Six engaging and easy-to-follow Unity 3D tutorials
There are lots of Unity tutorials available online, so much so that it’s hard to find the right one for you. With different game styles, experience levels, and teachers to choose from, the choice can feel overwhelming.
So, we’ve taken some of the guesswork out of finding that perfect tutorial. We’ve compiled six top quality video tutorials on how to use Unity 3D in different ways in this list. Please note that these are 3D tutorials only and require a basic understanding of Unity.
If you’re looking for a different type of tutorial, check out these two links:
With that out of the way, let’s begin!
1. "FIRST PERSON MOVEMENT in 10 MINUTES - Unity Tutorial" by Dave / GameDevelopment
When you’re developing a 3D game, one of the first things to decide is whether it will be first-person or third-person. If you’re building something in first-person, then this tutorial on how to implement basic movement by Dave is a great starting point.
Dave gives us a rundown of what is required for fully functional movement and then shows us the implementation process. One of the best parts about this video is how you’re left with working movement in your own Unity client, meaning you can develop it further either on your own or with the help of other tutorials.
And, just in case you don’t want to do everything in the video yourself, you’re also provided with links to the movement script in the description of the video. Cheers Dave.
Go subscribe to Dave's channel so you don’t miss anything from him!
2. "How to do Easy Unity 3D Ragdoll Physics with Source Code" by Jason Weimann
Something that nearly every 3D game has these days is ragdoll physics. Whether a character falls over naturally or is attacked, ragdolls give characters life.
Jason Weimann gives a well-detailed explanation of how to create working ragdoll physics for your game, including adding scripts and navmeshes that allow your character to move with more realism.
Jason is part of the Unity3D College blog and is one of the many great Unity content creators out there. He covers a variety of topics such as tutorials, news, and even has a game dev talk show.
3. "How to Improve a Games Performance to ‘Perfection’ - 10 Tips - Unity3D" by YagmanX
Your game can live or die by its performance. You could give players beautiful art, a compelling story, and immersive gameplay, but if the game doesn’t run then people aren’t going to experience it.
In this tutorial, YagmanX provides 10 useful tips for improving performance by using her free game, Perfection, as an example. Each tip is straight to the point with clear explanations of how you can solve common performance-related issues without sacrificing gameplay features.
This is coupled with video footage to support you further, as well as links in the description to the documentation. All in all, it’s everything you need to make your 3D game smoother and more playable.
Yasmin works as a tech designer at Creative Assembly and uploads gaming content and tutorials to her YouTube channel. Browse through the other guides on her channel or follow her Twitter to stay informed
4. "Make your Characters Interactive! - Animation Rigging in Unity" by Brackeys
Brackeys is one of the most well-known Unity tutorial creators with 1.5 million subscribers, and it’s easy to see why. It might not sound simple to create procedural animations with animation rigging, but Brackeys manages to make it seem so without compromising on quality.
It’s a great video for anyone with even just a basic understanding of Unity looking to add character animations to their skill set.
Although Brackeys no longer creates new content for its YouTube channel, its past uploads are still worth checking out. Plus they still host game jams which are advertised through Twitter, which are a great way to build relevant experience to support your journey of becoming a game dev.
5. "How to use Cameras in Unity: Cinemachine Overview and Brain Explained!" by iHeartGameDev
The camera and its angles are vital to all 3D games. We’ve probably all experienced it ourselves in a game where the camera just won’t function in the way we want it to? Yeah, we’re trying to avoid that, and this tutorial is a big help.
Here, iHeartGameDev demonstrates how to create the perfect camera system within your game and how to customize it using Unity’s Cinemachine package. Throughout the video, you’ll hear overviews before each section and plenty of examples to help put what you’re learning about camera positioning in a real life setting.
Nicky, the host, is a full-time software engineer and member of Unity’s Insider program, meaning you can trust that his content is high quality. You can find him here on Twitter.
6. "Show a Silhouette When Hidden Using URP Renderer Features" by Ketra Games
This tutorial is on the shorter side of things at just five minutes long, but it quickly covers the process of drawing a silhouette of your character behind objects. You’ll need this skill to create teammate outlines behind walls in shooters, or to show the player where their character is currently standing in a platformer.
You can find a variety of short and simple tutorials on the Ketra Games channel and you can follow them over on Twitter if you want to keep up to date with when a video releases.
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That’s our list! Six excellent tutorials to help you find your footing in Unity.
Good luck out there, and be sure to check the below links for additional support or even job openings if you’re ready to put that knowledge into practice.
