The Ultimate Guide to making a 2D strategy game in Unity from Udemy

In this game dev course, you'll learn how to make a 2D turn by turn strategy game using Unity, C#, and Photoshop (or a free alternative).

Here is a list of the keys things that you will learn by watching this course:

First of all, you'll gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to create an entire game from A to Z, from art to programming to sounds to game design. By the end of the course, you'll be able to make your very own 2D local multiplayer strategy games, which you can share with family and friends.

The game we will bring to life is simple, but will teach you the fundamentals of many tactic/strategy games such as turn by turn systems, attack & defense, moving characters on grid-like environments, placing units, gaining resources and more. All with the C# programming language- if you understand the basics of coding, then this is the perfect opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of those fundamentals (such as functions, arrays, vectors, if statements) and learn extra tips and tricks related to turn by turn games.

You'll also learn how to make your own game characters. Starting with sketching, inking, and coloring using a 2D art application like Photoshop (but most of what is taught can be done using free alternatives, such as Gimp or Krita).

We will also learn how to rig and animate those characters inside of Unity using a simple bone-based method.

There will also be tutorials on particle effects, sounds, game juice, and UI. Everything that is needed to make a game will be covered in well-edited, fun, engaging videos. This course will immerse you in the life of a game creator, as you go on an epic journey to bring your visions to life.

Why learn from us?

My brother and I created this course to share our passion for making games and help others bring their unique visions to life. We've been teaching aspiring game developers how to use Unity, code with the C# programming language, and make game art and animations for over two years. Our tutorials have been viewed by thousands and are very popular, every day we get dozens of developers thanking us for helping them out on their own game dev journey.

We've not only made tons of tutorials but we've also created plenty of games using Unity, both 2D, and 3D, on Itch io, Newgrounds, and Steam.So we know what it's like to create a complete, polished experience from A to Z, and really want to equip you with the right tools and knowledge so you can do the same.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Create a local multiplayer 2d strategy game in unity
Understand on a deeper level the c# fundamentals
Create 2d game art
Animate 2d characters in unity
Make ui and sound effects

Code tile based movement
Code an attack/defense system
Code a turn by turn system
Buy & place units on a battlefield

Create a local multiplayer 2d strategy game in unity
Understand on a deeper level the c# fundamentals
Create 2d game art
Animate 2d characters in unity
Make ui and sound effects
Code tile based movement
Code an attack/defense system
Code a turn by turn system
Buy & place units on a battlefield

Syllabus

HOW TO USE THIS COURSE

Course Introduction

How to use This course

How to use this course LINKS

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers the fundamentals of creating a 2D strategy game, providing a solid foundation for beginners in game development using Unity and C#

Teaches character rigging and animation within Unity, which are valuable skills for creating engaging and visually appealing 2D games

Explores the creation of UI and sound effects, which are essential elements for creating a complete and immersive game experience

Requires Photoshop (or alternatives like Gimp or Krita), which may require learners to acquire and learn new software

Focuses on creating a local multiplayer game, which may limit the scope for learners interested in online multiplayer or single-player experiences

Develops skills in C# programming within the Unity environment, which is highly relevant for creating interactive game mechanics and systems

Reviews summary

Build a 2d strategy game in unity

According to learners, this course provides a highly practical approach to game development by guiding students through building a complete 2D strategy game in Unity. Many found the course content clear and easy to follow, praising the well-explained lectures and engaging instructors. Students appreciated the focus on hands-on learning, making the project feel achievable and motivating. The course covers both coding (C# fundamentals, game mechanics like turn systems, movement, attack/defense) and includes sections on game art and animation. While the course is generally considered excellent for beginners with some C# background, some mention that those completely new to programming might find the pace challenging at times. Overall, it's seen as a solid foundation for aspiring game developers.

Covers creating 2D characters and animation.

"It was cool that they included sections on character art and animation, not just coding."

"While my focus was coding, the art part was a nice bonus."

"The art tutorials were a good introduction to making basic game assets."

"I mostly skipped the art sections as I'm already an artist, but it's great for others."

Best for those with foundational coding knowledge.

"Make sure you have some basic C# knowledge before starting; it's needed."

"This course is perfect if you have basic coding under your belt and want to apply it."

"If you're a total coding beginner, you might need to supplement with a C# basics course."

"It assumes you know the basics of functions, variables, etc."

Knowledgeable and supportive teaching style.

"The instructors are fantastic! Very knowledgeable and keep you engaged."

"Their passion for game development really comes through in the teaching."

"I appreciated how responsive and helpful the instructors were with questions."

"Great teachers who make learning fun."

Course content is well-explained and easy to follow.

"The explanations are really clear and break down complex topics into manageable steps."

"I found the lectures easy to understand, even for someone relatively new to Unity."

"The instructor explains things simply and directly, which made learning much smoother."

"Everything was presented in a logical order and easy to follow along with."

Build a complete 2D strategy game project.

"The highlight for me was actually building a full, working game from scratch. It makes the concepts stick."

"I loved how the course walks you through creating a complete game. It felt very practical."

"Building the game project end-to-end was incredibly rewarding and taught me a lot."

"Having a tangible game project to work on kept me motivated throughout."

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 The Ultimate Guide to making a 2D strategy game in Unity with these activities:

Review C# Fundamentals

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Strengthen your understanding of C# fundamentals to better grasp the scripting aspects of game development in Unity.

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Review basic C# syntax and data types.
Practice writing simple C# programs.
Familiarize yourself with C# control flow statements.

Review 'Unity in Action, Third Edition'

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Deepen your understanding of Unity's core concepts and workflows to enhance your game development skills.

View Unity in Action, Third Edition on Amazon

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Read the chapters relevant to 2D game development.
Experiment with the code examples provided in the book.
Apply the concepts learned to your own game projects.

Review 'Game Feel: A Game Designer's Guide'

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Improve the player experience by understanding the principles of game feel and applying them to your game's mechanics and UI.

View Game Feel (Morgan Kaufmann Game Design Books) on Amazon

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Read the chapters on visual and audio feedback.
Analyze the game feel of successful strategy games.
Experiment with different techniques to improve your game's feel.

Three other activities

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Show all six activities

Create a Devlog Series

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Document your game development journey by creating a series of blog posts or videos showcasing your progress and challenges.

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Choose a platform for your devlog (blog, YouTube, etc.).
Plan the content for your devlog series.
Create and publish your devlog entries regularly.
Engage with your audience and respond to feedback.

Create a Simple Tilemap Editor Extension

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Solidify your understanding of tile-based movement and editor scripting by creating a custom tool for designing game levels.

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Research Unity's editor scripting capabilities.
Design the user interface for your tilemap editor.
Implement the functionality to create and modify tilemaps.
Test your editor extension thoroughly.

Expand the Game with New Mechanics

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Apply your knowledge by adding new features to the game, such as different unit types, special abilities, or resource management.

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Brainstorm new game mechanics to add to the game.
Design the implementation of your chosen mechanics.
Implement and test the new features in Unity.
Balance the game to ensure the new mechanics are fun and engaging.

Career center

Learners who complete The Ultimate Guide to making a 2D strategy game in Unity will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Indie Game Developer

An independent game developer works solo or in a small team to create and publish their own games. This course helps build a foundation in all aspects of game development, from art to programming to game design. You'll learn how to create a complete 2D strategy game from scratch, equipping you with the skills and knowledge needed to develop your own games. The course's comprehensive approach makes it ideal for aspiring indie developers. The course immerses learners in the life of a game creator.

See salaries and explore the career path for Indie Game Developer

Unity Developer

A Unity developer uses the Unity engine to create video games and interactive experiences. This course directly aligns with the skills needed, as it teaches you how to build a 2D strategy game in Unity. You'll gain experience with C# programming, which is essential for Unity development, and learn how to implement game mechanics such as tile-based movement, attack systems, and turn-based gameplay. The course is especially helpful, since it guides you through the entire process of game creation, and it delves into character animation, user interface creation, and sound effects implementation. The focus of this course on the Unity game engine makes it especially useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Unity Developer

Game Programmer

A game programmer writes the code that brings video games to life. This course helps build a foundation in C# programming, which is widely used in game development, particularly with the Unity engine. You'll learn how to implement core game mechanics such as turn-based systems, attack/defense, unit movement, and resource management. The course's emphasis on C# and its application to game logic makes it very useful for aspiring game programmers. Implementing sound effects will also be helpful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Programmer

Gameplay Programmer

A gameplay programmer specializes in coding the interactive elements of a video game, such as character movement, combat mechanics, and artificial intelligence. This course helps build a foundation in programming core gameplay mechanics using C# within the Unity engine. You'll learn how to implement turn-based systems, attack/defense mechanics, and unit movement, providing practical experience with gameplay programming. The course's focus on C# programming and gameplay implementations makes it a good fit.

See salaries and explore the career path for Gameplay Programmer

Game Designer

A game designer conceptualizes and designs video game elements, including gameplay mechanics, characters, and storylines. This course helps build a foundation in understanding the entire game development lifecycle, from art creation to programming. You'll learn how to create a 2D strategy game from scratch, which is invaluable for a game designer. The course's focus on turn-based systems, attack/defense mechanics, unit placement, and resource management provides practical experience directly applicable to designing strategy games. The course's exploration of game design elements makes it particularly useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer

Animator

An animator brings characters and objects to life through movement and expression. This course helps build a foundation in 2D animation within the Unity game engine. You'll learn how to rig and animate characters using a bone-based method, giving you practical experience with character animation. The course's focus on animating characters within a game context makes it very useful for aspiring animators. The course's focus on animation makes it especially useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animator

2D Artist

A 2D artist creates visual assets for video games, including characters, backgrounds, and user interface elements. This course helps build a foundation in creating 2D game art using tools like Photoshop (or alternatives like Gimp/Krita). You'll learn how to sketch, ink, and color characters, as well as rig and animate them within Unity. This course is useful, as it provides a practical introduction to the art creation pipeline for games. The course's focus on character art and animation renders it very useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for 2D Artist

UI Designer

A user interface designer creates the visual elements that players interact with in a game, such as menus, buttons, and information displays. This course helps build a foundation in UI design by teaching you how to create and implement UI elements within Unity. You'll learn how to program the UI to display game information and allow player interaction, providing practical experience with UI development. The course's hands-on approach to UI creation makes it particularly helpful.

See salaries and explore the career path for UI Designer

Level Designer

A level designer creates the environments and layouts within a video game. This course helps build a better grasp of creating tile-based environments and designing gameplay spaces. You'll learn how to set up tiles, create battlefields, and implement unit placement mechanics. The course's focus on creating a 2D strategy game, including level layouts, makes it useful for level designers. The course also explores background art, making it more useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Level Designer

Sound Designer

A sound designer creates and implements audio elements for video games, including sound effects and music. This course helps build a foundation in sound design by teaching you how to create and implement sound effects within Unity. You'll learn how to add sound effects to game events, enhancing the overall player experience. The course's hands-on approach to sound implementation makes it helpful. The course's section on sound effects makes it more useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Designer

Technical Artist

A technical artist bridges the gap between art and programming, ensuring that art assets work seamlessly within a game engine. This course may be useful because it involves creating art assets and integrating them into Unity, giving you hands-on experience with the technical aspects of game art. You'll learn how to rig and animate characters, create particle effects, and implement UI elements, all of which require a blend of artistic and technical skills. The course's coverage of both art creation and Unity integration makes it helpful for this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist

Game Producer

A game producer oversees the development of a video game, managing the team, budget, and schedule. While this role typically requires significant industry experience, this course helps build a foundation in understanding the various aspects of game development, including art, programming, and design. This broad understanding can be valuable for a producer, as it allows them to communicate effectively with the development team and make informed decisions. The course may be helpful in understanding the game creation process. An advanced degree benefits Producers.

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Mobile Game Developer

A mobile game developer creates games specifically for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This course may be useful for mobile game development because the skills learned, such as C# programming and Unity game engine usage, are transferable to mobile game development. The principles of game design, the implementation of turn-based systems, and the creation of user interfaces apply to both traditional and mobile games. The course may be useful if you wish to create mobile games.

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Serious Game Developer

A serious game developer creates games for purposes beyond entertainment, such as education, training, or healthcare. The skills learned will equip you to use the Unity engine to create interactive experiences. The course provides a foundation in game design principles, programming, and art creation, which can be applied to developing serious games for various applications. The course may be useful if you are interested in developing serious games.

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Quality Assurance Tester

A quality assurance tester plays video games to identify bugs and ensure a high-quality player experience. This course may be useful because it gives you a deeper understanding of the game development process, including programming, art creation, and game design. This understanding can help you identify potential issues and provide valuable feedback to the development team. The course may be helpful to gain insights into game development.

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The Ultimate Guide to making a 2D strategy game in Unity

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Build a 2d strategy game in unity

Activities

Career center

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