UE5 Terrain Decals ⛰️, Blender Water Simulations 🌊, Game Trailers Tips 🎥
🎮 Crafting Compelling Game Worlds
Inside 'Rana': Crafting a Cozy, Culturally Rich Game World in UE5
Discover how a student team brought the charming world of "Rana" to life, blending Filipino and Hmong cultural inspirations with stylized art and rich storytelling. From concept to detailed environment design, this project showcases thoughtful workflows in Unreal Engine 5, procedural foliage, dynamic lighting, and atmospheric effects. Dive into their creative process, technical solutions, and team collaboration that shaped a cozy exploration game filled with warmth and discovery.
PCG Geometry Decals: Procedural Terrain Detailing for Unreal Engine 5
PCG Geometry Decals, a new procedural terrain detailing tool for Unreal Engine 5 by Wouter Weynants, is nearing release. It enables seamless placement of high-resolution meshes that automatically snap, displace, and blend with landscapes—without needing material edits or RVT. Optimized for performance, decals are baked into Nanite static meshes after finalization. Available soon as a Fab asset, this tool promises to simplify terrain workflows and enhance environment detail.
📱 Mobile Game Marketing Insights
Boosting Mobile Game Retention: The Growing Power of Retargeting
At Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2025, Vera Manhoso highlighted that 77% of users leave mobile games within three days, yet retargeting remains underutilized, with just around 11% of games actively using it. Early adoption of retargeting strategies, aided by mobile measurement partners and smarter AI algorithms, can significantly enhance user engagement and retention. As the industry evolves, events like Pocket Gamer Connects Shanghai are stepping in to connect developers with emerging mobile game markets.
Your Game Trailers Aren’t Good—Here’s How to Fix Them
BiteMe Games breaks down why many indie game trailers and demos fail to capture player interest, emphasizing the need for a strong hook and a great first experience. This video highlights common issues like poor visuals, audio defaults, and download sizes, offering actionable advice for developers to improve their Steam presence. Packed with developer resources and community links, it’s a must-watch for makers aiming to boost their game’s visibility and sales.
💧 Innovation in 3D Simulation
Innovative Water Simulation in Blender: Geometry Nodes and Shaders in Action
Blender artist Jesse Miettinen, aka Blenderesse, pushes creative boundaries by crafting an impressive liquid simulation using Geometry Nodes and shaders—without Blender's traditional fluid system. Inspired by CG COOKIE’s dynamic tutorial, his setup offers an effective, shader-driven approach to mimic dynamic water behavior. Explore this alternative technique along with other stunning Blender water artworks, and connect with Jesse and the Blender community for more artistic insights and tutorials.
We Sold Our Game IP—and They Made a Sequel! What You Should Know
In this candid video, an indie game developer shares their journey of selling their game’s IP and reveals the surprising sequel developed by the new owners. Beyond the story, they offer valuable insights on whether indie developers should sell their IP and practical tips on how to do so. A must-watch for creators curious about IP sales and sequel development in the game industry.