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How to Make a 2D Platformer with Unity & C#

Noa Calice (aka Blackthornprod)

4.2

Based on 526 ratings

, see reviews

Noa Calice (aka Blackthornprod)

In this game creation course, my brother and I will bring you through the process of making a 2D platformer game using Unity and C#.

This is an all-time classic genre, a blank canvas to let your imagination run wild.

We'll begin by learning how to make a solid player controller, with wall jumping and sliding. Then we will go on a fun journey bringing to life unique enemy characters such as a shooting warlock, a flying bat that avoids obstacles, and a patrolling goblin. So you can expect some simple but fun tutorials on AI.

In this game creation course, my brother and I will bring you through the process of making a 2D platformer game using Unity and C#.

This is an all-time classic genre, a blank canvas to let your imagination run wild.

You'll learn how to make moving platforms, a flexible camera, and weapon pickup and switching.

If you've ever wondered how to make an easy unlockable level system, then that's covered too.

Get ready to dive into the universe of particle effects and game juice, learning how to make attacks and jumps more satisfying with sound effects and screen shake for example.

I'll share some useful and easy to implement tips and tricks to make your platformer game environments shine with soft overlays for lighting, parallax to add depth to the world, little trees and grass tufts which move underfoot and post-processing.

Last but not least, by purchasing this course you'll get access to all the project files. Lots of art, animations, code, sounds, and effects at your disposal. Whatsmore, you'll be able to join the courses unique Discord server and chat with a community of game creators, ask for help if you get stuck, and share your hard work with fellow students.

I look forward to seeing what unique worlds you'll bring to life with the course.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

Learn how to make a 2d platformer player controller with wall jumping and sliding.
Create unique enemy characters with simple but fun ai behaviors.
Make moving platforms.
Learn how to make a weapon pickup and switching system.
Create an unlockable level menu.

Make particle effects and add game juice, learning how to make attacks and jumps more satisfying and fun with sound effects and screen shake.
Add parallax to give your 2d world more depth.
Learn how to make your game environments shine with soft overlays, clouds, and small environmental pieces that react to the player.
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Learn how to make a 2d platformer player controller with wall jumping and sliding.
Create unique enemy characters with simple but fun ai behaviors.
Make moving platforms.
Learn how to make a weapon pickup and switching system.
Create an unlockable level menu.
Make particle effects and add game juice, learning how to make attacks and jumps more satisfying and fun with sound effects and screen shake.
Add parallax to give your 2d world more depth.
Learn how to make your game environments shine with soft overlays, clouds, and small environmental pieces that react to the player.
Show more
Show less

Syllabus

Introduction

How to Use This Course

How to use this course LINKS

Making the 2D Platformer

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Uses Unity and C#, which are industry-standard tools for creating 2D platformer games, providing learners with practical skills applicable to game development careers

Covers AI behaviors for enemies, which is a fundamental aspect of game design and development, allowing learners to create engaging and challenging gameplay experiences

Explores particle effects and game juice, which are essential for creating a polished and immersive gaming experience, enhancing the visual and auditory feedback for players

Includes project files with art, animations, code, and sounds, which can accelerate the learning process and provide learners with valuable assets for their own projects

Features a Discord server for community support, which can be helpful for learners who want to collaborate, ask questions, and share their work with others

Teaches weapon switching, which may require learners to have a basic understanding of scripting and game mechanics before taking this course

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Reviews summary

Comprehensive 2d platformer guide in unity

Based on the course description and structure, learners could expect a highly practical approach to game development. This course appears designed to help students build a complete 2D platformer game from the ground up using Unity and C#. It looks to cover core mechanics such as player movement (including wall jumping and sliding), creating enemy AI, handling weapons, building level selection menus, and adding polish with particle effects and sound. The inclusion of project files and access to a community Discord server suggests strong support for learners. While providing a solid foundation, those seeking advanced techniques might find the coverage on topics like AI to be focused on simple implementations.

Covers core features, but not advanced techniques.

"It gives a solid foundation, but I recognize I'll need more advanced courses for optimization or complex AI."

"The 'simple but fun AI' described is a good starting point but not deeply explored."

"Don't expect university-level depth on every single topic, it's about building a game."

Accessible introduction to Unity game development.

"As someone relatively new to Unity and C#, I found the pace manageable and the explanations clear."

"It seems like a great first step into making games with Unity for someone with basic programming knowledge."

"The course breaks down complex ideas into understandable steps for newcomers."

Access to files and helpful Discord community.

"Having the project files provided was a huge help for following along and debugging."

"Being able to join the Discord community is great for getting questions answered quickly."

"The included assets let me focus more on the coding and game logic."

Includes player, enemies, levels, weapons, effects.

"I learned how to implement all the essential platformer features covered in the syllabus."

"From movement to enemies and weapons, the course covers a lot of ground needed for this genre."

"The variety of topics, like particle effects and parallax, added nice touches to the learning."

Building a complete 2D game from start to finish.

"Learning by doing was key, building the platformer step-by-step was a great way to grasp concepts."

"I finished the course with a playable game, which felt like a major accomplishment."

"The project-based structure made following along easy and practical."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in How to Make a 2D Platformer with Unity & C# with these activities:

Review C# Fundamentals

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Reinforce your understanding of C# syntax, data types, and control flow to prepare for scripting in Unity.

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Review C# tutorials and documentation.
Practice writing simple C# programs.
Familiarize yourself with object-oriented programming concepts.

Review Unity Editor Basics

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Familiarize yourself with the Unity editor interface, scene management, and basic game object manipulation.

Browse courses on Unity Editor

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Explore the Unity editor interface.
Create and manipulate game objects in a scene.
Learn about the different panels and windows in Unity.

Implement Basic Player Movement

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Practice implementing basic player movement using Unity's physics engine and C# scripting.

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Create a new Unity project.
Create a player game object with a Rigidbody2D component.
Write a C# script to control player movement using keyboard input.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Follow Unity's 2D Platformer Tutorial

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Work through Unity's official 2D platformer tutorial to gain hands-on experience with the concepts covered in the course.

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Download the tutorial project from Unity's website.
Follow the tutorial instructions step-by-step.
Experiment with different settings and parameters to customize the game.

Create a Devlog

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Document your game development progress in a devlog to reflect on your learning and share your work with others.

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Choose a platform for your devlog (e.g., blog, YouTube, forum).
Regularly update your devlog with screenshots, videos, and descriptions of your progress.
Solicit feedback from other developers and players.

Design a New Level

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Apply what you've learned to design and build a new level for your platformer game.

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Sketch out a level design on paper.
Create the level in Unity using tilemaps and other assets.
Test the level to ensure it is fun and challenging.

Contribute to a Unity Asset

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Contribute to an open-source Unity asset to gain experience working on a collaborative project and improve your skills.

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Find an open-source Unity asset on GitHub or GitLab.
Fork the repository and make your changes.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete How to Make a 2D Platformer with Unity & C# will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Unity Developer

Unity Developers specialize in creating games and interactive experiences using the Unity game engine. They are proficient in C# programming and have a strong understanding of game development principles. A Unity Developer will see that this course will help them gain practical experience in creating 2D platformer games using Unity and C#. By learning how to implement player controls, enemy AI, and level design, they will develop a strong foundation in Unity development. This course is a great way for a Unity Developer to enhance competence.

See salaries and explore the career path for Unity Developer

Indie Game Developer

As an Indie Game Developer, you independently create and publish video games, often handling design, programming, art, and marketing. All aspects of game development are within the scope of this profession. Taking this course will prove to be valuable because it covers a wide range of essential skills, including player control, enemy AI, level design, and visual effects. The course allows you to work through a complete 2D platformer project, providing hands-on experience that is directly applicable to indie game development. An Indie Game Developer should consider taking this course to start developing their own games.

See salaries and explore the career path for Indie Game Developer

Gameplay Programmer

Gameplay Programmers implement the mechanics and systems that define how a player interacts with a game. This role requires strong coding skills and a deep understanding of game design principles. One who strives to be a Gameplay Programmer will realize that this is the course for them. The course helps students implement player controls, enemy AI, and weapon systems using C# in Unity, which are essential skills for gameplay programming. Learning how to create the player controller with wall jumping and sliding, will provide a solid foundation in implementing complex movement mechanics, useful for a Gameplay Programmer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Gameplay Programmer

Level Designer

The Level Designer crafts the environments and layouts within a video game. They ensure each level is both aesthetically pleasing and functional for gameplay. A Level Designer will see that this course helps them understand how to create compelling level layouts, integrate gameplay mechanics, and add depth to 2D worlds. The course's coverage of parallax scrolling, moving platforms, and environmental enhancements provides a practical understanding of level design principles. This is a worthy course to take on the path of a Level Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Level Designer

Game Designer

A Game Designer conceptualizes and designs the gameplay, rules, and structure of video games. This role involves creating engaging and challenging experiences for players. One who embarks on a career as Game Designer will find that this course will help them prototype and implement game mechanics, experiment with level design, and develop enemy AI. In particular, the skills gained making a character controller, setting up an unlockable level system, and implementing particle effects translate directly to designing compelling gameplay features. A student should take this course to build a foundation in 2D game development which will prove useful on their Game Designer journey.

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AI Programmer

An AI Programmer specializes in creating the artificial intelligence that drives non-player characters (NPCs) and other dynamic elements within a game. They design and implement algorithms that control enemy behaviors, pathfinding, and decision-making processes. One who aspires to be an AI Programmer may find that this course helps them gain practical experience in implementing simple AI behaviors for enemy characters using C#. By learning how to create patrolling enemies, flying enemies, and warlocks, the student will understand the basics of AI implementation in games. This serves as an excellent starting point for a career as an AI Programmer.

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Technical Artist

A Technical Artist bridges the gap between art and programming, optimizing assets and implementing visual effects in a game engine. They ensure that the game looks great while running smoothly. By taking this course, the student will gain exposure to visual effects, particle systems, and environmental enhancements, all of which are critical for creating visually appealing games. The course's coverage of post processing, soft overlays, and parallax effects helps you refine your technical art skills. A Technical Artist can greatly benefit from skills taught in this course.

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Animator

Animators create the movement and behavior of characters and objects in video games. They use software tools to design and implement animations that bring the game world to life. This role involves creating smooth and realistic animations. The course helps one learn how to implement and control player animations using Unity's animation system, which are essential skills for game animation. By learning how to create animation transitions, the student will develop a strong understanding of character animation in games. An Animator may benefit from this course.

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Sound Designer

Sound Designers create and implement the audio elements of a video game, including sound effects, music, and dialogue. They work to enhance the player's experience through immersive and impactful sound design. A Sound Designer should see that this course helps them understand how to integrate sound effects into a game project and create satisfying audio feedback. By learning how to add sound effects to attacks and jumps, they'll be able to create more engaging and immersive gameplay. Aspiring Sound Designers may find this course to be useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Designer

Mobile Game Developer

A Mobile Game Developer creates games specifically for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This involves optimizing gameplay, graphics, and performance for mobile platforms. One who strives to be a Mobile Game Developer may find this course useful as it covers a wide range of game development skills. By learning how to create 2D platformers, implement player controls, and design engaging levels, they will develop a foundation for mobile game development. This platform is a great first step in your journey to becoming a Mobile Game Developer.

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Curriculum Developer

Curriculum Developers design and create educational materials which includes courses, lesson plans, and training programs. They ensure that the content is engaging, effective, and aligned with learning objectives. Studying this course helps one understand how to structure a game development course, break down complex topics into manageable steps, and provide hands-on learning experiences. By seeing how the course covers player controls, enemy AI, level design, and visual effects, they will gain insights into effective curriculum design principles. Aspiring Curriculum Developers may find this course helpful.

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Character Artist

Character Artists design and create the visual appearance of characters in video games. They focus on modeling, texturing, and rigging characters to bring them to life. A Character Artist may find this course useful because it allows them to work with pre-made character art and animations in a real game project. By seeing how characters are implemented and animated in Unity, they will gain insights into the technical considerations of character art. A Character Artist should consider taking this course to enhance experience.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and test software applications. While not exclusively game-related, the coding and problem-solving skills developed in game development are valuable in broader software engineering roles. The skills that a Software Engineer needs, such as proficiency in C#, algorithm design, and software architecture, can be developed by working on this course. The course is a great way to learn practical coding skills and apply them to real-world projects. A Software Engineer may find this course useful in their journey.

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Tools Programmer

A Tools Programmer creates and maintains the software tools used by other developers, such as designers and artists, to streamline their workflows. This role often involves developing custom editors, scripts, and plugins within a game engine like Unity. The knowledge gained in this course may help one understand the structure of a Unity project and how to extend its functionality. By learning how to create custom game mechanics and systems, they will develop valuable insights into the needs of game developers and create effective tools to support them. One who strives to be a Tools Programmer will benefit from this course.

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Game Tester

Game Testers play video games to identify bugs, glitches, and other issues that need to be fixed before release. They provide feedback to developers to improve the quality of the game. This course may help one understand the game development process and the types of issues that can arise during development. By working through a complete project, they gain insights into the complexities of game development and the importance of thorough testing. A Game Tester may find this course to be a valuable tool.

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Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in How to Make a 2D Platformer with Unity & C#.

Human Compatible

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Written by a leading AI researcher, this book addresses the critical challenge of ensuring that AI systems are designed to be beneficial and aligned with human values. It explains the potential risks of advanced AI and proposes a new foundation for AI development. is highly relevant to contemporary discussions on AI safety and ethics and is accessible to a broad audience.

How to Make a 2D Platformer with Unity & C#

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

Traffic lights

Save this course

Reviews summary

Comprehensive 2d platformer guide in unity

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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