Create a Dark Moody Atmospheric 2D Game with Unity and C# from Coursera

Delve into the world of 2D game development with this comprehensive course designed to teach you how to create a dark, atmospheric game using Unity and C#. You’ll begin by installing the Unity game engine and exploring its user interface. From understanding components and game files to mastering Unity's UI, these foundational lessons set the stage for a smooth development experience. As you progress, you’ll implement core mechanics like player movement, jumping, and more advanced actions such as dashing and wall jumping, using intuitive scripts and techniques.

Building on this foundation, the course introduces you to the visual elements that define the atmosphere of your game. You’ll learn to add and animate sprites, integrate lighting effects, and use Cinemachine for advanced camera controls. The Tile Map Editor will help you design intricate levels, while dynamic particle effects and soundscapes will enhance the game's immersion. Each lesson is crafted to ensure that you not only understand the mechanics but can also apply them creatively to craft a unique gaming experience.

Finally, the course focuses on the finishing touches that turn a good game into a great one. You’ll implement features like collectable items, custom menus, and sound effects that make the game engaging and interactive. Bug-fixing lessons ensure your game runs smoothly, and a final walkthrough shows you how to build and deploy your game, allowing you to share your creation with the world. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this course offers a complete journey from concept to finished product.

This course is ideal for beginner to intermediate game developers who are familiar with basic programming concepts and want to learn game development using Unity and C#. No prior experience in Unity is required, but a basic understanding of C# will be beneficial.

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction

In this module, we will introduce you to the course and set up the essential tools you'll need. You’ll install the Unity game engine, learn to navigate its interface, and explore the basic game components needed to start building your dark and moody atmospheric 2D game.

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Uses Unity and C#, which are industry-standard tools for creating 2D games, providing practical skills for aspiring game developers

Covers core game mechanics like player movement, jumping, and dashing, which are fundamental skills in 2D game development

Explores visual elements such as sprites, lighting effects, and Cinemachine, enhancing the game's atmosphere and visual appeal

Requires a basic understanding of C#, which may pose a barrier for absolute beginners without any programming experience

Includes bug-fixing lessons, which are essential for ensuring a smooth and polished final product

Reviews summary

Hands-on unity 2d game development project

According to learners, this course is a largely positive experience for creating 2D games with Unity and C#. Students particularly praise the hands-on project-based approach, finding it rewarding to build a complete game. The explanations of core mechanics like player movement are frequently cited as clear and easy to follow. Many reviewers also highlight the strong sections on implementing atmospheric visuals, such as lighting, particle effects, and using Cinemachine, noting how well these contribute to the game's mood. Some learners mention that while the pace is generally good, having a basic understanding of C# is essential, and the code can become complex as the project progresses, potentially presenting a warning for absolute beginners. Overall, it's seen as a useful course for aspiring 2D game developers looking to create visually engaging projects.

Strong sections on lighting, particles, camera.

"The lighting and particle effects section was fantastic, really brought the game to life."

"Cinemachine tips were super useful for creating dynamic camera views."

"Learned so much about using visuals to enhance the mood."

Builds a full game, applying learned skills.

"Building a complete game from start to finish was incredibly rewarding."

"I loved seeing all the pieces come together into a playable game."

"This project helped solidify everything I learned into a tangible result."

Explains Unity/C# 2D basics well.

"The instructor did a great job breaking down the Unity interface and core scripting concepts."

"I finally understood how to handle player movement and collisions effectively."

"Excellent explanations for beginners to grasp the fundamentals."

Audio implementation section could have more depth.

"The audio part felt a bit rushed compared to other topics."

"Wished there were more examples of creating atmosphere with sound."

Code gets complex in later stages.

"As the project grew, managing the code became a bit tricky."

"Debugging issues took a lot of time, especially for complex scripts."

"Wished there were more tips on organizing larger codebases."

Pace can be fast; C# knowledge essential.

"Assumes you are comfortable with C#. If not, expect to pause and practice."

"Pace is good if you have basic coding, but might be too quick for total newbies."

"Found myself rewatching some lessons because the pace picked up."

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 Create a Dark Moody Atmospheric 2D Game with Unity and C# with these activities:

Review C# Fundamentals

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Strengthen your C# foundation to better understand the scripting aspects of the course.

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Review variables, data types, and operators.
Practice writing simple C# programs.
Familiarize yourself with control flow statements.

Review 'C# 8.0 and .NET Core 3.0 – Modern Cross-Platform Development'

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Deepen your understanding of C# syntax and .NET Core concepts.

View C# 8.0 and .NET Core 3.0 – Modern Cross... on Amazon

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Read the chapters on C# language features.
Study the examples provided in the book.
Try implementing some of the examples in Unity.

Follow Unity's official tutorials

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Learn the basics of Unity game development by following Unity's official tutorials.

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Visit the Unity Learn website.
Choose a tutorial relevant to 2D game development.
Follow the tutorial step-by-step.

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Practice basic Unity scripting

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Reinforce your understanding of Unity scripting by completing practice exercises.

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Create a new Unity project.
Write scripts to control game object behavior.
Experiment with different Unity APIs.

Document your learning journey

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Solidify your understanding by documenting your learning process and sharing insights.

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Start a blog or journal.
Write about what you've learned in each module.
Share your challenges and solutions.

Create a simple 2D game prototype

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Apply what you've learned by creating a small 2D game prototype.

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Design a simple game concept.
Implement basic game mechanics.
Add visual and audio elements.
Test and refine your prototype.

Review 'Unity 2020 By Example'

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Expand your knowledge of Unity by studying practical examples.

View Moving from Unity to Godot on Amazon

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Choose a chapter relevant to your interests.
Follow the examples provided in the book.
Adapt the examples to your own projects.

Contribute to a Unity open-source project

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Gain experience and contribute to the community by participating in an open-source Unity project.

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Find an open-source Unity project on GitHub.
Read the project's documentation.
Identify a bug or feature to work on.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete Create a Dark Moody Atmospheric 2D Game with Unity and C# will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Unity Developer

A Unity Developer specializes in developing games and other applications using the Unity engine, and this course provides a foundational training in that specific tool. The course begins with setting up Unity and explores its interface, going on to teach the implementation of game mechanics, visual effects, and other elements of game creation. A Unity developer needs a broad understanding of using the engine, and this course offers direct experience with the process. A Unity developer will find this course to be highly relevant, as it shows how to bring a 2D game from concept to deployment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Unity Developer

Game Developer

A Game Developer is responsible for crafting the technical aspects of a video game, and this course provides a solid entry point into that role. Game developers use tools like Unity, which is a core focus of this course, and programming languages like C#, which are utilized throughout the lessons. This course is especially helpful for those looking to build 2D games with moody atmospheres, as a game developer working in this genre would focus on the visual elements, interactive mechanics, and immersive qualities covered in the course, such as sprite animation, lighting effects, and particle effects. The hands-on projects in this course would be excellent for a game developer portfolio.

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Indie Game Developer

An Indie Game Developer works independently or in small teams to create and publish games, and this course is a perfect fit for those aspiring to this career. The course directly teaches the skills needed for all aspects of game development, from initial setup in Unity through coding in C# to implementation of game mechanics and the creation of immersive environments. An indie game developer, often wearing multiple hats, must be proficient in all these areas. This course's hands-on approach to building a fully functional 2D game should be especially appealing to an indie game developer.

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Gameplay Programmer

A Gameplay Programmer specializes in creating the interactive elements of a game, and this course offers an excellent introduction to this field. The course content on implementing player movement, jumping, dashing, and other core mechanics directly translates to the skills a gameplay programmer uses. A gameplay programmer will find the practical use of C# to be particularly beneficial. The course also emphasizes the importance of bug-fixing, a daily task for any gameplay programmer who must make a game run smoothly as well as be fun to play.

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Mobile Game Developer

A Mobile Game Developer creates games specifically for mobile devices, and this course is relevant as it covers key elements of game development using Unity. The course provides a thorough introduction to core game mechanics, visual elements, and deployment, all of which are crucial for mobile game development. A Mobile Game Developer will learn how to iterate through the entire process of development from concept to a distributable game. This course may be useful to learn how to build an actual playable game and deploy it, focusing on workflow.

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Animation Programmer

An Animation Programmer specializes in programming character animations and movement, and this course introduces fundamental concepts that are useful for this role. The course utilizes sprites and animation to enhance the visual appeal of the game, which is also a consideration for an animation programmer who bridges the gap between animation design and technical programming.. An animation programmer will find the hands-on approach of this course useful in understanding the technical constraints that lead to dynamic movement. The course may be useful as a way to get hands-on experience with the programming components that relate to animation.

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Level Designer

A Level Designer creates the environments in a game, and this course may be useful. Level designers focus on the spatial arrangement of game environments, and learning the tile map editor within Unity as presented in this course helps build a foundation for those tasks. A level designer uses level layout and design to guide a player through an interactive experience that supports narrative and gameplay, and this course provides an overview of creating an interactive game, with a focus on gameplay mechanics. The course may be helpful to learn how to best design levels that are immersive and enjoyable.

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Game Designer

A Game Designer is responsible for the overall design and mechanics of a game, and this course helps to gain an understanding of the technical constraints that guide how design is implemented. While game design is a broad field, this course has a strong focus on the creation of game mechanics, such as player movement and interactions, as well as level design with the Tile Map Editor. A game designer with a technical understanding of game creation can better communicate their vision to programmers and artists. This course may be useful to learn more about the more technical aspects of game development.

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Technical Artist

A Technical Artist bridges the gap between art and programming in game development, and this course may be useful, as it helps to build a better understanding of coding and game engine mechanics. This course's focus on animation, lighting effects, and particle systems helps a technical artist understand the technical implementation of visual elements. A technical artist needs to know how to integrate art into a game engine using tools like Unity. The hands-on approach of this course may be useful for a technical artist because it explores the technical aspects of graphics and design.

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Software Developer

A Software Developer creates software applications, and this course provides a useful, albeit domain-specific, introduction to software development. Although this course concentrates on game development, the core programming aspects of this course such as coding using C# are applicable to software development in general. A software developer may benefit from understanding how to create interactive experiences, even if not within a game. The course helps build a foundation in technical skills that are required for roles in software development.

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Tool Programmer

A Tool Programmer creates custom tools for development teams, and this course may be useful for those looking to enter this field. While the course does not teach the development of custom tooling, it emphasizes the technical underpinnings of game development, particularly within Unity and C#. A tool programmer will benefit from the technical concepts presented, which will result in a better understanding of how game developers use tooling. It will be useful to understand what a tool programmer does, even if this is not a course in tooling itself.

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Quality Assurance Tester

A Quality Assurance Tester identifies bugs and errors in software, and while this is not the main goal of the course, it does touch on how to test and debug your own game. This course provides a strong overview of the development process, from initial setup to deployment, which can give a quality assurance tester better insight into the technical considerations that impact a game's performance. A Quality Assurance Tester often works closely with developers, and understanding their workflow is beneficial; this course may be useful to learn about development workflow.

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Multimedia Artist

A Multimedia Artist creates visual content for various digital media, and this course may be useful if they are interested in game development. The course focuses heavily on the creation of visual elements within a 2D game. A multimedia artist can benefit from understanding how those elements are integrated using various game engines, such as Unity. The course’s content on lighting, sprites, and animation may be useful to someone looking to create visual assets within a gaming context. This course may be useful to broaden the skills of a multimedia artist that works in the context of games.

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Project Manager

A Project Manager oversees and coordinates software development projects, and this course provides a helpful introduction to game development workflows. While this course does not focus on the managerial side of a project, a project manager may find it advantageous to understand the various stages of game development from a technical perspective. A project manager will benefit from the hands-on approach of the course, which provides a deep understanding of the tools and processes of game developers. This course may be useful to gain insight into what game developers do, so that a project manager can be a more effective leader.

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Instructional Designer

An Instructional Designer creates educational materials, and this course may be useful if they are interested in game-based learning or if they want to add video game creation to their skill set. The course provides a practical approach to developing games using Unity, and this may be useful to understand the technical constraints of creating gamified educational materials. An instructional designer may be interested in learning the technical foundations of game creation, so that they can better design engaging and immersive learning experiences. This course may be useful to broaden an instructional designer’s technical skills.

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Create a Dark Moody Atmospheric 2D Game with Unity and C#

What's inside

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Hands-on unity 2d game development project

Activities

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