Developing a game is not a child’s play. You need to take care of the concept, the code, the graphics, the prototype along the UI. When thinking of game development there are many platforms at your disposal- Unity, AppGameKit, CryEngine, etc.
Unity is the industry-standard game engine and your gateway to create immersive gaming experiences. Whether you want to go for Android game development with Unity or aspire for Unity iOS game development; the platform has you covered with its multi-platform features.
So whether you are a beginner game developer, an entrepreneur or a hobbyist, no need to fret! By the end of this article, you will have the whole process of Unity game development at your fingertips.
Benefits of Using Unity for Game Development?
Unity lets users create royalty-free games with no programming skills.
Versatility: Unity is a Swiss army knife for game creators. It caters to a vast spectrum of genres, from adrenaline-pumping FPS titles to mind-bending puzzles and intricate strategy games.
Cross-Platform Prowess: It allows you to develop games for Android, iOS, PC, and gaming consoles with ease, significantly reducing development time.
User-Friendly Interface: It offers an intuitive and visually appealing workspace that minimizes the learning curve.
Rich Asset Store: You get access to Unity's asset store- a library filled with pre-built assets, scripts, and plugins designed to turbocharge your game's development.
Unity Mobile Game Development
Also, 70% of mobile games are developed using Unity due to its cross-platform utility and ease of scaling graphics across the platforms, making it a top choice for mobile game development.
Android Game Development with Unity
Around 75% of the android games in the market have been developed using Unity. You get free and some paid prebuilt codes and assets whether you are building a simple 2D game or a complex 3D game.
You just need to set up Unity and Android Studio and start setting up folders for your project.
Unity iOS Game Development
You may need to set up an Apple Developer Account in order to start creating on the Unity editor. Select the iOS build support under the Unity hub window. It contains all the NDK and SDK tools that you may need.
Basics: Unity Editor Window
The Unity Editor comprises distinct sections:
Scene View:
Placement: Located at the top left or as a central panel in the Unity Editor window.
Functionality: The Scene View provides a visual representation of your game world or scene. It's where you design and arrange all the elements of your game, such as GameObjects, terrain, cameras, lights, and more. You can navigate the scene by panning, zooming, and rotating to view it from different angles for level design and scene composition.
Game View:
Placement: Situated alongside the Scene View, often as a separate tab.
Functionality: The Game View allows you to preview your game as players would see it during gameplay. It provides a real-time, interactive view of your scene from the perspective of your chosen camera(s). You can playtest and evaluate your game's visuals and gameplay mechanics, ensuring that everything looks and functions as intended.
Inspector:
Placement: Positioned on the right-hand side of the Unity Editor window.
Functionality: Displays detailed information about the currently selected GameObject or asset in your scene. It allows you to view and edit properties, components, and scripts associated with the selected object.
Assets/Project:
Placement: Found in the lower half of the Unity Editor.
Functionality: The Assets/Project panel is your central hub for managing all the assets and resources used in your project. It displays a hierarchical view of your project's folder structure, including scenes, scripts, textures, models, audio files, and more. You can organize, import, create, and manipulate assets directly from this panel. Additionally, you can drag and drop assets into your scenes or GameObjects for use in your game.
Hierarchy:
Placement: At extreme left, often as a tab next to the Project tab.
Functionality: The Hierarchy panel provides a list of all GameObjects present in the current scene. It acts as a hierarchical representation of your scene's structure, showing the parent-child relationships between GameObjects.
You can select, reorder, and manipulate GameObjects directly from the Hierarchy. It's crucial for nesting, grouping, and structuring your scene for efficient development.
Unity Game Development: Components
Built-in Components
MeshFilter:
MeshFilter allows you to assign and manipulate the mesh data, including vertices, triangles, and normals. You can use this component to create complex 3D models, terrains, characters, and objects by specifying their geometry.
MeshRenderer:
Assign materials and textures to 3D meshes, control their rendering order, and fine-tune visual effects. This component is essential for defining the look and feel of your game's assets, making them visually appealing and immersive.
Collider:
By adding Colliders to GameObjects, you enable them to detect collisions with other objects.
Unity offers various types of colliders, such as Box Collider, Sphere Collider, and Mesh Collider, to accurately represent the physical properties of game elements to ensure realism.
Rigidbody:
When you attach a Rigidbody component to a GameObject with a 3D mesh, it enables the object to behave like a physical entity.
It reacts to gravity, applies forces, and handles collisions, making it ideal for simulating the movement of characters, vehicles, or any object with mass and physics-based behaviour.
Light:
With Light, you can create various types of lighting sources, including directional lights, point lights, and spotlights. You can control the intensity, colour, and range of lights, bringing life to your environments, enhancing visibility, and setting the tone for your game's atmosphere.
Camera:
Cameras in Unity allow you to control the player's viewpoint, field of view, and rendering parameters. You can switch between multiple cameras for different scenes or gameplay perspectives, enabling cinematic storytelling and immersive gameplay experiences.
Various UI Canvas Components:
UI Canvas Components encompass a range of tools, including Text, Image, Button, Slider, and more. They enable you to design and customize the user interface elements, define interactions, and enhance the user experience. Unity's UI system is versatile, making it easy to create responsive and engaging interfaces for your players.
Creating Custom Components
To infuse your game with unique features and functionality, you'll need to create custom components. This entails delving into scripting using C#, understanding the structure of a MonoBehaviour, and harnessing the potential of inspector variables to achieve flexibility.
Accepting User Input: Engaging Your Players
User input is the lifeblood of any game. Unity provides a range of Input methods that enable you to handle user actions effectively. Whether it's detecting key presses, mouse clicks, or touchscreen interactions, Unity empowers you to create responsive and engaging gameplay experiences.
Manipulating GameObjects
Once you've mastered user input, the next step is to manipulate GameObjects within your game world. This includes translating, rotating, and scaling objects to create dynamic and immersive experiences. Understanding the distinction between local space and world space is crucial for precise object manipulation.
Raycasting and Collision Detection for Realism
Raycasting is a fundamental concept in Unity, akin to having a laser pointer within your game world. It's a versatile tool with various applications, such as hit detection for weapons or enabling players to interact with objects in 3D space.
Advanced Unity Features
Unity offers a plethora of advanced features that can take your game to the next level:
Creating GUIs: Craft captivating and user-friendly graphical user interfaces for your players.
Extending the Unity Editor: Customize your development environment with tools and features tailored to your game's needs.
Animation: Dive into Unity's graph-based animation system to bring characters and objects to life.
Materials and PBR: Explore Unity's physically-based rendering engine to achieve realistic lighting and materials in your game.
Advice for Beginners
As a novice game developer in Unity, it's vital to approach game development with a clear strategy:
Start with a simple concept and break it down into achievable milestones.
Divide your game into small, independent components to reduce the risk of complex bugs and enhance manageability.
Before diving into coding, research existing solutions to common problems. Learning from experienced developers can save you time and frustration.
Getting Started with Unity: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Installation
The first step is to download the Unity Hub, the official management tool for Unity projects and installations. You can find this tool on the Unity website, and it's compatible with both Windows and macOS.
Step 2: Create a Unity ID
Sign Up: To utilize the Unity Hub and access Unity's array of services, you'll need to create a Unity ID. This ID enables you to manage your projects efficiently, access the Unity Asset Store, and collaborate with fellow developers within the Unity community.
Step 3: Install a Unity Version
Select a Version: With Unity Hub set up and your Unity ID ready, you can now utilize Unity Hub to install a specific version of the Unity engine. Unity frequently releases new versions, so choose one that aligns with your project's needs. For beginners, it's often a wise choice to opt for the latest stable version.
Step 4: Start a New Project
Launch Unity: After installing Unity, launch the application. Click on "New" to initiate the creation of a new project. You'll need to name your project and specify its location on your computer. Unity will automatically create a project folder with all the necessary files and directories.
Step 5: Familiarize Yourself with the Unity Editor
Explore the Interface: The Unity Editor is your primary workspace for designing and building your game. Dedicate some time to explore its interface. Key areas include the Scene View (where you design your game world), the Hierarchy (which lists all your game objects), and the Inspector (where you can modify the properties of selected objects).
Step 6: Create Your First GameObject
Right-click to Create: In Unity, everything within your game is represented as a GameObject. Begin by right-clicking in the Hierarchy panel, selecting "Create Empty," and assigning a name to your new GameObject. This initial GameObject will act as a container for various components and game elements.
Step 7: Add Components to Your GameObject
Enhance Interactivity: To make your GameObject dynamic and interactive, you'll need to attach components to it. Components can be thought of as scripts or pre-built elements that define the behaviour and appearance of your game objects.
Select your GameObject, access the Inspector, and click "Add Component" to incorporate various built-in components such as Rigidbody, Collider, or Mesh Renderer.
Step 8: Write Your First Script
Custom Functionality: To introduce custom functionality to your GameObjects, you'll need to write scripts. Unity predominantly employs C# for scripting. Create a new C# script by right-clicking in the Assets folder, selecting "Create," and choosing "C# Script." Open the script in your preferred code editor and commence coding your game logic.
Step 9: Design Your Game World
Utilize the Scene View: Employ the Scene View to craft your game world. You can drag and drop GameObjects from the Hierarchy panel into the Scene View to arrange them in your game. Experiment with object placement, camera angles, and lighting to sculpt the desired visual atmosphere.
Step 10: Test and Iterate
Continuous Testing: It's crucial to frequently test your game by clicking the play button in the Unity Editor. This allows you to experience your game from a player's perspective and identify any issues or enhancements required. Make adjustments to your scripts, GameObjects, and settings as necessary, and continue testing until you're content with your game.
Step 11: Build and Publish Your Game
Build Settings: To share your game with others, configure the build settings by going to "File" > "Build Settings." Choose your target platform (e.g., PC, Mac, Android, iOS) and click "Switch Platform."
Testing and Deployment: Click the "Play" button in the Unity Editor to test your game within the Editor. This enables you to experience your game and identify any issues or improvements needed.
Make changes to your scripts, GameObjects, and settings as necessary, and continue testing until you're satisfied with your game.
Conclusion
With Unity's remarkable capabilities and this comprehensive guide, game development in Unity becomes an adventure. It's a world of endless possibilities, limited only by your creativity and determination.
And remember, you're never alone in your game development journey. WorkLooper, a leading Unity 3D game development company, is here to help you turn your gaming dreams into reality. We offer unparalleled expertise and guidance to bring your vision to life.
Contact us today to take the first step toward game development aspirations into a triumphant reality.
Glossary
GameObject: Fundamental object in Unity's scene, represents entities in games.
Collider: Component used to detect collisions between objects.
Rigidbody: Components enabling objects to simulate physics behaviour.
Scene View: Workspace for designing game elements.
Asset Store: Library of pre-built assets for Unity.
UI Canvas: Interface elements for user interaction.
Raycasting: Technique for line-of-sight calculations.
Prefab: Reusable game object template.
C# Script: Code written in C# language for Unity.
Animation Controller: Manages animation transitions.
Shader: Program defining object appearance.
Material: Visual attributes for objects.
Photon Unity Networking (PUN): Framework for multiplayer games.
Terrain: Heightmap-based landscape.