The independent studio Deeep Games has released a trailer for its upcoming title, Squirrel with a Gun, an action sandbox that uses Unreal Engine 5 to push physical interactions to the extreme. This project demonstrates how a small team can leverage the engine's advanced tools to generate controlled chaos, combining real-time physics systems with fur rendering that challenges mid-range hardware limitations.
Optimizing the Blender to UE5 workflow for physics and fur 🎮
The technical process behind Squirrel with a Gun relies on a workflow that prioritizes dynamic deformation. Environment assets are modeled in Blender using low-poly geometry, optimized for Chaos Physics collisions. For the protagonist's fur, UE5's Groom system is employed, allowing simulation of individual strands with anisotropic shading. The key lies in the conversion: from Blender, fur guides are exported as Bezier curves, which are then processed in the engine via the native Alembic plugin, reducing memory overhead and allowing the squirrel to physically react to explosions without losing hair detail.
Lessons for small studios on exaggerated physics 🐿️
Deeep Games' approach reveals a viable strategy for independent developers: prioritize interaction over static realism. By using UE5's physics tools, such as Chaos Destruction and soft body constraints, objects in the sandbox respond in a comical and predictable way, hiding geometric imperfections. This case demonstrates that, with a controlled workflow between Blender and UE5, a small team can deliver a visually polished game without needing an AAA pipeline.
How does Unreal Engine 5's physics engine simulate realistic fur movement of a squirrel while maintaining optimal real-time performance in Squirrel with a Gun
(PS: game jams are like weddings: everyone is happy, no one sleeps, and you end up crying)