way.

This will help make the thermometer feel like a real investigation tool instead of only a debug system.

Friday: Temperature Zone

Next, we will build the temperature zone system.
This means that rooms or areas can have their own temperature values. The thermometer will then read the temperature of the area the player is currently checking.

This is an important step for future evidence gameplay, especially freezing temperatures and ghost-room detection.

Saturday: Ultraviolet Lamp / Changing the Flashlight to Blue

On Saturday, we will begin working on the UV lamp.
We will take the flashlight idea further and create a special ultraviolet version by changing the light behavior and color.

This gives us the foundation for one of the classic paranormal evidence tools: finding fingerprints with UV light.

Sunday: Fingerprints and Showing Them When Light Shines on Them

After the UV lamp is working, we will create fingerprints as evidence.
The fingerprints should not always be visible. They will only appear when the player shines the UV light on them.

This creates a much better investigation feeling, because the player has to actively search the environment instead of instantly seeing every clue.

Monday: Ghost Book Drop and Interaction

On Monday, we will work on the ghost book.
The player should be able to drop the book into the world and interact with it. This prepares the system for ghost writing later, where the ghost can leave messages or evidence inside the book.

This is another important investigation item because it encourages the player to place equipment and return to check it later.

Tuesday: Inventory System Base

Then we will start the inventory system from the ground up.
We will build the basic logic needed to store items, manage what the player owns and prepare the system for equipping and switching between tools.

At this stage, the focus will be on clean structure instead of visuals.

Wednesday: Inventory System Dataset and Struct

On Wednesday, we will improve the inventory with data structures.
We will create a dataset and struct setup so every item can have organized information like name, icon, type and other important values.

This makes the inventory much easier to expand later, because new items can be added without rebuilding the whole system.

Thursday: Inventory Inspect Function

Next, we will add an inspect function.
This will allow the player to look at an item more closely, which is very useful for investigation tools and interactable objects.

Inspecting items can also help make the game feel more polished and immersive.

Friday: Inventory Submenu

On Friday, we will create a submenu for the inventory.
Instead of only storing items, the player will be able to open extra options for selected items.

This gives us room for actions like inspect, equip, drop or use.

Saturday: Equip Item Over Submenu and Keys

After the submenu is ready, we will connect it to the equip system.
The player should be able to equip items through the submenu, but also with keyboard shortcuts.

This makes the system more comfortable to use and prepares the gameplay for faster item switching during tense moments.

Sunday: Clean Up Blueprints

To finish the week, we will clean up the Blueprints.
This is an important step because many systems are now connected: thermometer, UV light, fingerprints, ghost book and inventory.

We will organize the logic, remove unnecessary debug parts, improve readability and make sure the project stays clean for the next systems.

Summary

This week is a big step toward a real investigation gameplay loop.

We will build:

a better thermometer display
room-based temperature zones
UV light behavior
visible fingerprints as evidence
ghost book interaction
the base inventory system
item data structures
inspect functionality
inventory submenu actions
item equipping
Blueprint cleanup

By the end of the week, the project will feel much more like a real paranormal horror game. The player will have tools, evidence systems and the first version of an expandable inventory.

Thanks for supporting the project and following the development step by step. More investigation tools and deeper horror mechanics are coming soon.

1 week ago | [YT] | 4

Dev-initely Mario

Vote for the tool you’re most excited to see first.The winning item will be the first investigation tool we start building next week. If you want another tool, write it in the comments.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0