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Gianny Dantas

Learn how to create your first Tower Defense Game in Unity.

Do you want to learn how to create a Tower Defense in Unity? Have you ever wanted to learn how to create from scratch one of these games? Tower Defense games are very popular on Android, iOS, and PC. In this course I will explain everything you need to be able to create one of these games, together we will create this game from scratch, implementing new features as we advance.

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Learn how to create your first Tower Defense Game in Unity.

Do you want to learn how to create a Tower Defense in Unity? Have you ever wanted to learn how to create from scratch one of these games? Tower Defense games are very popular on Android, iOS, and PC. In this course I will explain everything you need to be able to create one of these games, together we will create this game from scratch, implementing new features as we advance.

We will start with an empty project, where we will implement all the packages we need to create the game, and we are going to discuss what we need to create one of these amazing games.

The course will cover some important aspects of Tower Defense Games, like the creation of Spawners to show enemies, adding Object Pooling to increase the performance, working with the Singleton Pattern to communicate between classes, etc.

This course covers all the basics you need to create a Tower Defense Game from scratch, at the end of the course, you will have the final project ready to be downloaded.

Things you will learn:

  • Create Path System

  • Create a Spawner

  • Create Enemies

  • Create Movement

  • Create Towers

  • Create Projectiles

  • Good programming practices

  • Work with Managers

  • Create Singleton Pattern

  • Create Object Pooler

Let´s start making games.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Learn how to create a tower defense game
  • Build a solid foundation for game design and game development that will help you build your own games.
  • How to use events
  • Use of scriptable objects
  • Learn how to create a 2d game in unity
  • Understand how the relationship between classes works
  • How to share data
  • How to create user interface (ui)

Syllabus

Course Video
Important Notes
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Project Setup
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Uses Unity, a leading engine in the game development industry, which allows learners to build games for multiple platforms, including mobile and PC
Covers object pooling, which is an important optimization technique for improving game performance by reusing objects instead of constantly creating and destroying them
Explores the Singleton pattern, which is a fundamental design pattern used to manage unique instances and facilitate communication between different parts of the game
Employs Scriptable Objects, which are data containers that can store large quantities of shared data independent from class instances, making it easier to manage game data
Requires Unity, which may necessitate learners to acquire the software and familiarize themselves with its interface before starting the course
Focuses on creating a 2D game, which may not appeal to learners interested in developing 3D games or those seeking to expand their skills in 3D game development

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Reviews summary

Create 2d tower defense game in unity

According to students, this course offers a highly practical and engaging way to learn Unity 2D game development by building a complete Tower Defense project. Learners praise the instructor's clear explanations and the step-by-step approach that makes complex topics like Object Pooling and Singleton patterns accessible. Many feel they gained a solid foundation and the confidence to tackle their own projects after completing the course, highlighting the value of the hands-on experience.
Course provides a base to build upon.
"This course gives you a great foundation to build your own features."
"I feel confident adding new elements to the game after finishing."
"The knowledge gained provides a strong base for developing other 2D games."
Code is well-structured and follows good practices.
"The code structure is clean and follows good programming practices."
"I learned valuable tips on writing cleaner, more efficient code."
"Instructor emphasizes good habits which is crucial for learning."
Introduces key programming patterns like Singleton.
"Appreciate learning patterns like Singleton and Object Pooling in a practical context."
"The course introduces essential programming concepts relevant to game dev."
"Learning about different patterns was very useful for structuring my code."
Suitable starting point for new Unity developers.
"Perfect for someone just starting out with Unity and game development."
"As a beginner, I felt this course was very accessible and not overwhelming."
"Gave me a solid starting point to begin my game development journey in Unity."
"I had very little experience before this, and the course guided me well."
Instructor is clear and concepts are easy to follow.
"The instructor explains everything clearly, making complex topics easy to grasp."
"Explanations are concise and easy to follow, even for beginners."
"I found the explanations simple and well-structured, never felt lost."
"The way concepts were explained made coding along enjoyable and understandable."
Learn by doing through building a full game project.
"Loved how we built a full game step-by-step, it really solidified my understanding."
"The project-based approach is fantastic; I have a working game at the end!"
"Building the tower defense game was practical and engaging, great hands-on experience."
"I enjoyed creating an entire game from scratch, implementing features as we progressed."

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 Learn how to create a 2D Tower Defense Game in Unity with these activities:
Review C# Fundamentals
Solidify your understanding of C# syntax and programming concepts before diving into Unity scripting.
Browse courses on C# Scripting
Show steps
  • Review basic syntax, data types, and control flow.
  • Practice writing simple C# programs.
  • Familiarize yourself with object-oriented programming concepts.
Review 'Unity in Action, Third Edition'
Use this book as a reference to better understand the Unity engine and its features.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters related to scripting, UI, and game mechanics.
  • Experiment with the code examples provided in the book.
Review 'Game Programming Patterns'
Learn about common game programming patterns to improve your code's structure and maintainability.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters related to object pooling and the singleton pattern.
  • Understand how these patterns are implemented in the context of game development.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Practice Unity UI Layout
Master Unity's UI system by recreating common UI layouts from other games.
Show steps
  • Find examples of UI layouts in existing games.
  • Recreate the layouts in Unity using Canvas, Panels, and other UI elements.
Expand the Tower Defense Game
Extend the game by adding new features, such as different enemy types, tower upgrades, or special abilities.
Show steps
  • Brainstorm new features to add to the game.
  • Implement the new features using Unity and C#.
  • Test and refine the new features.
Create a Tutorial on a Specific Tower Defense Mechanic
Share your knowledge by creating a tutorial on a specific aspect of tower defense game development.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific mechanic, such as pathfinding or turret placement.
  • Create a written or video tutorial explaining the mechanic.
  • Share your tutorial online.
Contribute to a Unity Open Source Project
Gain experience by contributing to an open-source Unity project related to game development.
Show steps
  • Find an open-source Unity project on GitHub or GitLab.
  • Identify a bug or feature to work on.
  • Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete Learn how to create a 2D Tower Defense Game in Unity will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Unity Developer
A Unity developer specializes in using the Unity game engine to create interactive experiences, ranging from video games to simulations. They utilize C# scripting, animation, and visual effects to bring these creations to life. This course focuses specifically on creating a 2D Tower Defense game in Unity, providing hands-on experience with the engine. Learning how to use Unity and implementing features such as spawners, movement, and towers, are all valuable skills for a Unity developer. This project-based knowledge of making a polished, functioning game from scratch is a unique advantage. Anyone interested in becoming a Unity developer should take this course to begin learning how to create games with Unity.
Indie Game Developer
An indie game developer works independently or within a small team to create and publish their own games. This can involve wearing many hats, from programming to art to marketing. This course provides the skills and foundation needed to create a complete Tower Defense game, giving indie developers a head start on their projects. Learning how to create spawners, enemies, towers, and UI elements helps indie developers to develop game development skill holistically. One who wishes to become an indie game developer may find this course valuable.
Game Developer
A game developer brings virtual worlds to life, crafting engaging experiences for players. This role often involves programming, designing game mechanics, and collaborating with artists and designers. This course helps build a foundation in creating a specific type of game, Tower Defense, equipping the learner with practical skills in Unity. The course covers essential aspects like creating spawners, implementing object pooling, and working with the singleton pattern, all valuable tools for any game developer. Such experience launching a polished project can demonstrate a developer's complete software development lifecycle abilities. Someone looking to become a game developer should take this course to understand how to create their own games.
Mobile Game Developer
A mobile game developer creates games specifically for smartphones and tablets. This role requires a deep understanding of mobile platforms and user interfaces. This course teaches the fundamentals of creating a Tower Defense game, which is a popular genre on mobile devices. Understanding how to create such a game, including implementing features like spawners, object pooling, and UI elements, is valuable for any mobile focused developer. This knowledge can directly inform how to create one’s own mobile games. One who wishes to become a mobile game developer may learn much from this course.
Gameplay Programmer
A gameplay programmer focuses on implementing the rules, mechanics, and interactions within a game. This includes coding player controls, artificial intelligence, and game logic. This course covers fundamental gameplay elements, such as creating enemies, towers, projectiles, and movement, within the context of a Tower Defense game. Grasping how the relationship between classes works, how to share data, and good programming practices outlined in the course are crucial for success as a gameplay programmer. One who wishes to become a gameplay programmer might benefit from this course.
Game Designer
A game designer is responsible for the overall vision and design of a game. They create the rules, mechanics, and narrative that make a game engaging and fun. This course helps build a foundation for game design and game development by guiding learners through the process of creating a Tower Defense game from scratch. Gaining hands-on experience with creating a game, including designing the path system, enemy waves, and turret upgrades, is relevant for anyone interested in game design. This experience can lead to making one’s own games. One who wishes to become a game designer should consider taking this course.
UI Designer
A UI designer, or user interface designer, focuses on creating intuitive and visually appealing interfaces for software applications and games. This course helps learn how to create User Interface (UI). The course teaches how to create turrets panels, load turrets, upgrade turrets on nodes, and add achievements UI. One who wishes to become a UI designer may find the lessons in the course valuable.
Simulation Developer
A simulation developer creates interactive simulations for training, education, or research purposes. The skills learned in this course can be applied to creating simulations with game like elements. This course specifically teaches how to create interactive elements, such as spawners, enemies, and towers, which can be adapted for simulation purposes. This exposure to the Unity engine can be very helpful. One who wishes to become a simulation developer may find much to learn from this course.
Software Engineer
A software engineer designs, develops, and tests software applications. While not specific to game development, the programming skills learned in the course are transferable. This course covers important programming concepts, such as object pooling, the singleton pattern, and working with managers. The disciplined approach to game development, that is taught in this course, is valuable to software engineers. One who wishes to become a software engineer may learn much from this course.
Technical Artist
A technical artist bridges the gap between art and programming, optimizing art assets for use in games and developing tools to improve the art workflow. This course, while focused on game development, touches upon aspects relevant to technical artists. The course teaches how to integrate assets, create animations, and optimize performance using techniques like object pooling. Being able to understand the technical constraints of a game engine like Unity is useful. Anyone wishing to become a technical artist could take this course.
Quality Assurance Tester
A quality assurance tester is responsible for finding and reporting bugs in software and games. While this course teaches how to create a game, it also provides insight into the development process, which can be helpful for a tester. The course may help learners understand the different components of a game and how they interact, making it easier to identify potential issues. One who wishes to become a quality assurance tester may find some of what the course teaches useful.
Level Designer
A level designer creates the environments and layouts of video game levels, focusing on gameplay flow and player experience. This course may be useful to this career. The Map section in this course teaches users about rule tiles and challenges them to create a map on their own. One who wishes to become a level designer may find what the course teaches useful.
Project Manager
A project manager oversees the planning, execution, and delivery of projects. While this course focuses on game development, it does provide experience with managing a project from start to finish. This course teaches how to finalize a project, adding game speed controls, adding a game over panel, etc. One who wishes to become a project manager may learn something from this course.
Web Developer
A web developer creates and maintains websites and web applications. While seemingly unrelated, the problem solving and programming skills taught in this course can be beneficial. This course teaches how to work with classes, manage data, and create user interfaces, which are all relevant to web development. One who wishes to become a web developer may find value in this course.
Animator
An animator creates the movement and visual effects for characters and objects in games and other media. This course teaches enemy animators. The course guides learners on enemy rotations. One who wishes to become a animator may find this lesson valuable.

Reading list

We've selected two 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 Learn how to create a 2D Tower Defense Game in Unity.
Provides a comprehensive guide to Unity development, covering a wide range of topics from basic concepts to advanced techniques. It can be used as a reference to better understand the Unity engine and its features. It is particularly useful for understanding the underlying principles of game development in Unity. This book is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions.
Provides a catalog of useful design patterns specifically tailored for game development. It covers patterns that can help improve code structure, performance, and maintainability. While not Unity-specific, the principles are directly applicable to the course, especially when creating managers, object poolers, and other core systems. It is more valuable as additional reading to deepen understanding of software design.

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