Unity, the Game Engine: What NASAGAns Should Know
Unity is a powerful software application for building video games and other digital experiences, including 3D, VR, and AR games and simulations for training.
If you want to convert a board game idea to a video game, you can use Unity to build it.
If you need a digital simulation that you can distribute to a wide audience or publish on the web, use Unity.
If you want people to play your game on any of the popular game consoles, VR headsets, or mobile phones, Unity is your best choice.
What can you do in Unity?
Build 2D and 3D worlds that simulate light and physics.
Import your own art or get pre-made assets from the Unity Asset Store.
Implement your own user interface and user controls.
Code your gameplay mechanics using C# or visual scripting.
Animate characters, control NPCs, implement machine learning, and use AI inside the Unity Editor.
And a great deal more! In fact, it’s a LOT.
To get started, you’ll want to start with the tutorials in Unity Essentials (made by my team)! Just remember that the same software you can download for free is the software used by AAA game studios to make hit video games – so it’s a very powerful program with a bit of a learning curve. But on the other hand, students at last week’s HBCU Game Jam built games in Unity in just one weekend!
Beat Saber, Pokemon Go, Fall Guys, Hollow Knight, and Among Us are just a few of the well-known games that are made with Unity. If you’re interested in turning your board game into an online or console game, or if you have an idea for a simulation that could supercharge your classroom, here are a few stories that might give you some inspiration:
Here’s a tabletop bowling game built in mixed reality for the Quest 3. For some more great mixed reality ideas, see Unity’s Mobile AR Development pathway, which is written for beginners.
If you teach programming or any type of design, take advantage of your students’ video game experience and have them create their own game. For some examples of what’s possible, see the Games for Change Student Arcade, where students were challenged to make a game to help change the world.
Companies use Unity to build custom VR and AR simulators for high-tech training, like the one in this video for Pacific Gas and Electric.
NASAGAns, I know some of your ideas are even bigger than a tabletop! If you’re ready to make your game and simulation ideas more accessible and more immersive, give Unity a try!
Veronica Brown is an instructional designer at Unity. The views expressed in this post are her personal views and are not intended to represent Unity Technologies.
