How Game Institute's Course Packages Differ and How to Choose

Game Institute currently lists three main purchase options, and the right one depends on whether you want structured video instruction, a single project-based course, or just the code and assets. The Premium Online Courses package ($599, discounted to $449.25 with code GAMEMKR25) gives lifetime access to all current and future proprietary training releases and updates. The Dead Earth Series ($399, discounted to $299.25) is a focused 150+ hour video course on building a commercial-quality first-person shooter. Projects Only ($249, discounted to $186.75) includes the projects, source code, and asset downloads without the video teaching. Payment plans are listed as available for all three.

The three packages at a glance

What each package is actually for

Premium Online Courses

This is the broadest option: it bundles the full catalog of Game Institute's own training with lifetime access, including future releases and updates. The site describes the curriculum as covering C#/C++, Blender, Unreal Engine 5, Unity, OpenGL, and other industry-standard languages, tools, and APIs. Choose this if you are starting from scratch or want to move across disciplines (programming, art, engine work) and expect to keep using the material over time. The lifetime-and-future-releases term is the main thing that separates it from buying individual courses.

Dead Earth Series

This is a single, deep project course: 150+ hours of step-by-step video building a triple-A-style first-person survival horror game. It suits learners who want one complete, guided production experience rather than a broad library — for example, someone who already knows the basics and wants to see a full commercial-quality FPS assembled from the ground up. If your goal is "finish one substantial game with instruction," this is the most direct path.

Projects Only

This package contains no video teaching. It delivers the Dead Earth project plus GI Racing 1 & 2, MatchBaker, Balls of Glory, and the Carbon3d Engine as source code and assets. It fits developers who learn by reading and modifying code, or who want ready-made commercial-grade projects to integrate into their own work. If you need explanations of why something is built a certain way, this package will not provide them.

How to decide

• You want the widest skill coverage and long-term value: Premium. The lifetime access to future releases means the cost is spread over everything Game Institute publishes, not just today's catalog.
• You want one complete guided project: Dead Earth Series. You trade breadth for depth and save $150 versus Premium.
• You already know how to code or build in an engine and mainly want reference material: Projects Only. It is the cheapest entry and includes multiple projects, but you supply your own learning structure.
• Budget is the deciding factor: the spread is $449.25 / $299.25 / $186.75 after the discount code, so the gap between tiers is meaningful. Note that the discount is applied at checkout with code GAMEMKR25, and payment plans are offered if you prefer to spread the cost.

Before you buy

Game Institute states it has trained hundreds of thousands of designers and developers since 2001 and is a Unity Authorized Training Partner, which means it can offer Unity-authorized workshops and certification exam preparation. Learning is self-paced and online, and the site says it welcomes all skill levels, from beginners to working professionals. The page does not state refund terms or how long the discount code remains valid, so confirm those at checkout if they matter to your decision.