The Game Design and AI Master Class Beginner to Expert

Navigate the 3d workspace with mouse drag to rotate, pan with right-click or two fingers, and zoom with scroll or pinch; move with wsadrf and press z to focus objects.

Master dynamic and cinematic camera techniques in arcade studio, including tracking shots, dolly zooms, and roll orbit, to craft captivating shots for games, 3D films, and virtual reality experiences.

Explore roll shot, a Dutch angle that tilts the camera for a slanted composition, building tension as you rotate and push toward the subject, adjust speed, and mix with movements.

Create a handheld shot by taking real-time camera control, moving freely with the mouse and wasd and f keys to rotate and explore the scene.

Master the dolly zoom, a vertigo-like camera move achieved by moving the camera while zooming in the opposite direction, changing FOV from 50 to 80 over three seconds.

Utilize cinematic knowledge to create incredible shots for your games, websites, 3D films, and VR experiences. Share your unique work with the Arcade Studio community as you post.

Learn to make an object always look at the cursor by selecting the object, opening movement settings, choosing look at, then cursor location, so the monster's eye follows the cursor.

Create a six-item interactive carousel by arranging assets around a six-segment cylinder, grouping them, and rotating with the A key, while items look at the camera and fog adds depth.

Explore Unity, a real-time development platform powering 2D, 3D, and VR experiences for billions of devices. See how its engineering team partners with Google, Microsoft, and Oculus to optimize support.

Explore Unity BASIX essentials, from forums and documentation to the Unity Hub and latest version, mastering navigation, workspace, interface, and building a practical Unity workflow.

Explore the Unity ecosystem at unity.com, including the top bar, products, solutions, learn, community, and the asset store, and learn to install Unity.

Explore what games have been made with Unity by viewing the made with Unity stories, such as the unruly heroes, and learn what Unity can do.

Join the Unity forums after signing up and reading the getting started rules to post, answer questions, search the community, and interact, including top pinned discussions and preview packages.

Explore how to use the Unity3d Answers section to post effective questions, evaluate top replies, and implement object movement with transform translate and vector in C#.

Explore Unity's documentation by navigating the manual and the scripting API, use search to find shaders and shader level of detail, and learn core shader components, properties, and example definitions.

Download and install Unity Hub, then sign in to access projects from a central hub. Select an individual or personal plan, and consider pro if revenue exceeds 100k.

Learn to navigate and orbit in Unity using mouse and keyboard shortcuts: zoom with alt+right-click drag, focus with F, pivot with the right mouse, and trackpad or arrow-key navigation.

Master the toolbar tools to select, move, rotate, and scale objects with hotkeys W, E, R, T, and use gizmos and pivots to set dressing to environment for play.

Explore the hierarchy window in Unity, listing all scene objects—from 3D models to prefabs—and manage parent-child relationships with drag-and-drop between project and hierarchy.

Customize your Unity workspace to fit your current task by rearranging panels, such as moving the hierarchy and inspector for direct context, and adjusting project, console, and scene layouts.

Choose your IDE for Unity development: Visual Studio with rich debugging, Visual Studio Community 2019, Visual Studio Code as a lightweight option, or Notepad++ for lightweight C# editing.

Create a consistent Unity editor layout by dragging tabs for left project, right hierarchy and inspector, and bottom console; arrange scene and game views and save the layout.

Explore the Unity console panel to view log outputs, errors, and warnings. Attach a script to a game object, print statements, and use clear, filter, collapse, and navigate to lines.

Diagnose common Unity console errors, including missing components, index out of range, and unassigned references, then apply fixes like adding a rigid body component, null checks, and safe array access.

Discover the syntax basics of C# in Unity, create a syntax example script, and explore core constructs like braces, parentheses, semicolons, methods, loops, and data types for game development.

Explore variable types in Unity, including data types, access modifiers, and inspector attributes like range, color, and hide in inspector, with practical examples of vector2, vector3, and debugging.

Learn how to declare and use string arrays, store multiple names, access elements by index, and print results in Unity using start and inspector interactions.

Compare using lists and arrays in Unity, declare a public generic list of strings, add enemy names, access elements by index, and distinguish dynamic versus static lists.

Learn to set up arrays and lists in Unity via the inspector, expose them as public, and use if statements to check counts and prevent index out of range errors.

Define an enum for level of difficulty with constants like easy, medium, and hard in Unity, then access it with dot notation and display the value via a debug log.

Learn how to use required component, execute in edit mode, and add component menu attributes in Unity scripts, ensuring a rigid body exists and enabling in-editor updates.

Set up the adventure game scene in the security room, enable a camera with an audio listener for debug output, and create a code examples object with a C# script.

Explore unity arithmetic with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, using variables and assignment, printing results, and applying order of operations with parentheses.

Explore how conditional statements use if and boolean expressions to run code in Unity, including health checks, else blocks, equality (==) versus assignment (=), and brace rules.

Implement an if-else-if ladder to update a cube’s color in Unity as health crosses 90 and 50, visualizing conditions with material changes.

Explore the basics of the switch case, similar to if-else, comparing a single value against multiple cases with break and a default in Unity’s health example.

Master for loop basics by learning the syntax, iteration, and conditions, then apply it to count from zero to five and print list elements.

Implement a while loop that runs while a condition is true, starting with i at 0, incrementing each iteration, and using break to exit when i equals 4.

Explore implementing a simple random value between public min and max in Unity using Random.Range. See how pressing a key prints a new result during play.

Explore the for each loop syntax, iterating over a list of strings, accessing each item directly, comparing names, and understanding when to use for each versus a traditional for loop.

Declare a string parameter in a private void method and use it in a print player name call, passing Bob and Jill in Unity.

Explore Unity api and game development; set up a player with movement and rotation controls and a camera system that follows and responds to events, recasting animation and mesh creation.

Explore how to find and understand input in the API by reading the scripting reference, reviewing static properties and methods, and studying examples for practical knowledge.

Rebind movement controls to rotate with the a and d keys, repurpose q and e for strafing, keep four-key movement, and tune rotation speed for quicker turning.

Explore how colliders and rigidbodies behave in a Unity 3D scene, configure layers and physics matrices, and troubleshoot objects failing to collide or passing through the floor when importing assets.

Set up and edit a box collider, resize it beyond the geometry, and use rigidbody constraints to freeze rotation on all axes except Y to prevent tipping during movement.

Discover how to change an object's material color in Unity by accessing the renderer, retrieving the material, and updating its color via a public color variable and input or code.

Create and customize Unity particle systems from the Effects/Particle System path, adjusting color over lifetime, alpha, size, speed, duration, and particle count, with fireflies and glow effects.

Learn to create a wall hit prefab and a trigger-based script in Unity that instantiates a particle on collision, then tailor particle and fog properties for a polished effect.

Create a lightswitch trigger that turns a point light on when the player cube enters a trigger and off on exit, using a box collider and a C# script.

Trigger multiple elements with a trigger event by sequencing a light, a particle effect, and a door through a routine using yield statements and wait for seconds.

Attach an audio source to a switch in Unity, assign switch and door clips, and trigger playback when the light turns on using the camera's audio listener and get component.

Demonstrate a trigger system with two cubes having colliders: one rigid body with kinematic enabled and gravity off; the other is a trigger that logs on enter, stay, and exit.

Instantiate a sphere prefab at a socket position to spawn objects on a key press, implementing a basic spawner with a rigidbody and collider for a simple shooting sequence.

apply a forward impulse to a spawned object using the rigidbody's explosion force, aligned with the socket forward direction and a public force amount.

Refactor a hit point based trigger system by linking a pressure pad collider to a trigger target, subtracting points on hit, and destroying the object at zero.

Create a camera look at script in Unity to keep the camera focused on a target by using transform look at and attaching it to the camera, targeting a cube.

Implement a smooth camera follow with a late update, using a camera follow script to track a target with a configurable offset, smooth time, and look at.

Learn to implement a Unity camera that follows and rotates with the player, using single-axis yaw, Euler angles, and quaternions to keep the camera aligned with the target.

Build a rotating gravity system by attaching a gravity attractor to the planet and a gravity body to the player cube in a sphere scene.

Set a per-planet gravity amount and an attractor to pull the player toward the sphere center, normalize vectors, apply force, and align rotation with the planet.

Learn how Unity mouse events work by attaching a mouse events script to colliders, handling enter, over, exit, and down to highlight objects and turn them off on click.

Place objects in Unity using raycast from the camera, check for colliders, and instantiate the object at the hit position with the correct rotation.

Learn to use recast all to gather multiple hits in Unity, iterate over the hits array, and set the renderer material color to green for each hit.

Demonstrates how to implement a recast check to pause player movement when hitting an item, while allowing rotation and backward movement, using get component and mover.

Implement click-to-move by clicking in the scene to set a destination; cast a camera ray from the mouse, convert to world coordinates, and move the player with rigidbody MovePosition.

Make a rigid body follow the mouse with move position or click-to-move, using raycast to the cursor and collider hits, stopping when no collider is hit.

Learn how to set up a mesh that runs and updates vertices at runtime, including constructing quads with triangles, assigning normals and uvs, and animating with a sine wave.

Load from resources and instantiate objects in the scene using the Resources class and a path like prefabs/capsule.

Design a new level from scratch using the 3D game kit to jumpstart game development, configure the player controller, set up meshes, and make platforms and doors move on command.

Create a new scene in the 3d game kit, name it level one, and review the generated ground and character with weapon, then play to move, jump, and slash.

Create a new scene called level two, mirroring level one with the character and a square scene. The character will load into level two, establishing a blink second scene.

Explore Cinemachine, the camera system in the 3D game kit, including the camera brain and free look. Learn to adjust recentering, timing, and extensions to shape camera behavior.

Create and extend terrains in Unity using the Terrain Toolbox by adding new terrains on edges, painting textures, sampling heights, and adjusting brush options for seamless, playable landscapes.

Master tree leaves creation using a tree optimizer, assign leaf groups, adjust frequency and scale, and copy leaves to other branches for a configurable, game-ready tree from multiple angles.

Place environment prefabs to bring the scene to life, drag and scale pieces, preview with two-column layout, position the player start, and set terrain and hazards like lava and acid.

Arrange a scene with prefabs to create an immersive environment, group and vary plant placements, align platforms and doors with pressure pads, and sculpt terrain to guide player choice.

Explore using the painting tool in the game kit to create an instanced painter setup, assign collider layer mask, and paint vegetation and stonework with adjustable brush size and density.

Create a moving platform that lets the player cross safely by matching its motion with water, adjusting start and end points, rotation, and a looping, ping-pong movement.

Place the shield in the player's right hand by creating an empty game object, attaching the shield, and adjusting pivot, position, and rotation, then test and prep pickup logic.

Equip the collectable shield by using a box collider as a trigger, attaching it to Ellen’s hand on trigger enter, and configuring position, rotation, and scale.

Apply shield adjustments with local rotation for correct parenting, test in Unity, enlarge the trigger box for easier pickup, then attach the shield to the player's bone for synchronized animation.

Set the chomper’s damage ball max hit points to three to require three hits before death, and use exit points to define how many swings contact the enemy.

Set up a health meter in Unity by linking a UI text element to a health integer (starting at 100) and updating the text at runtime to display health.

Explore a two-day game kit project, walk through setup, and design your own level with moving platforms, doors, events, and enemies using premade parts to create fun gameplay.

Set up a Unity scene by using Unity Hub to choose the latest official release, creating a new 2D project folder, and downloading the project assets from the Asset Store.

Set up a Unity UI workspace by arranging the hierarchy, inspector, project, and console into a two-column layout, docking panels, saving the layout as '2D game kit', and exploring folders.

Set up level one in the 2D game kit with tile maps and a parallax background, then test controls (spacebar jump, K slash, O shoot, crouch, look up or down).

Explore Unity's tile map system by painting tiles with the tile palette using brush tools. Manage ground and collision maps, with tile map colliders and composite colliders, then test movement.

Learn to create an interactive door that opens when a pressure pad is triggered, wiring the pad to play the door opening animation and sound, with safeguards to prevent jumping.

Place a door and a reusable switch in the scene, wire the on enter trigger to the door opening animation, then shoot the switch to open the door.

Create environment objects such as acid and spikes in the scene, configure a damager component for instant kill, and test timing as the door lowers toward the finish line.

Learn how to replace the Ellen character by swapping sprites, animations, and animator controllers, then import Eddie from the asset store and reassign animations for the new character.

Create and map ground tiles using a tile pallet, brush, fill, and outline to build a playable level, test mechanics, and plan level design with doors, keys, and transitions.

Set up moving platforms using the moving platform prefab, configure them to move from point a to point b back and forth, and test by running through and timing jumps.

Copy the key object with interact on trigger 2D. Paste in zone two, place three keys, remove director trigger, and set hub door to require keys one to three.

Perform scene cleanup and code edits in Unity to ensure doors open after collecting keys, adjust hub door scripts and colliders, and optimize tile map geometry for stable gameplay.

Create a boss door trigger that opens after collecting three keys and closes to trap the player, using a 2D trigger, an empty object, and a door close animation.

Configure build settings for level two, set the initial scene, and use build and run to create and launch a standalone build.

Explore a full gameplay runthrough in the game design and AI master class beginner to expert.

Access the Unity asset store, download the arcade car physics package, and import it to explore vehicles, tracks, prefabs, and key scripts for racing gameplay.

Configure a car prefab with wheel colliders, center of mass, and engine sounds, and implement a camera follow system with aligned input settings and a tuned turn input curve.

Create a custom racetrack by assembling track parts in a scene, place a track layout image on a plane, then scale with the car prefab and test for arcade driving.

Extend and refine a race track by snapping road pieces, adjusting corners and curves, adding ramps and a bridge, then test jumps and collisions for smooth gameplay.

Design and refine a track layout by importing 3D objects, setting the plane position and scale, adding jumps and pickups, and syncing the camera with the vehicle for responsive controls.

Create a race track section by placing, scaling, and text-labelling start or finish, with guardrails formed from rail assets. Implement box colliders and test for smooth movement.

Duplicate the first scene to create track two, reshape the track with rails, add cars and camera, smooth terrain, and implement jump pads and boost pickups for testing.

Focus on displaying the speed number by enlarging the speed text and centering it on the image, while turning off car and speed scripts, and packaging per level prefab.

Create a UI timer clock with a clock image and text to display lap times, starting when the player passes the starting point and tracking total and lap times.

Develop a timer system in Unity to record lap times and best times, manage checkpoints, and update the track manager with a timer script.

Set up a checkpoint trigger with a trigger box and on trigger enter to update the timer, record the best lap time, and reset the start time.

Implement a jump pickup by duplicating the boost pickup, creating a jump script, and gating jumping with a jump enabled flag so spacebar triggers upward motion only when allowed.

Set up a top-down orthographic minimap camera, adjust depth and viewport, add a car-mounted arrow, and wire a target layer into the prefab for all tracks.

Add a rearview mirror camera to the car body, rotate it 180 degrees, position it above the center for a clear rear view, and remove the audio listener.

Set up a lap counter UI by adding a bold white text element to the canvas, anchored top-center, displaying lap one of three, with a separate label for tracking.

Create and connect a dynamic lap counter in Unity by updating start, lap, and finish labels with a text mesh, timer script, and track manager, using prefabs and scene integration.

Set up scene navigation with the track manager, creating track one and track two, a menu, and a minut scene, with prefab overrides and build settings.

Learn to set up additional vehicles by dragging car prefabs into the scene. Add trigger, target, and rearview mirror, adjust layers, and apply prefab overrides to create a drivable track.

Add images to the main menu UI by placing car, track, and button textures, applying shadows and outlines, and implement an active selection that saves choices and loads the scene.

Design a safe system in Unity to save and load car and track choices via player prefs, assigning buttons to set car type and track, then load the corresponding level.

Set up a loading system in the track manager to spawn two cars, assign car one and car two, and control visibility with a timer and countdown.

Configure track two in Unity by relabeling cars, wiring up the track manager, and exposing public variables for the camera follow system with car transforms.

Fix camera errors by editing the main camera follow target, adjust track two settings, and verify speedometer, checkpoints, and scene setup for a smooth playtest.

Finish the final build by configuring build settings, selecting track one and track two, then build and run to launch the racing project in full screen with keyboard or joystick.