Whether you’re a newcomer to Unity or an experienced developer, advancing your career with game development can be a fantastic path to take. However, there is a lot of competition – so what can you do to highlight your own self? The answer is Unity Certification, which can prove your credentials and is industry-recognized!

In this article, we’re going to focus specifically on the Unity Associate Game Developer Certification, get you excited about it, and then get you learning the materials you’ll need to obtain it!

Let’s get started!

What is the Unity Associate Game Developer Certification?

Unity’s Associate Game Developer Certification is designed for aspiring developers with intermediate skills who can take a game from an initial idea to completion. The certification will showcase a receiver’s mastery of Unity, proving their worthiness for a professional game development role.

Those that take the Associate Game Developer Certification will have a background in computer programming or be self-taught hobbyists with detailed knowledge of Unity and C#, including audio, animation, and game physics. Rather than focusing on more minor details, this exam focuses on the broader picture of game development and design.

To qualify for the Unity Associate Game Developer Certification, you’ll need to:

• Build complex games using C# in Unity
• Understand end-to-end game production
• Have previously built a game for publication
• Be confident using prototypes, debugging, and solving programming issues

When taking the exam, you’ll cover a range of topics, including:

• Animation
• Audio
• Asset management
• Employment preparedness
• Game art and design principles
• Industry awareness
• Lighting
• Materials and effects
• Physics & Programming
• Project management & services

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The Benefits of the Associate Game Developer Certification

Unity is an influential game engine, powering half the world’s games. Unity-made applications are used by 2 billion people every month, with 1.5 million creators using Unity to create new and innovative games and applications.

Learning how to use Unity will improve your chances of breaking into the gaming industry, and receiving an Associate Game Developer Certification proves to employers that you’re skilled in game design and development.

Here are the main benefits of taking the Unity Associate Game Developer Certification.

Become a Unity game developer

Receiving a Unity Certification allows you to stand out against your competitors as it’s a recognized qualification in the game development world. Even better, many Unity-based jobs will list a Unity Certification as a preferred requirement, helping you better your chances of becoming a game developer.

Showcase your skills

To take the Unity Associate Game Developer course, you’ll need advanced skills in both Unity and C#. You should be able to make intricate games from conception to reality. Having a Certification will prove your skillset to potential employers, allowing you to stand out in a busy crowd.

What courses are best to prepare for the Associate Game Developer Certification?

Taking the Unity Associate Game Developer Certification requires significant skill, and you’ll need advanced knowledge of Unity and C# to qualify.

It’s essential to build your knowledge practically by making fully-fledged games suitable for your professional portfolio. Luckily, there are plenty of advanced online courses you can take to improve your knowledge of Unity and C# practically by building games.

Here are the best advanced online courses you can take that are suitable to prepare for Unity’s Associate Game Developer Certification.

Unity Game Development Mini-Degree

As mentioned above, preparing for this exam isn’t just about learning Unity, it’s also about having proven game development projects under your belt. What if you could do both at the same time though?

In Zenva’s Unity Game Development Mini-Degree, you’ll go through a comprehensive set of courses that cover just about everything you might want to know about Unity. It covers everything from various tools offered by the engine, and up to covering specific genre mechanics. All the courses are project-based, so you’ll also get plenty of items to add to your portfolio. This includes things such as RPGs, FPS games, racing games, idle clickers, and much more!

Plus, Zenva’s courses also offer a ton of supplemental learning material. Like to read other people’s code? There are downloadable course files of the complete projects! Aren’t a video person? There are text-based summaries that can be used to learn independently of the video!

With Zenva’s Unity Game Development Mini-Degree, you’ll learn:

• C# coding basics
• UI systems
• Audio effects
• Cinematic cutscenes
• Special effects
• Procedural terrain
• Animation

Skill level: Beginner. You don’t need prior experience in Unity or C#.

Duration: 36h 23m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

Unity Advanced Tutorials

When it comes to game development, there are a surprising lot of details in terms of how mechanics are rendered. Likewise, there are a ton of Unity tools that aren’t so clear or have nuances that can make or break how your game feels.

The Unity Advanced Tutorials series by Brackeys seeks to demystify this. From specific nuances of game mechanics to just taking better advantage of Unity as a tool, this series has a little bit of everything. Nevertheless, it will vastly improve your skillset that you can use for game development.

As part of this course, you’ll cover key topics, including:

• Gravity simulation
• Dialogue systems
• Altering the Unity windows
• Making a level editor
• Reversing game time
• Making a loading bar
• Procedural generation
• Putting Unity projects on GitHub
• Using Unity Analytics
• Volumetric lighting
• Scriptable objects
• Object pooling
• Different combat styles

Skill level: Intermediate. You’ll need to know how to use Unity and program in C#.

Duration: 4h 31m

How to access: Access the series here.

Survival Game Development Academy

To reinforce a point above, the game developer certification is about showing you can take a game from idea to completion. So, understandably, having experience in making a larger, more complex game can be a big boost.

This is where we come to Zenva’s Survival Game Development Academy. Unlike many entries on this list where you’re learning bits and pieces of Unity and doing a different project every course, this curriculum is about making one singular project: a survival game. You’ll learn core mechanics such as player needs, crafting, base building, and combat – and with the breakdown into several courses, wind up with a fairly complex game project!

Plus, this curriculum is perfect for any skill level. If you haven’t ever used Unity before, the curriculum will guide you through the fundamental courses first before throwing you into the project.

All in all, though, the skills here feed directly into learning what being a game developer is all about and teaches you a ton of material that will be helpful for taking the exam.

As part of this course, you’ll cover key topics, including:

• Hunger, thirst, health, and sleep needs
• Day-night cycles
• Item and inventory systems
• Crafting mechanics
• Base building
• Combat and Enemy AI
• Game Saving

Skill level: Beginner. No prior knowledge of Unity or C# is needed.

Duration: 18h 45m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

Learn to Program with C# – Unity Advanced Tutorials

While programming isn’t the focus of this specific certification, you can’t really ignore it. After all, you’re going to need to know C# pretty well in order to show the advanced level at which you can create games.

Thus, we include Learn to Program with C# – Unity Advanced Tutorials by GameDevHQ. This series of tutorials focuses on a few very specific aspects of C# that are not typically covered in a beginner’s level journey. However, as you advance in game development, you will find they are integral and well-used – so learning them will boost your skills immensely (even if you decide not to get certified).

As part of this course, you’ll cover key topics, including:

• Lists
• Enumus
• Structs vs Classes
• Nullable types
• Interfaces
• Delegate and events

Skill level: Intermediate.

Duration: 1h 46m

How to access: Access the series here.

EdTech Mini-Degree

Unity is for more than just making entertainment industry games. EdTech is revolutionizing how Unity is used with educational games and job training applications. The industry is already worth $6 trillion and is set to grow further.

For the purposes of certification, though, EdTech is also a fantastic way to explore unique Unity features and other advanced skills that otherwise never get covered.

The EdTech Mini-Degree by Zenva is designed to teach you everything you need to develop educational and training-based apps. You’ll cover topics including developing in 2D and 3D, using virtual reality, data analytics, and much more.

Each subsequent project featured in the curriculum gives you a chance to explore new applications for Unity – while also teaching you important facets involved in the software development cycle. Plus, as these skills are a bit more unique, it adds some extra material to your portfolio to stand out from the competition.

As part of this course, you’ll cover key topics, including:

• Coding basics with C# and Unity
• Quizzes featuring text, images, audio, and video
• Virtual reality applications
• Data-driven development with Unity Analytics
• Retrieving data with external APIs
• Voice and language recognition
• Text-recognition and text-to-audio

Skill level: Beginner. No prior coding experience is needed.

Duration: 21h 40m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

Learn Unity Engine and C# by creating a real top-down RPG

Similar to an earlier entry, a good portion of this exam is about showcasing you can make games as a whole. So, making games as a whole is sure to help you actually prove that.

Learn Unity Engine and C# by creating a real top-down RPG by Epitome, as the title suggests, is all about teaching you various skills while building a fully scoped top-down RPG. Where this tutorial is slightly unique is that it focuses specifically on 2D – which is just as important to learn as 3D. Nevertheless, this course will put you through the gambit and make sure you have tons of key systems down pat!

As part of this course, you’ll cover key topics, including:

• Setting up
• Moving and Manual Collision Detection
• Tilemap and Designing Dungeon
• Interactive Objects and Inheritance
• Saving Game’s State
• Floating Text System
• Top Down Combat System
• Animator and Weapon Swing Animation
• Character Menu and the new UI System
• Polishing and Adding Content

Skill level: Novice. Some basic knowledge of Unity and C# is needed.

Duration: 7h 45m

How to access: Access the course here.

Game Design Academy

Game design is integral to developing a game. Game designers will conceptualize levels and characters, create engaging stories, and make the game feel cohesive through stylistic and narrative choices. While not “technical” in the same way coding is, it still requires purposeful choices and skills that show you can plan a game. So, though often overlooked, it is a huge step in the entire game development process.

Game Design Academy by Zenva is the perfect way to jump into this aspect of the game development process. You’ll explore the main principles of design using real-world examples, and discover how these fundamental concepts affect the overall feel of the game

More importantly, though, you’ll learn skills that will let you enhance your game projects, which in turn improves your overall Unity skills with new reasons to learn specific skills and tools.

As part of this course, you’ll cover key topics, including:

• Core game loop setup
• How to guide players
• Game feel
• Level design foundations
• Storytelling techniques

Skill level: Beginner. You don’t need any prior knowledge of Unity or C#.

Duration: 3h 5m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

Unity’s Associate Game Developer Certification

Well, that’s all, folks – the best courses for the Associate Game Developer Certification. This certification will be a lot tougher than the previous User level. However, preparing for it with enrich your ability to make games as a whole.

This said, be assured there are a lot more courses out there, even on platforms like Zenva. The more you can learn about Unity and game development, the better off you’ll be. Plus, everyone’s learning style is different, so your “best” course may be different from what’s on the list.

Regardless, we hope these resources help, and best of luck on your certification exam!

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This said, standing out from the competition can be difficult, as the industry is also highly competitive. With the popular Unity engine, though, the Unity Certification program – which is industry recognized – allows you to gain credentials to boost your resume and portfolio.

In this article, we’re going to help you prepare to take the exam for the Unity Associate Programmer Certification with the best courses available. We’ve also designed this list to work for both beginners and experienced developers – so all skill levels are welcome!

Let’s jump in and start learning Unity!

What is the Unity Associate Programmer Certification?

Unity’s Associate Programmer Certification is a credential offered by Unity Technologies, the company behind the Unity game engine. The program showcases a coder’s skills and knowledge in Unity, including C# programming and game development.

Unlike the User Programmer Certification, the Associate level exam focuses primarily on C# coding, and you’ll need a detailed understanding of Unity’s API to script behaviors and objects, including UI elements, to receive this qualification. This Certification proves that you understand best practices for data structures and that you’re competent at debugging.

After passing the exam, individuals will receive the Unity Associate Programmer Certification, which they can use to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in Unity programming and game development to employers. The certification is valid for two years. After this time, individuals must renew their certificates by taking the exam again.

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The Benefits of the Associate Programmer Certification

The Unity Associate Programmer Certification is an advanced exam designed to showcase your skills as a game developer. Some of the benefits of this certification include the following:

Stand out in the job market

Having a certification from Unity helps individuals stand out in the job market since it proves significant skill and dedication to programming. In fact, many employers, including Unity, will list certification as a preferred requirement.

Build your programming skills

Unity’s Associate Programmer Certification is an advanced exam and involves rigorous training on many concepts within game development. As you train for the exam, you’ll develop your skills and knowledge in core aspects, including programming, scripting, game physics, and optimization.

Networking

By getting Unity Certification, you’ll have access to a growing community of professional game developers, including holders of the certification. Having a network can provide individuals with valuable opportunities for their future careers, including learning and collaboration.

What courses are best to prepare for the Associate Programmer Certification?

To prepare for Unity’s Associate Programmer Certification, you’ll need a strong understanding of the Unity game engine and C#, as well as core programming concepts. Luckily, there are many online courses suitable for learning game development that will prepare you for taking the certification. Along the way, you’ll be able to develop complete games that will form the basis of your professional portfolio.

Here are the best advanced online courses you can take that will help you qualify for Unity’s Associate Programmer Certification.

Unity Game Development Mini-Degree

While the Associate Certifications are the second level of certifications available, that doesn’t mean that aren’t achievable by beginners looking to establish goals for themselves.

Our first stop is therefore Zenva’s Unity Game Development Mini-Degree. This comprehensive curriculum offers a little bit of everything in regards to Unity. You’ll learn the fundamentals of the engine and C#, genre game mechanics, asset handling, animations, procedural generation, and much more.

This curriculum also takes a very practical project-based approach, so you’ll get the opportunity to build things such as FPS games and action RPGs for your portfolio. There are also supplemental materials such as downloadable course files and text-based lesson summaries. This means that it doesn’t matter how you learn – this curriculum can match what you need!

Plus, as mentioned, this curriculum was designed for people with zero knowledge. So, any skill level can practice with these courses!

You’ll learn:

• C# coding basics
• UI systems
• Audio effects
• Cinematic cutscenes
• Special effects
• Procedural terrain
• Animation

Skill level: Beginner. You don’t need prior experience in Unity or C#.

Duration: 36h 23m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

C# Programming (Advanced)

As the title of the certification suggests, knowing how to program with C# is a super important aspect of this exam. However, remember that C# is a general-purpose language and was actually primarily created to make software. Thus, it doesn’t hurt to learn the language divorced from Unity.

The C# Programming (Advanced) series by Code Master does just that and focuses on C# from a software development perspective. However, the principles covered are near universal to all C# applications – so they can easily be applied back to Unity. This said, do be prepared – this series is intended for those with C# experience, and is heavily comprehensive in just about everything you can do with the C# language and programming in general!

With this course, you’ll learn the following and more:

• Delegates, lambdas, and events
• Generics
• IEnumerables
• LINQ
• Functional programming
• Dictionaries
• Lookups
• Joining data
• Programming patterns
• Anonymous types
• Conversions
• Structs and classes
• Indexers
• States
• Different architectures
• Component systems
• Zone systems
• Game mechanics such as inventories and dialogue trees

And much more!

Skill level: Intermediate. You’ll need some coding experience.

Duration: 17h 45m

How to access: Access the series here.

Survival Game Development Academy

In the complete opposite from the above, it’s also just as important to understand programming in the practical Unity setting. The best way to achieve this is simply by building games – and unsurprisingly, the more complex the systems the more you’ll learn about coding.

Zenva’s Survival Game Development Academy is a curriculum focused specifically on building one single survival game. However, in so doing, you can focus on a lot of game mechanics, such as crafting systems, inventory management, and enemy AI.

Due to the complexity of the project featured, you’ll get the opportunity to explore a ton of aspects of Unity’s API and C# in general, however, which is integral for taking the exam. Plus, you’ll get a nifty project for your professional portfolio as well.

As part of this course, you’ll cover survival game topics, including:

• Hunger, thirst, health, and sleep needs
• Day-night cycles
• Item and inventory systems
• Crafting mechanics
• Base building
• Combat and Enemy AI
• Game Saving

Skill level: Beginner. No prior knowledge of Unity or C# is needed.

Duration: 18h 45m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

Learn to Program: C# Advanced Unity Tutorials

We’ve included a lot of comprehensive courses on this list, but what if you’re more interested in something a bit more simple and focused on just a few C# programming skills.

GameDevHQ’s Learn to Program: C# Advanced Unity Tutorials series is just for you then! Instead of learning everything you could ever imagine about C#, this series focuses on just a few advanced concepts that are both important and regularly used for game development. Thus, you can be assured there is no fluff here – just the exact material you’ll want to learn to code your game projects more efficiently.

As part of this course, you’ll cover key topics, including:

• Lists
• Enumus
• Structs vs Classes
• Nullable types
• Interfaces
• Delegate and events

Skill level: Intermediate.

Duration: 1h 46m

How to access: Access the series here.

2D RPG Academy

As part of preparing for the exam, we highly encourage exploring lots of different game mechanics. This forces you to learn and re-learn C# structures and systems, as well as focus on improving your coding efficiency.

The 2D RPG Academy by Zenva is a perfect choice when it comes to this. In this collection of courses, you’ll focus on creating a variety of 2D RPGs, including turn-based RPGs, farming sims, action RPGs, and rogue-like games.

As each project featured involves different systems, you’ll quickly expand what you can do with C# and 2D in general. Likewise, you’ll also reinforce programming certain features like character movement that are integral to any kind of game that needs to be created.

With this course, you’ll learn the following:

• Tile-based maps
• Melee & ranged attacks
• Items & inventories
• Randomized dungeons
• Mini-maps
• Enemy AIs

Skill level: Beginner. No prior coding experience is needed.

Duration: 19h 2m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

Learn Unity Multiplayer

If you really want to advance your skills with C#, one of the best game types to practice with is multiplayer. Multiplayer involves a ton of more advanced concepts to consider when it comes to programming since networks are a subject unto themselves. Plus, with Unity’s new multiplayer system, it’s become fairly integrated with understanding the API.

Learn Unity Multiplayer by Code Monkey is the ultimate solution here. You’ll master a ton of things like synchronizing data, deciding the authoritative structure, using RPCs and network variables, balancing server-side and client-side data, and more.

There is little chance this won’t improve your C# skills in some way!

With this course, you’ll learn the following:

• Singleplayer Overview
• Install Netcode and Basic Setup
• Sync Player Movement, Client Vs Server Auth
• Sync Player Animations
• Sync Delivery Manager
• Fix Selected Counter Visual
• Sync Pick up Objects
• Sync Kitchen Object Parent
• Sync Trash Counter, Cutting Counter, Stove Counter
• Sync Plate Add Ingredients
• Player collisions
• Sync Game State & Sync Pause
• Handle Disconnects & Late Joins
• Connection Scene Flow
• Character Select Scene
• Lobby & Relay
• Game Server Hosting (Multiplay), Matchmaker, Vivox
• Multiplayer Debug Tools
• Singleplayer Option
• Gamepad Test

Skill level: Intermediate. You’ll need some coding knowledge to understand this course.

Duration: 6h 20m

How to access: Access the course here.

Strategy Game Development Academy

Strategy games aren’t just popular – they feature a ton of complicated systems. Thus, learning just how strategy games work and are programmed can be a big boost to your skills.

The Strategy Game Development Academy by Zenva allows you to explore a variety of different strategy game mechanics. You’ll learn everything from making city-builders with an emphasis on resource management to turn-based strategy games featuring multiplayer mechanics. You’ll even get to explore universal systems such as unlockable, tech research trees!

The breadth of variety here is astounding – but allows you to practice a ton of C# programming and cement it into your skill set. You can also practice expanding these games as well to further your skills and make certain you’re prepared for the exam to come.

With this course, you’ll learn the following:

• Strategy game mechanics
• Resource management
• Turn-based and real-time formats
• Enemy AI and state machines
• Multiplayer games with Photon networking

Skill level: Beginner. No prior knowledge of Unity or C# is needed.

Duration: 28h 33m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

Unity Associate Programmer Certification Wrap Up

That brings us to the end of this list, and you should hopefully soon be ready to tackle the Associate Programmer Certification. Regardless of whether you pursue certification or not, though, these courses are sure to help you upskill.

All this said, we hope you continue to explore other courses available on platforms like Zenva and elsewhere. There is a lot to learn about Unity, and there are even higher-level certifications after this. More education on working with Unity can never hurt!

Good luck with your preparations, and we look forward to seeing new Unity experts out there in the future!

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The game industry is currently booming, projected to reach $372.00bn by 2023 and grow to $545.98 bn by 2028. For those interested in game art, now is a fantastic time to break into the industry with jobs galore available. However, even with a portfolio, game art is a super competitive field without some extra edge to bring you above the competition.

This is why having Unity’s User Artist Certification can give you a boost. It proves your skills, and proves your knowledge of the game engine itself (both highly valued skills for jobs). That said, how can you prepare for the exam?

In this article, we’re going to explore some fantastic courses available to help you master the art of game art and learn Unity – even if you have zero experience with the engine.

Let’s get started!

What is the Unity User Artist Certification?

Unity’s User Artist Certification showcases your core Unity skills to help you achieve a professional role as a Unity 2D and 3D artist. It will demonstrate that you can manage aspects of art assets, scene design, and use complex tools in Unity to make character creations.

To be eligible for this exam, you’ll need at least 150 hours of Unity experience and some basic knowledge of character creation, lighting, materials, and cameras. You’ll also need to undertake two to three semesters of Unity classwork or independent study and have a portfolio containing a range of completed Unity projects before applying.

Many holders of the Unity User Artist Certification will go on to become junior developers, junior artists, lighting and technical artists, content designers, or quality assurance testers.

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The Benefits of Unity’s User Artist Certification

Unity is the most popular game engine to date, powering half of all games worldwide. Making games using Unity will improve your chances of starting a game artist career.

Unity’s User Artist Certification is designed to showcase the professional knowledge of aspiring game artists to help them stand out against their competitors. Here are the benefits of receiving Unity’s User Artist Certification.

Boost your career chances

Having a Unity Certification will allow you to stand out in an incredibly competitive industry against hundreds of other applicants. It’s a rare credential in the game artistry industry and is used as proof that an individual has the skills needed to start a professional career. Alongside this, a Unity Certification proves dedication to being a game artist since it costs significant money and time to finish the exam.

Many Unity-based jobs list certification as a requirement, putting you in a great position to start your career in the gaming industry.

Improve your talents as an artist

You’ll need plenty of experience using Unity and C# to create game art before taking the Unity User Artist Certification, allowing you to improve your talents as a game artist. By spending at least 150 hours using Unity to create complicated characters and worlds, you’ll be more than ready to enter a professional career.

Showcase your technical skills

To obtain the Unity User Artist Certification, you need to have strong technical skills for games, apps, models, and simulations. You’ll be able to showcase your technical skills and proficiency in using Unity, one of the most popular game development programs.

What courses are best to prepare for Unity’s User Artist Certification?

To take Unity’s User Artist Certification, you need foundational knowledge of using Unity and C# for the purposes of game design. It is essential to study game artistry before applying to take the exam. Luckily, there are many online courses designed to help you improve your skills as a game designer so that you can take the Unity User Artist Certification.

Here are the best online courses you can take to prepare for Unity’s User Artist Certification.

Unity Game Development Mini-Degree

Passing the artist certification is as much about knowing Unity as it is about art. Zenva’s Unity Game Development Mini-Degree is a comprehensive curriculum designed around teaching you Unity from the ground up. You’ll work on everything from the foundations of Unity to building real-world projects that are perfectly suitable for bulking up any portfolio you might want to create.

Along the way, you’ll learn a ton of aspects relevant to the User Artist Certification – such as how the cameras work, how audio assets work, and even how to manage animations for your game projects (whether 2D or 3D).

Plus, all of Zenva’s courses offer tons of extra material to help with your learning process. This includes downloadable project files and text-based summaries so you can learn in whatever way suits you best!

With the Unity Game Development Mini-Degree, you’ll learn the following topics:

• C# coding basics
• UI systems
• Audio effects
• Cinematic cutscenes
• Special effects
• Procedural terrain
• Animation

Skill level: Beginner. You don’t need prior experience in Unity or C#.

Duration: 36h 23m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

Intro to Game Development with Unity

If you want to start off a bit smaller with your Unity journey, Intro to Game Development with Unity by Zenva is the perfect starter.

This short course is focused specifically on people who have never used Unity in their life. As such, rather than throwing to you the deep end of the pool, it takes a light, hand-holding approach. You’ll discover how to set up Unity, what windows in the engine mean, how to work in 3D space with objects, and more. Of course, you’ll also discover some fundamentals around C# as well – so when you’re ready to start building games, you’ll have the key skills you’ll need.

By the end, the course will also get you building your first interactive project!

If you’re unsure, Zenva does offer a free sample of this course via Unity 101 – Game Development Foundations.

As part of this course, you’ll cover key topics, including:

• Installing and setting up Unity projects
• manipulating object size, position, and rotation
• How to change aesthetics with materials
• Coding variables and operators with C#
• Using various skills to create interactive games
• Building and deploying your games

Skill level: Beginner. No prior knowledge is needed.

Duration: 2h 7m

How to access: Access the course here.

Unity Pixel Art Game Tutorial – Complete Starting Setup

2D games are still thriving, so learning how those sorts of assets work in Unity is a good skill to have as well – especially for certification.

Through Unity Pixel Art Game Tutorial – Complete Starting Setup by Restful Coder, you’ll explore how to take 2D pixel art assets and bring them into Unity for game projects. This includes how to paint tilemaps in the engine, how to import your assets properly, and even some idiosyncrasies when it comes to setting up cameras and collisions.  You’ll also learn a bit about the different ways in which creating pixel art levels through parts works.

You’ll cover key topics, including:

• Unity overview
• Player character and sprite
• Player movement
• Tilemaps and background
• Obstacles and collisions
• Prevent character spinning
• Add a camera (Cinemachine) and follow player
• Make the camera pixel perfect
• Confine the camera to the background
• Fix background collision bug
• Tweak camera settings

Skill level: Novice. Some basic knowledge of Unity and C# is needed.

Duration: 51m

How to access: Access the course here.

Create your First 3D Game in Unity

One of the best ways to learn to work with game assets is to just build a game. Of course, you don’t want to start off too complicated, which is why Zenva’s Create Your First 3D Game in Unity is a great course.

Focusing specifically on 3D games, you’ll master a variety of platformer mechanics including how to work with character controllers, set up “enemies”, create coin collectibles, add UI systems, and more. Each element has its own asset requirements, of course, so you’ll learn a lot about how to manipulate art aesthetics using the tools Unity offers. Plus, by the end of the course, you’ll have a nifty entry for your portfolio and good skills to begin expanding into other relevant areas (such as lighting).

With this course, you’ll learn how to:

• Create player and enemy objects
• Construct a level with 3D models
• Script the camera to follow the player
• Set up the game-winning conditions
• Add collectible coins
• Build UI elements and menus

Skill level: Novice. You’ll need minimal knowledge of Unity and C#.

Duration: 2h 16m

How to access: Access the course here.

How to Make a Game – Unity Beginner Tutorial

In How to Make a Game – Unity Beginner Tutorial by Jason Weimann, viewers are taught the entire process of building a physics-based game using Unity. As mentioned many times before this is key to learning Unity in general, as it forces you to work with game assets in various ways.

What makes this course stand out is the fact it begins with a focus specifically on bringing and preparing your assets to actually be used in your game. So right up front, you know you’re learning about this aspect and how the basics work!

You’ll cover the following key topics:

• Sprites
• Importing Art
• Animation
• Background art
• Physics
• Coding
• Dragging
• Launching
• Obstacles
• Indicator
• Camera Controller
• Enemy
• Particles
• Prefabs
• Levels

Skill level: Beginner. No prior knowledge is needed.

Duration: 3h 4m

How to access: Access the course here.

Create your First 2D Game in Unity

The Create Your First 2D Game in Unity course by Zenva is similar to another entry on this list. Rather than 3D assets, however, this one focuses on 2D.

Throughout the course, you’ll work through building a 2D platformer featuring collectibles, enemies, character movement, UI systems, and more. You’ll even learn how you can manage your levels so you can easily make a multiple-level game.

Along the way, of course, you’ll master a ton of tips and tricks specifically for working with basic 2D assets, which come with their own sets of rules in comparison. Nevertheless, these are essential for preparing for certification, since these differences will be important professionally as well.

This course will teach you key coding techniques, including:

• Implementing player and enemy objects
• Scripting platformer-style movements
• Building levels with 2D tiles
• Setting up collectibles and scoring
• Controlling gameplay flow with goals
• Creating UIs for scores and menus

Skill level: Intermediate. Some basic knowledge of Unity and C# is required.

Duration: 1h 55m

How to access: Access the course here.

How to do Character Customization!

If you’re interested in something a little more advanced at this point, look no further than How to do Character Customization! by Code Monkey! This free course shows you how to build the ever-popular feature of allowing users to have a custom character for their gameplay experience.

As you can imagine, this will cover a lot about how assets are managed, changed, and rendered – all core skills you’re going to want to master in your practice to pass the User Artist Certification!

Key topics:

• Character Customization Unity Tutorial
• Sponsor
• 4 Methods to do Character Customization
• Characters with 3 different setups
• Change Material, Texture
• Change Mesh, Avatar, Keep Animations
• Add parts with SkinnedMeshRenderer
• Issues with SkinnedMeshRenderer
• Character Customization Unity Tutorial

Skill level: Novice. Some basic knowledge of Unity and C# is required.

Duration: 17m

How to access: Access the course here.

Unity User Artist Certification Wrap Up

This brings us to the end of our list of best courses for the User Artist Certification. We’ve covered a lot of ground here, and we just know these skills will open up new doors for you professionally and personally.

But… we’ve only been able to scratch the surface. There are thousands of courses out there, and what’s “best” may mean something different for you than it does for us. So, don’t be afraid to explore more Unity courses through platforms like Zenva – the more you learn, the better positioned you’ll be to pass the exam!

We wish you all the best of luck with the exam, and we hope we’ve made prepping for it just a little bit easier!

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Long story short – now is a fantastic time to learn game development – even if you intend to stay a solo indie creator. This said, for those looking to bolster their resume more professionally, you’ll need some extra “oomph” to stand out from the crowd, as plenty of other people have the same skills. Enter Unity’s User Programmer Certification, which is a quick and easy way to show you know the popular Unity engine and the programming skills needed for game creation.

As passing the exam is no walk in the park, though, in this article, we’re going to showcase our favorite Unity courses. These courses will be geared towards helping you pass that exam, and ensure you get the skills you need to be at for your career!

Let’s get started!

What is the Unity User Programmer Certification?

Unity’s User Programmer Certification is designed for aspiring game or app developers to teach them Unity’s primary capabilities and functions as a development platform. With this certification, learners are evaluated on how much they know about the fundamentals of Unity, including making projects and Prefabs and navigating the editor. Students will also be tested on C# knowledge.

The overall aim is to prove students can read, write, and understand basic code used all the time in Unity. Many receivers of the Unity User Programmer Certification go on to start postsecondary programs in game development, animation, or STEM – or alternatively, create their own successful games.

To take the exam, students must build their knowledge base of Unity and C#. Test subjects could include:

• Building projects in Unity, using C#
• Navigating the Unity interface and interpreting API basics
• Creating prototypes, debugging, and solving programming difficulties
• Programming a function state machine

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The Benefits of a Unity User Programmer Certification

The Unity game engine is used to power half of all games globally. Learning how to use and code with Unity is, therefore, not only beneficial for creating high-powered games, but breaking into the competitive game development and design industry.

The Unity User Programmer Certification is designed to help aspiring developers stand out in a busy crowd, as to receive this certification, you’ll need professional knowledge of not only Unity but programming with C#.

Here are the main benefits of receiving Unity’s User Programmer Certification.

Stand out in the job market

The game development job sector is incredibly difficult to break into. You’ll be up against hundreds (if not thousands) of applicants, all gunning for the same position. To have any chance of winning a developer position, you’ll need to stand out from the crowd and position yourself as a proven professional.

The Unity User Programmer Certification is a rare credential in the developer world and is recognized as proof that you have skills and dedication to game development – since there is significant cost and time involved in taking the exam.

In fact, many Unity-based job postings will list Unity Certifications as a (preferred) requirement, putting you in a much better hiring position.

Showcase your skill level

To qualify for the Unity User Programmer Certification, you must build a solid knowledge base of both the game engine and C#. It will allow you to not only improve your skill levels as you study to take the exam, but once you’ve obtained the certification, you can prove just how knowledgeable you are to potential employers.

Go from hobbyist to professional

Many Unity developers are self-taught gaming lovers, having fun creating their own animations and worlds. For some, the main goal is to be entertained and learn the ins and outs of Unity simultaneously.

However, teaching yourself a complicated tool can be difficult, especially without a guided learning path. While there are plenty of courses available online, it can be hard to know what to do after you’ve finished.

Unity’s User Programmer Certification allows hobbyists to follow a structured path, with certifications ranging from beginner to professional. Taking the exams in order will allow them to progress naturally, picking up the skills needed to move on to the next certification.

What courses are best to prepare for Unity’s User Programmer Certification?

Unity’s User Programmer Certification is designed to showcase an individual’s skills in Unity and C#, and it’s essential to build knowledge before taking the exam. There are many professional courses online that will teach you everything you need to know about making games with Unity.

Here are the best courses for preparing to take the User Programmer Certification.

Unity Game Development Mini-Degree

The Unity Game Development Mini-Degree, created by Zenva, is a comprehensive curriculum focused around Unity. With no experience necessary to jump in, users get the opportunity to learn a wide variety of tools. This includes basic engine functionality like object manipulation, to rarer tools such as ProBuilder and Cinemachine.

While mastering the fundamentals of Unity, students will also get the chance to build real-world projects for a professional portfolio. This includes games in popular genres like RPGs, idle clicks, and FPS games (to name a few). Plus, everything is made with expandable systems that you can practice with further to improve your skills.

Of course, for the sake of the certification exam, this curriculum has just about all the basics you’ll need in both Unity and C# to upskill yourself in preparation!

With the Unity Game Development Mini-Degree, you’ll learn topics including:

• C# coding basics
• UI systems
• Audio effects
• Cinematic cutscenes
• Special effects
• Procedural terrain
• Animation
• Genre mechanics

Skill level: Beginner and comprehensive. No prior experience is necessary.

Duration: 36h 23m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

Intro to Game Development with Unity

If you’re looking just for a single course to start, then Zenva’s Intro to Game Development with Unity course is a great choice. This course is intended for ultra-beginners – i.e. people who have literally never touched Unity before in any capacity.

The course focuses on three major areas: the basic tools of the engine and interacting with objects, C# fundamentals for Unity, and combining everything to make a balloon popper game. Together, these cores will set you up for success in beginning your Unity education journey, as the skills will serve you as you move into more complicated projects.

Likewise, it is worth noting this course is suitable for younger users – as young as Grade 8. Thus, you don’t have to wait at all to start learning.

Lastly, if you’re a bit hesitant, you can try a free course sample by taking Unity 101 – Game Development Foundations, which covers the basics of setting up and using key tools of Unity.

Intro to Game Development by Zenva Academy covers key topics, including:

• How to install and set up Unity projects
• How to manipulate object size, position, and rotation
• Ways to change aesthetics with materials
• Code variables and operators with C#
• Combining various skills in order to create interactive games
• How to build and deploy your games

Skill level: Beginner

Duration: 2h 7m

How to access: Access the course here.

How to Program in C#

With the name being User Programmer Certification, you might imagine there’s going to be quite a lot of C# knowledge expected. So, learning to program with C# is kind of a bit point.

In the How to Program in C# series by Brackeys, you’ll focus more specifically on C# itself and learn all the principles you’ll need to apply in Unity. These videos are also designed to keep games in mind – so you don’t have to worry about it not being too divorced from Unity either.

The series includes the following topics:

• Input and output
• Variables
• Conditions
• Loops
• Array
• Functions
• Classes

Skill level: Beginner

Duration: 2h 4m

How to access: Access the series here.

Unity Mini-Projects – C# Fundamentals

Unity Mini-Projects – C# Fundamentals by Zenva is a beginner-oriented course aimed at helping users expand their Unity and C# knowledge by applying them to real-world projects. These mini-projects are designed both to build out learners’ portfolios while also teaching them a number of C# techniques.

The projects featured for the course are a balloon popper with a scoring system, an efficient object spawner, and bowling and skiing mini-games. Through these, users get the chance to play with physics and more as well, rounding out their Unity education.

This is also a great stop if you don’t feel ready to jump into full games yet, since this lets you experiment with basic interactivity first.

Broader skills will also be covered, including:

• Implementing multiple scripts in one project
• Building user interfaces
• Dealing with user inputs
• Detecting collisions between game objects
• Accessing object data through C# scripting
• Applying physics to objects.

Skill level: Novice, but some basic Unity and C# skills are required.

Duration: 1h 40m

How to access: Access the course here.

How to Make a 2D Game

Sometimes, the best way to learn Unity is just to build games and experiment with various features. As Unity is able to do both 2D and 3D games, though, it can be beneficial to learn both.

In the case of this entry, the How to Make a 2D Game series by Brackeys will cover 2D specifically. From the fundamentals of just making a game in the first place to working with Unity tools like lighting, this series has a little bit of everything. All are in line with what you’ll need for the certification exam, however, so it’s a good jack-of-all-trades series to start preparing.

With this course, you’ll learn the following key topics:

• 2D Movement
• Animation
• 2D Camera
• 2D Shooting
• Organic Levels
• Lights
• Top Down Shooting
• Melee Combat
• Making a Boss

Skill level: Beginner

Duration: 2h 9m

How to access: Access the series here.

Create Your First 3D Game in Unity

As a companion to the entry above, you don’t want to neglect 3D game development either. That’s why the Create Your First 3D Game in Unity by Zenva is an excellent next step in your journey

This course covers creating a 3D platformer project that is designed to teach you some of the most common game mechanics you’ll want to know. This includes how to craft levels through the scene editor, how to add collectibles, how to add enemies that can trigger game-overs, and how to set up a simple UI. Of course, you’ll also learn 3D player movement – which is essential knowledge to have no matter what direction you go!

With this course, you’ll learn techniques such as:

• Creating player and enemy objects
• Constructing a level with 3D models
• Scripting the camera to follow the player
• Setting up the game-winning conditions
• Adding collectible coins
• Building UI elements and menus

Skill level: Novice. You’ll need basic knowledge of Unity and C#.

Duration: 2h 16m

How to access: Access the course here.

Learn Unity Beginner/Intermediate 2023

Designed to teach users how to write high-quality code by making a complex project, the Learn Unity Beginner/Intermediate 2023 course by Code Monkey is an all around master course for covering every Unity basic. With this course, you’ll make a fun arcade game while learning the complexities of both Unity and C#. This includes everything from more intermediate C# coding to working with things like sounds.

This said, it is still relatively beginner-friendly – so perfectly suited to passing the User Programmer Certification.

With this course, you’ll learn topics such as:

• Unity Layout
• Visual Studio
• Code Style, Naming Rules
• Importing Assets
• Post Processing
• Character Controller, Visual, Rotation
• Animations & Cinemachine
• Collision Detection
• Interact Action, C# Events
• Selected Counter Visual, Singleton Pattern
• Player Pick up, Drop Objects
• Cutting, World Canvas
• Music & Sound Effects
• Main Menu, Loading

Skill level: Novice. You’ll need some basic knowledge of Unity and C#.

Duration: 10h 49m

How to access: Access the course here.

Unity User Programmer Certification Wrap Up

With these Unity courses, you should be more than prepared to take on the User Programmer Certification. While the exam sounds intimidating, do keep in mind the exam was also made to be suitable for high school students to be able to take and pass as well. Thus, as the entry-level certification, you don’t yet have to be a Unity expert!

This said, we do encourage you to explore more courses. Zenva, for instance, offers far more Unity courses than we could mention here. And the more you know about Unity, the better your opportunities will be. Plus, there are even higher-level certifications to look for after this, so more preparation won’t hurt for that either.

No matter where your path takes you, we wish you the best of luck with your game development adventures!

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If you’re looking to break into the gaming industry, having VR coding skills is a surefire way to get a foothold in the door. Of course, plenty of people already had this idea – so how do you stand out from the crowd? The answer here is Unity’s User VR Developer Certification, one of the few certifications available to showcase that you have the skills you’re boasting. However, preparing and passing the exam is a challenge in and of itself – but thankfully there are resources available to save the day.

In this article, we’re going to discuss some of our favorite resources that will help you learn the VR skills you need to not only to succeed in making VR projects in general, but in passing your User VR Developer Certification exam.

Let’s dive in!

What is the Unity User VR Developer Certification?

Unity’s User VR Developer Certification is an exam-based certification designed to show employers and postsecondary programs that you have a solid understanding of VR experiences in Unity. The focus here is on showing that you understand how to consider adaptations to games for VR.

To take this certification exam, you’ll need some foundational skills in both Unity and C# programming since this is an advanced qualification. Additionally, you’ll also need to pass Unity’s Certified User Programmer Certification first.

All Unity’s certification exams were developed through careful research and collaboration with testing specialists and game development experts. Currently, the tests are administered by Pearson VUE, a renowned educational company, meaning the certifications are regarded highly by industry professionals.

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The Benefits of a Unity User VR Developer Certification

The Unity User VR Developer Certification is designed to help professionals break into the growing VR industry. Here are the main benefits of taking this exam.

Stand out in the job market

Unity’s User VR Certification shows employers that you have the knowledge and skill levels needed to succeed in a VR developer position, giving you a competitive edge over other professionals. Since certifications are rare in the gaming industry, having a Unity Certification will help you stand out against other professionals. You’ll also have a better chance of getting a Unity-based job, which will often list a Unity Certification as a requirement.

The certification is industry-recognized and can be included on your resume and professional portfolio.

Improve your skill level

This certification showcases your abilities to create VR experiences and programs using Unity. You’ll need to put in 200 hours of Unity training before obtaining the certification, improving your skill levels over time. Naturally, preparing for the exam also improves your skills by association.

What courses are best to prepare for Unity’s User VR Developer Certification?

To be eligible for Unity’s User VR Developer Certification, you must have some base knowledge of virtual reality. Luckily, there are many courses online that will teach you the basics of VR coding, development, and design.

Here are the best online courses you can take to boost your skills, all from the comfort of your home.

Virtual Reality Mini-Degree

Zenva’s Virtual Reality Mini-Degree is a comprehensive collection of courses designed to teach you everything that you need to know about VR. You’ll start from the ground up in this curriculum – first learning the Unity engine itself and then mastering a variety of VR principles and mechanics. These include working with controllers, different styles of movement, and so on.

Throughout the courses, you’ll also get hands-on experience with projects – such as a kitchen simulator – which can also be used to build out courses.

Many courses in this set also come with supplemental material to cement your knowledge, including live coding exercises, quizzes, course files, and downloadable text summaries to help you refresh your knowledge!

Overall, this is a truly comprehensive choice whether you’re new to Unity entirely or are just ready to learn the features of VR.

You’ll also learn the following key topics:

• Coding basics with C# and Unity
• Movement options
• VR-optimized UI design
• Hand-tracked controllers
• Industry best-practices
• Simulations and games

Skill level: Comprehensive

Duration: 17h 46m

How to access: Access the curriculum here.

How to make a VR game in Unity in 2022

Valem Tutorials’ How to make a VR game in Unity in 2022 series is designed to give you the basic knowledge needed to get into VR development. With the focus specifically on VR (so assuming you know some Unity already), these videos cover a wide array of topics. This includes movements and controllers – even covering how to grab with two hands!

The series also includes some other important considerations as well, such as dealing with motion sickness – which is a very common issue for VR projects.

Various topics include:

• Introduction: how to make a VR game in Unity
• Input and Hand Presence
• Continuous Movement
• Teleportation
• Hover, grab, and user interactable
• Offset and distance grab
• User interface
• Two hand grab

Skill level: Beginner

Duration: 3h 10m

How to access: Access the playlist here.

Intro to Game Development with Unity

If you’ve literally never touched Unity before, Zenva’s Intro to Game Development with Unity course is perfect. While there’s nothing pertaining to VR in it, as it is an ultra-level beginner’s course, you will learn all about Unity as a tool itself.

This includes how to do basic things like navigate the various windows, manipulate game objects, and so forth. You’ll also dive into C# programming and learn some basic coding principles.

So, while this course isn’t about VR itself, it’s an important step on the path. You have to learn Unity itself first before you can learn VR!

If you’re on a budget – or just aren’t sure about the course – there is a free course sample available via Unity 101 – Game Development Foundations. This will give you an idea of what to expect and help you get your feet wet without investing too much here yet.

Intro to Game Development with Unity covers topics such as:

• Install and set up Unity projects
• Manipulate object size, position, and rotation
• Change aesthetics with materials
• Code variables, operators, and more with C#
• Combine various skills to create interactive games
• Build and deploy your games

Skill level: Beginner level. No prior experience is needed.

Duration: 2h 7m

How to access: Access the course here.

How to Make VR Games in 2022

How to Make VR Games in 2022 by Justin P Barnett teaches you how to set up your first VR project on the fairly recent version of Unity, including basics on how to use the “grab interactable” tool to pick up objects in VR and the locomotion system. This fairly short but straightforward course is designed to give you the very basics you need to work with VR. While there is a lot more to explore, the foundations established here will set you on the right path forward!

Key topics covered in this course include:

• How to set up a new Unity project for VR
• How to import the Unity XR Interaction Toolkit package
• How to set up an introductory VR scene
• How to set up basic VR movement
• How to pick up objects in VR
• How to test your app on PC, Mac, or Linux
• How to add our VR template to Unity

Skill level: Beginner

Duration: 26m

How to access: Access the course here.

Build a Micro-VR Game

In the Build a Micro-VR Game course, created by Zenva, you’ll explore some basic VR coding techniques while creating a small outdoor grilling VR experience. The course covers some of the most fundamental concepts – including how to grab things with controllers and how to use teleportation-style movement.

You’ll also learn how to adjust your game to be deployed on various VR devices, including Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Oculus Go, SteamVR, and more. All of this is to help prepare you to develop any VR rig.

Worth noting as well is that this course does not focus on Unity’s XR Interaction Toolkit. As this technology has become the predominantly covered aspect for VR, this course gives you the chance to explore other ways to create VR experiences that can be useful for the future!

Key topics covered:

• Understand the difference between virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality
• Create an environment for grilling and change the color of assets
• Set up Unity for a variety of VR devices
• Implement hand controllers that can pick up and place objects down
• Develop a teleportation system so players can move around the map

Skill level: Beginner

Duration: 1h 56m

How to access: Access the course here.

Learn Unity – Beginner’s Game Development Tutorial

Learn Unity -Beginner’s Game Development Tutorial by freeCodeCamp.org is another entry on this list that isn’t really focused much on VR. Still, as stated in a previous item, learning the fundamentals of Unity first is not only recommended, but required if you want to learn VR.

For complete beginners, this course is a good place to start as you’ll learn the foundations of using Unity. You’ll explore a ton of C# programming fundamentals not covered elsewhere as well, so if you want a full gambit for C# this is also an excellent resource.

Key topics covered:

• Downloading Unity And Unity Hub
• Camera Follow Player
• Enemy Animations, Script, Spawner, and Collision
• Unity’s UI System
• Navigating Between Scenes
• Selecting A Character
• Static Variables
• Singleton Pattern
• Events And Delegates

Skill level: Beginner

Duration: 7h 24m

How to access: Access the course here.

Discover the XR Interaction Toolkit for VR

When it comes to Unity, the XR Interaction Toolkit is considered the new standard for building VR projects. This new system basically forgoes any form of coding. Instead, everything is component based – so making an item interactable is as easy as dragging on the right components and adjusting the settings.

In Zenva’s Discover the XR Interaction Toolkit for VR course, you’ll learn just that – how to use the XR Interaction Toolkit. This course covers all the basics you’ll need to get started, including teleportation and hand-grabbing controllers. All the while, you’ll also create a nifty kitchen simulator project to add to your portfolio!

Key topics covered:

• Set up the XR Interaction Toolkit
• Create interactable objects
• Implement teleportation-style movement
• Deal with hand-grabbing controllers
• Add particle effects based on object orientation

Skill level: Beginner to intermediate – Unity skills are expected.

Duration: 59m

How to access: Access the course here.

Unity User VR Developer Certification Wrap Up

And there we have it – the best courses to prepare for getting the User VR Developer Certification from Unity.

While we’ve given you a lot of material to work with, we encourage you to explore as many courses as physically possible. Remember, you have to pass the User Programmer Certification first, so you’re going to need to ramp up your Unity skills quickly in order to even prepare for this particular exam. So please continue to browse sites like Zenva and master all that you can. The more you learn Unity, the better position you’ll be in!

We hope these courses help you start your preparations, and we wish you the best of luck in becoming a VR expert!

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Whether you’re just starting out or have been making games for a long time, this is a difficult question. However, it’s a question that comes up often in the professional world. Numerous situations will require you to show evidence you actually do know what you’re doing.

While portfolios are definitely a necessity, for Unity developers, there is another fantastic option: Unity Certification.

In this article, we will endeavor to explore what Unity Certification is, why Unity Certification is definitely worthwhile to pursue, and how you can start preparing to earn your certification.

Let’s jump in!

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An Overview of Unity Certification

In this section, we will discuss what Unity Certification is for those new to the topic. If you already have a good idea of what Unity Certification is, feel free to skip ahead to find out why Unity Certification can help you and get guidance on prepping for an exam.

What is Unity Certification?

The Unity Certification program is a set of exams aimed at testing Unity developers’ core skills in game development and the Unity engine. The exams were developed meticulously by Unity through research, and with coordination between both testing specialists and game development experts.

At current, the tests are administered by Pearson VUE, a branch of the widely-recognized educational company Pearson, which is aimed at specifically providing testing for professional certifications. As such, Unity Certifications are regarded very highly in the professional world due to the extensive work and credentials associated with them.

The exams for Unity Certification are divided between a few different specialties and different levels of experience – giving every user an opportunity to pursue certification. Likewise, this division allows the prices to vary – starting as cheap as $60 and going all the way up to $350 for experts (with some bulk purchasing options for schools).

How are the Unity Certifications Structured?

As mentioned above, the Unity Certifications consist of several different exams depending on your level of experience and your specialty in that experience level. We will briefly discuss what exams are available so you can get a grasp on what you personally may wish to pursue.

Certified User Unity Certification

This is the beginner’s level exam aimed at people who’ve just learned a little bit of Unity. To put it into better perspective, this exam was one that was made to be appropriate for high school level students as well, so there’s no expectation you’ve necessarily even made more than a couple of hobby games.

At this level, Unity offers three different certification specialties, each with a separate exam.

• Programmer: This is probably what would be considered the main certification for Unity itself at this level. In this one, users are evaluated on how well they know the fundamentals of using Unity, such as how to make projects and Prefabs, navigate the editor, and so forth. This exam will, of course, also test your basic C# knowledge – including quite a lot of focus on Unity-specific library functions and accessing components. However, the main point is to see if you’re able to read, write, understand, and debug basic code elements that will be used all the time.
• Artist: This level tests how well you know Unity’s tools in order to design 2D and 3D scenes. This includes things like importing the assets correctly and manipulating objects in the scene. You’ll also be expected to know a little bit about lighting, materials, and cameras.
• VR Developer: For this certification, users are tested specifically on how well they can adapt a Unity project for VR. This includes elements related to understanding how to even set up a VR project, how to deal with movement based on hardware, and how to optimize your elements to be VR-ready.

Certified Associate Unity Certification

This certification is primarily designed for those ready to actually start working in professional development. The general assumption is that you’ll probably already have a few simple projects under your belt, and be ready to justify the fact you can, in fact, build games.

Like the User Certification level, this level also has three different exam options to specialize in:

• Game Developer: This particular exam focuses on testing whether you can make a game with Unity. While there is some C# programming involved, of course, the major aspects are much larger in scope. You’ll be expected to understand how to take a game from idea to completion. You’ll also be expected to know, relatively well, all the tools Unity offers such as audio, animation, physics, and so forth. Another way to think of it is this exam is for those looking to make sure they understand the bigger picture of game development.
• Programmer: At the Associate-level, the Programmer Certification focuses a ton more on C# scripting. You’ll be expected to have a solid understanding of working with Unity’s API to script behaviors and objects (including UI elements). This level also starts examining code efficiency, such as if you understand best practices for data structures. There is also a strong focus on being able to debug.
• Artist: Continuing somewhat from the Artist User Certification, the Artist Associate Certification focuses on more advanced uses of the Unity tools for artistry. This includes working with tools like Shader Graph and ProBuilder, understanding different lighting effects, implementing Level of Detail, and beyond. If it has to do with presenting the assets, be prepared for it to be on this exam.

Certified Professional Unity Certification

The Professional Unity Certification is where we really start getting into more advanced users. This certification level is focusing specifically on those who have probably up to 4 years of making professional Unity games. Another way to think about it is this certification is perfect for those who are already game developers but want that coveted promotion and need something extra to prove themselves.

This level focuses on two specific specializations for its exams:

• Programmer: At this level, you’re already expected to have long since mastered the fundamentals. So, the focus on this exam turns to more advanced C# programming. You’ll be tested on things like being able to program a render pipeline, working with teams on coding, and even being able to optimize the game with how you code. There is also some focus on applications as well at this level.
• Artist: At this level, artists aren’t tested much differently than before – the only expectation difference is your level of understanding. As such, you’ll need to be a pro at being able to light scenes, work with particle systems, deal with animations, and similar. There is also a bigger focus on teamwork aspects to ensure you can work with big-budget productions.

Certified Expert Unity Certification

This is the last level of certification, and as expected, it’s focused on the bravest and most experienced game developers. In general, this certification is best for those who have worked with Unity for at least 5 years, if not more. It’s also a relatively safe assumption that if you need this certification, you’re working in the wider game industry as a whole.

At this level, there is only one certification exam for Programmer. The exam focuses on two things. The first is simple project management principles, such as being able to scope the project and review it to polish and refine the game. The second is obviously the coding part – where you’re going to have to know how to work with advanced algorithms and mathematics, as well as evaluate your code to improve it to its utmost efficiency.

Why You Should Get Unity Certification

So, why should you get Unity Certification? Is Unity Certification worth it? In this section, we’re going to discuss the three major reasons why Unity Certification may help boost your position regardless of your personal goals.

Unity Certification Helps With Job Hunting

One of the core reasons the Unity team invested in their Unity Certification program was to help Unity developers with job hunting.

Job hunting for any position, game development or not, is very tough. You’re generally up against 10s or 100s of other applicants for the same position. Even if your application is lucky enough to get past the initial resume review process, the competition will only get thicker.

As such, the key goal of any applicant is to make themselves stand out from their competition. When it comes to game development, the more you can prove you know how to make games (or provide the subspeciality the company is looking for), the better your standing.

However, almost every game development applicant will have two items: their work history (or education history for those starting out), and their game developer portfolio. So, even if you make great games, you’re going to need to find another angle to help push yourself to the top of the pile.

This is where Unity Certification comes in. In an industry where certifications are extremely rare, Unity Certification stands apart. It is widely recognized as a solid credential to prove your skills due to the exams themselves and the cost & time involved in obtaining the certification. They are so accepted in the industry that a good number of Unity-based job postings will even list Unity Certifications as a preferred requirement for the position.

To put it another way, if you were in HR, who would you hire:

1. The applicant who has previous experience and a portfolio OR…
2. The applicant who has previous experience, a portfolio, and certification proving they know Unity

The answer here is probably going to be two – so you can see how Unity Certification can be an extra boost that will help you shine compared to other job hunters. It’s just a good piece of evidence you know how to make games, and since not everyone will get certified, it can only help you professionally speaking.

Unity Certification Prepares Teachers

Teaching is a challenging skill set to develop. Not only do you have to understand the subject matter you’re teaching, but know how to tailor that content to your audience.

This second part is particularly important. If what you’re teaching is too easy for the audience, they’re going to get bored and disengage. If what you’re teaching is too difficult for the audience, they’re going to get frustrated and disengage. There is a reason we don’t teach physics and calculus to kindergartners or teach high school students the Alphabet song.

So, when it comes to Unity, how can a teacher prepare? Surprisingly, the Unity Certification process is a great answer to this.

Obviously, by preparing for a Unity Certification exam, you’ll have to fulfill that first part of actually learning Unity and proving that you do know the subject matter. Thus, this benefit speaks for itself.

However, as Unity divides its certifications by experience level, you can also choose to prepare for the exam that suits the audience you most want to teach. By forcing yourself to prepare for the proper level exam, you achieve two things. First, you make sure you’ve refreshed in your mind the materials most relevant to your audience. Second, you unintentionally use Unity to guide you on what fundamentals you actually need to convey to your students.

So, once you pass your exam, you can use the exam as an example of how you should structure your own learning materials. This helps you save tons of time, and makes sure you have the right direction for what you want students to take away.

As a side benefit, for teachers focused on self-guided learning online by providing online courses, having Unity Certification can also be a great selling point!

Unity Certification Challenges Hobbyists

The last benefit of getting Unity Certification may surprise you – as it has nothing to do with the professional world.

Plenty of Unity developers out there would qualify more as hobbyists. While the professional world may be a long-term goal, the main goal is simply to have fun, make some awesome games, and learn more Unity skills along the way.

That being said, learning more Unity skills is a big component for hobbyists, especially as many are self-taught. And, if you’ve ever tried to teach yourself a new skill, you know it can be extremely hard to plan an ideal learning path. Even with numerous courses out there, you can still often hit a wall at one point wondering, “Where to next?”

This is the sneaky way in which Unity Certification can benefit the hobbyist. As mentioned, these certification exams are divided into different levels, going from beginner to expert developer. While not required, the subtle idea here is you take the certification exams in order since it’s a designed progression.

However, this subtle idea of taking them in order also gives you a core learning path to subscribe to. By following this progression and prepping for each exam, you can challenge yourself to learn exactly what would be expected of you at each level. In this way, you don’t have to question, “What’s next?” Unity Certification guides you exactly on the skills you’ll want to learn in order to hit the next step of your Unity development journey.

Likewise, this means you can more easily choose courses to achieve those goals, plan projects that would implement elements you need to know, and so forth. Plus, if the need should arise, you’ll be ready to take the Unity Certification exams at any point.

Overall, though, Unity Certification can still play a key role for hobbyists and helps describe an ideal path for developers to follow.

How to Prepare for Unity Certification

So perhaps at this point, we’ve convinced you to obtain Unity Certification – or at least convinced you that looking into these certifications is worth your time. This is where we come to our final section: how to prepare for Unity Certification. We’re going to cover the three major steps that will be involved, though the second part of this is the most important.

Understand Unity Certification Testing Procedures

Before you jump into other prep work, you’ll first want to do a bit of research into the Unity Certifications. Even though this seems common sense, it’s also an easy step to just skip over and take the “you only live once” route.

The most important aspect here is to simply tailor your expectations to understand what is required of you when the testing day rolls around. This way you can make sure to set aside enough time to take your exam, and also just generally prepare your environment to best suit your exam-taking needs.

However, you’ll also want to be sure to use this research time to narrow down your focus as well as to which exam you’re actually going to take.

Below, we’ve made a quick list of some of the most crucial information you’ll want to know going into your exam:

• These exams are proctored – so you are going to have to deal with a person watching over your shoulder.
• While Pearson VUE does have some scatterings of on-site testing centers, the exams are primarily designed to be taken online.
• The number of questions varies by exam, ranging from as little as 40 questions up to 100 questions in total.
• With the possible exception of the User Certification level, the tests are timed. We’ve listed the time limits below, but keep in mind it’s recommended you add an extra 15 minutes to your schedule to allow time for reading instructions and so forth:
  • Associate: 90 minutes
  • Professional: 105 minutes
  • Expert: 165 minutes
• If you fail, you can retake the test. For a second attempt, you must wait 15 days. Additional attempts require a 90-day waiting period.
• Unity Certifications are only good for 3 years. You must retake the test routinely to maintain your certification.

There are more questions you might have than we answered here, so we highly suggest checking out the FAQ section from Unity’s own website for further details. Regardless, do the legwork and make sure you have a solid understanding of your specific certification aims.

Unity Certification Prep Courses

Perhaps not surprisingly, if you’re going to get a Unity Certification, you kind of have to learn Unity and game development. How much you have to learn will depend on the exam you’re taking – which is why the step above is crucial. That’s the juncture you decide what level you want to aim for, which informs which kind of coursework you want to look for.

This being said, it’s important to consider the kinds of courses you pick. There is no shortage of Unity learning material out there, as it is a very popular engine. However, some coursework is definitely better than others. Our advice? Make sure to pick courses that aren’t aimed solely at exam passing. Instead, you’ll want courses that help encourage you to fully understand game development so you can continue to expand your skills.

We also highly recommend finding courses that have a project-based focus. Not only does this force you to learn in a more practical manner, but also helps you discover different game mechanics and build a portfolio. This way, you essentially kill two birds with one stone.

As a bonus, you may wish to search for courses that are intended as a series (i.e. curriculums). It’s much easier to build your skills consistently when courses are designed around that single idea of continuity. While not required, obviously, it can be a lot easier than picking and choosing courses at random from sites like YouTube or Udemy.

For those just getting started with Unity, though, here are some fantastic resources to start your Unity education off with (all of which are beginner-friendly):

Unity Game Development Mini-Degree

This curriculum is designed around learning a little of everything that Unity has to offer. This includes things such as working with the UI, working with art tools like ProBuilder, using particle systems, building worlds, and so forth. There are also several different kinds of projects featured, including an FPS game, an idle clicker, a kart racing game, and so on.

Virtual Reality Mini-Degree

As the name suggests, this curriculum is all about VR. Of course, you’ll learn the coveted fundamentals of Unity. Past that, though, you’ll get to experience a lot of VR-specific mechanics such as how to get players to move, how to work with different controller setups, and other essential knowledge. The curriculum also covers the XR Interaction Toolkit, which has become a core focus for VR development with Unity.

Retro Game Development Academy

With this curriculum, the focus is entirely on 2D game development. Students will make a constant stream of retro-inspired games such as Pong, platformers, base defense, and more. The curriculum even covers a bit of how to implement local multiplayer as well. Given the simple nature of the projects, this curriculum is fantastic for those wanting to build up their portfolio.

2D RPG Academy & 3D RPG Academy

Although two different curriculums, these resources have the same focus of covering RPG creation (just with different kinds of assets). The courses cover a variety of skills required for these games, including action and turn-based combat styles, roguelike procedural generation, character customization, and beyond.

Strategy Game Development Academy

This course series covers strategy games and their specific mechanics. This includes RTS games, turn-based games, city-builders, and tower defense games. Along the way, students explore a good number of required features, ranging from technology trees to designing enemy AI – all fantastic skills transferable to other projects.

Survival Game Development Academy

This curriculum entry on the list is a bit unique. Instead of many small projects, this curriculum has you build one big, complex survival game project. Starting from the zero-Unity experience, you can learn player mechanics, inventory systems, crafting, base building, and enemy combat. You’ll also get to explore making a save system – a core need for many games.

EdTech Game Development Academy

Last on the list, this curriculum focuses a bit more on making educational game projects and utilizing more advanced technology. Students can learn things as simple as making quizzes with Unity or working with Cinemachine to create cutscenes. On the other end, though, students can also learn to utilize tools like Azure to make voice-commanded applications or to bring in third-party API data.

Take Unity Certification Practice Tests

Last in the preparation steps is something kind of obvious: take practice tests.

Much like any sort of certification or big test like the SATs, there are plenty of resources out there that let you practice the tests. Obviously, legitimate sites won’t have the same content exactly as the exam. However, they will give you a fantastic idea of the sorts of stuff you may have to know and a better understanding of the experience level you’ll need to reach to pass.

This being said, be aware of two things. First, this step is optional. It can definitely help if you’re nervous, but it’s not required. If you feel confident, you can go straight to the exam if you wish. The practice tests are just there if you need them, as everyone practices in different ways.

Second, there are a lot of illegitimate sites out there that offer practice tests. There are evens some shady sites that claim to offer the actual exam in advance. Obviously, this would hardcore violate the Terms for these exams, so they are not recommended.

Instead, your best bet is to actually purchase practice tests from Pearson VUE itself. After all, who better to give you practice exams than the people running the exams in the first place?

There are some free resources available as well, but your mileage will vary with them. However, if you feel they’ll help you practice, by all means, use what you can.

Unity Certification Takeaways

Despite all the big talk, we acknowledge Unity Certification isn’t for everyone. Some developers absolutely prefer going the pure portfolio route – and this is a totally valid way to go about showcasing your skills. In fact, even with Unity Certification, having a portfolio can only help (and it’s also free for the budget conscious).

However, Unity Certification is nothing to ignore either. For many Unity developers, it can be a great piece of evidence to add to one’s resume. On the other spectrum, it can also be a simple way to structure how you learn Unity to ensure the best results for your time. It’s also a very accessible certification compared to others in the tech space. So, all in all, Unity Certification can be a fantastic and worthwhile pursuit to aim at.

We hope this article has given you some essential stepping stones to choose the right path for you when it comes to Unity Certification. Good luck with your Unity game development, and we wish you the best.

• Official Unity Certifications Page
• Pearson VUE Unity Certifications Page
• Zenva’s Unity Game Development Mini-Degree

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Some of these AI’s are very rudimentary, such as the “AI” that controls the opposing padel in Pong whose only goal is to bounce the “ball” back to you. Others are a lot more complex, such as enemies you might find in games like Fire Emblem who need to have complex strategy algorithms. Regardless of the complexity, though, there is no questioning that without AI, we would not have the beautiful fabric of games that are available to us today.

Unsurprisingly, learning how to add AI to your games is a challenging but rewarding task. And, we find there’s no better place to learn AI than with the popular Unity engine, which comes with several helpful tools for setting up our AIs. In this article, we’re going to showcase some of the best Unity AI tutorials available so you can start adding this great feature for your own games.

Let’s dive in!

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Before we get to the tutorials, we did want to take a moment to define the scope of artificial intelligence. This way, new game developers can get on the same page.

Artificial intelligence can be defined as a system of instructions that allow computers to replicate tasks that would normally require a human. This isn’t dissimilar to coding itself, which is just sets of instructions and rules for the computer to follow. With AI, however, we’re focused more so on mimicking human intelligence. This comes in many forms such as speech recognition, visual identification, and, most importantly for games, decision-making.

In the realm of games, we most often associate AI with programmed enemy characters. These characters have to be able to make decisions, whether that’s navigating terrain, deciding how to attack you, and so forth. However, other things like speech recognition have become more common as well as our technology has improved. Regardless, AI programming is all about instructing computers “how” to decide how tasks should be performed, and then performing those tasks to suit a pre-defined situation.

Within AI, though, there is one more concept we want to address: machine learning. Machine learning is a subfield focused on creating machines that can take in data and “learn” to perform the tasks we want them to better. In fact, things we mentioned already, like visual identification, are generally built up through machine learning. This principle works through sheer pattern recognition, which machines are even better at than humans.

Though machine learning is a lot newer when it comes to games, it still has shown a lot of potential for allowing us to create even smarter opponents, among other things. As such, we will be including machine learning elements on this list!

FULL 3D ENEMY AI in 6 MINUTES!

Duration: 6 Minutes

This Unity tutorial by Dave / GameDevelopment is a fantastic – if not quick – jumpstart into the topic of AI enemies. Without getting too complex, the tutorial will show you how to set up three states for an enemy AI: patroling, chasing, and attacking. All three states operate on the simple parameter of how close the player is to the enemy character. Based on proximity, the AI is designed to choose the appropriate state, which ultimately controls its action.

In this case, an enemy character will move around randomly with patroling. When the player is close enough to be “seen”, the enemy will chase the player. If the player is close enough to be attacked, the enemy attacks. While a very simple decision tree, it is a fantastic start for beginners who want to experience a taste of how AI decision-making works for games.

In addition, this tutorial also covers a bit of NavMesh: Unity’s component for pathfinding. As such, without going too deep, you’ll learn a bit about how enemies decide just where they can actually go.

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Create a simple AI with behaviour trees

Duration: 23 minutes

Created by Mina Pêcheux, this Unity tutorial takes a more in-depth look into how a finite state machine is structured. Before even touching Unity or any C# coding, the tutorial talks extensively about behavior trees. These behavior trees, which essentially map out the behavior we want objects to take and when, form the design basis for implementing our AI in code. Additionally, it allows you to explore the limitations of finite state machines, and how to plan around those limitations when creating your enemies.

After theory, though, the tutorial does jump into Unity and shows you how to adapt the behavior tree you design to actual C# code. The tutorial uses the examples of a patroling state, a targeting the player state, and an attacking state to demonstrate this. On top of this, the tutorial explains fairly comprehensively how the actions associated with the states – i.e. the behavior – is implemented.

This is also a fantastic tutorial if you’re at all interested in working with animations, as these too can be controlled via the behaviors.

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The Ultimate beginner’s guide to AI with Unity & C#

Duration: 20 minutes

In this tutorial by Blackthornprod, you’ll once again get the chance to explore some basics of AI development. This includes things such as how to create state machines, how to add behaviors to your states, and similar. However, this tutorial differs from some of the other beginner-friendly tutorials in two important ways.

First, this tutorial is focused more so on 2D games. 2D games have their own little quirks when it comes to implementing behaviors – particularly in the realm of movement. As such, this tutorial will teach you how to recognize those considerations. This is particularly important when it comes to pathfinding which can take a bit of a different form compared to 3D.

The second difference is that this tutorial is focused less on state machine principles, and focused more so on getting you up and running with some of the most common and useful behaviors. This includes being able to follow players, being able to flee from players, being able to attack players, and being able to walk around randomly. Additionally, you will get to explore 2D pathfinding, as well as line of sight – both very important and common concepts to deal with when it comes to triggering behaviors.

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A.I State Machine Made EASY

Duration: 8 minutes

If you’re a bit confused by the concept of state machines, this tutorial by Sebastian Graves is for you. Whereas a lot of tutorials on this list focus on programming the behaviors themselves along with the state machine, this tutorial focuses on the state machine aspect almost exclusively.

State machines, for those who don’t know, are basically AI machines that control different AI behaviors. When you want an object to exhibit a certain behavior, you change its entire state to execute that behavior, and by consequence, use states to store those behaviors. With this tutorial, you’ll explore the proper C# scripting methods in full for setting up a state machine. You’ll discover not only how these state machines are structured, but how to smoothly switch between states.

Plus, you’ll also learn how to build a state machine fairly independently of the behavior. In so doing, you’ll discover how to quickly adapt your state machine to incorporate the behaviors you personally need for your game project without getting confused by what those behaviors actually do.

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NPC AI and Combat for Survival Games

Duration: 1.8 hours

One of the few premium resources on this list, this course by Zenva covers not just AI mechanics, but how to incorporate your AI with other sorts of game mechanics.

You’ll start off by exploring the creation of state machines to add wandering, fleeing, and attacking states for NPCs. However, unlike previous tutorials on this list, you’ll do so in a way that is more modular – so you can assign different NPCs to use different combinations of those states. Along with this, you’ll also learn to work with the NavMesh component for dynamic pathfinding.

As mentioned though, this particular resource is great if you want to then take the next step in further integrating AI with the rest of your game. You’ll discover how to implement things such as combat and loot along with your AI controlled enemies. To add to this, you’ll also combine your programmed state machine with the Unity Animator (which is, in itself, a state machine) to get your NPCs moving in tandem with their behaviors. All in all, this course is a total package if you’re looking for a bit more oomph to learning AI programming.

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Unity NavMesh Tutorial – Basics

Duration: 12 minutes

Although this has been featured a bit above, this tutorial by Brackeys should be your go to if you’re mainly interested in AI pathfinding the easy way using Unity’s NavMesh.

The Unity NavMesh component is a tool that allows you to take your terrain and turn it into a static “navigation mesh”. This navigation mesh marks out the walkable areas of your level. After which, you can then create a NavMesh Agent which is able to work with this navigation mesh to determine how to reach a set point. In other words, you don’t have to code anything complicated for the NavMesh to figure out how to get an object somewhere – Unity handles everything for you.

This tutorial will cover all those basics comprehensively, including how to set up your navigation mesh quickly and easily, as well as how to adjust settings that come as part of the component. You’ll also learn how to create the NavMesh agent, resulting in a quick project that lets you click on a spot and have an object travel to it.

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Sync Animator and NavMeshAgent States

Duration: 10 minutes

For fans of automated approaches to handling AI states in Unity, this tutorial by Llam Academy is a great one to check out to see just how much control you can have.

In this case, the tutorial focuses on two separate systems within Unity: the Unity NavMesh Agent which deals with pathfinding and the Unity Animator which deals with when and how to play animations. Though both aspects have been covered in previous tutorials, this one takes a more thorough and intermediate approach for those who aren’t afraid of things like events or non-primitive models.

The tutorial first shows you how to set up an Animator state machine, though with a big focus on creating parameters along with each state. Then, using C#, you’ll explore how to not only set up your NavMesh Agent, but sync it more comprehensively to work with the Animator states automatically. You’ll even get to see it in action with animations like jumping, giving you insight into how you can keep your characters dynamic even with things like AI.

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How to use Machine Learning AI in Unity! (ML-Agents)

Duration: 45 minutes

Wouldn’t it be great if our AIs could just figure things out for themselves? Well, this tutorial by Code Monkey will show you how possible that it.

As mentioned at the start, machine learning is a subset of AI focused on machines being able to take in data and improve how they process a task to reach a desired goal. Though it is newer, within Unity we have the ability to access this with ML-Agents. The tutorial featured here is an in-depth study of those ML-Agents, how they work, and how to use them.

Besides setup, which is a very involved process, you’ll learn a few key characteristics about working with ML-Agents and using reinforcement learning. This style of learning involves programming your ML-Agents with actions, giving them the ability to make observations, allowing them to make decisions around the programmed actions, and rewarding them when specific results are obtained. In addition, you’ll also cover how these steps allow you to “train” your agent and, based on results, improve your models.

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An Introduction to Unity’s ML-Agents

Duration: 12 minutes

Given how complicated machine learning is, we also wanted to include this tutorial by Tim Bonzon.

Like the previous tutorial, this one focuses on using ML-Agents in Unity with a reinforcement learning style approach. You’ll of course learn the important aspects of creating ML-Agents with actions, decision-making abilities, rewards, and so forth. Likewise, the tutorial also covers how to train your agents so they can get better at the assigned task.

Where this tutorial shines is its practical approach. If you’re not as interested in the theory parts of machine learning and just want a project up and running, this is a good tutorial for that. The tutorial focuses almost solely on building the project – teaching the computer to balance a ball on a moving platform. Thus, like the machine, you’ll really learn by doing the task itself and picking up hands on how reinforcement style learning is implemented with ML-Agents.

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Bolt Tutorial – Game AI for Creatures in Unity

Duration: 13 minutes

Insofar, all the chosen tutorials have had a focus on C# scripting – with a few Unity tools and components here and there. This tutorial by Home Mech shows you that visual scripting with the popular Bolt package is also possible when it comes to AI in Unity.

Using not a single piece of manual code, the tutorial will show you how to build a state machine using Bolt’s drag and drop nodes, featuring a resting state and an evading state for a little frog. You’ll also learn how to “program” transitions between these states, just as you would with regular C# scripts.

Besides this, the tutorial does also cover how to set up behaviors along with those states. This includes the complicated matter of making the frog move during its evasion state. The state pertains to ideas such as how 3D space movement works, how to make the frog do things like hop and flip, and how to use SLERP to make smooth movements as the frog moves.

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A* Pathfinding Tutorial (Unity)

Duration: 3 hours, 11 minutes

This tutorial series by Sebastian Lague is probably the most advanced on the list. However, we want to include it if you’re looking for a bit of a challenge in programming pathfinding AI.

A* is an algorithm in computer science that was originally designed for traversing regular old graphs. As time has passed, it’s become a rather common method for pathfinding in games, though. Without getting to in-depth, it allows the computer to calculate the shortest distance to a specific point using a complex formula involving calculating costs of moving to each space. This works even for levels with obstacles, as they can be accounted for within the A* setup.

The series focuses very in-depth on this topic. You’ll first learn how the algorithm works, how to divide your levels into “grids”, and how to implement the algorithm with C#. You’ll then get the chance to explore more intermediate topics, such as making movement smooth or giving different terrain movement penalties to consider. For super advanced users, you’ll also learn how to use multi-threading to improve performance, which is imperative with this style of pathfinding.

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Language Recognition AI with Unity and Azure

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Last but not least, we have another premium resource from Zenva. In this course, you’ll take a bit of a different approach to machine learning by not programming that part at all.

To elaborate, this course focuses on using Microsoft’s Cognitive Services. These services provide pretrained models capable of certain tasks, such as image recognition or, in this course’s case, speech recognition. Though these solutions are customizable to many extents, they allow you to add AI to your projects much more easily, since much of the tedious groundwork is already done.

Through this course, you’ll work with the speech recognition aspect of these services to build a voice commanded rover for exploring planets in Unity. This will involve discovering how to set up which commands should be looked for in the game, but also how to tie those commands to an action. You’ll also learn this in ways that can be applied to many other projects where you want to save a bit of time on your AI programming.

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Parting Words

While there are surely more tutorials on AI out there, this collection of best Unity AI tutorials should get you started. We’ve tried to include a little bit of everything – from NavMesh to state machines to even speech recognition. However, there is always more to discover in the realms of AI, and each game will require some different decision-making processes. Nevertheless, AI is a powerful tool that can add a lot of replay value and challenge to your games.

So, regardless of what you’re looking to build, we wish you the best of luck with adding AI to your projects!

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Allow me to introduce Unity MLAPI (or Unity Multiplayer Networking as it’s now called) – the new kid on the block who is ready to help you build your own multiplayer games. While MLAPI is still in active development by Unity Technologies, it comes with huge implications for future Unity game projects. As such, whether you’re looking to explore additional multiplayer game methods or want to expand your skills, mastering Unity MLAPI opens up a world of opportunities.

What is MLAPI?

The acronym, “MLAPI,” stands for “Mid-Level Application Programming Interface” (Mid Level API). In networking, APIs are categorized as being either mid-level, high-level, or low-level. A low-level API deals with things like serializing data, communicating with a network transport, and managing connections. It deals with the nitty-gritty of programming and networking. A high-level API sits on top of the low-level API and makes the complicated processes cleaner and easier to use. It is much easier to program with a high-level API than with a low-level API. That being said, there is a performance cost to using a high-level API. If you want a memory-efficient networked application, using a high-level API isn’t always the best choice.

Enter, Unity MLAPI. Being a mid-level API means it has access to the basic processes of a low-level API while feeling like a high-level API. MLAPI is designed to be the best of both worlds. It gives you access to the central network processes and maintains a level of abstraction for ease of use.

What can you do with MLAPI?

The true answer is “the sky is the limit.” Of course, there are a couple of things that MLAPI shines at. The biggest is security and connection approval. MLAPI will authenticate on a per-connection basis. This means that you can write your own custom logic and specifications for incoming connections. Having a system like this not only gives you a lot of options for connection authentication but also increases security. Any connection that doesn’t meet your requirements (like providing the right password) is simply denied. This makes MLAPI a serious choice for developers that want a level of security and customization.

However, because MLAPI deals with some lower-level interactions, it is not as easy to learn compared to a normal high-level API. Knowing how to use MLAPI requires a decent amount of experience with C#. While the learning curve is steeper, projects made in MLAPI are easier to scale. Plus, since it is a Unity Official package, it is far less expensive to run than some third-party high-level APIs. All these traits combined make MLAPI an attractive choice for independent game developers.

Where can I get started using MLAPI?

The first step is to download and import MLAPI into Unity from the MLAPI Github: https://github.com/Unity-Technologies/com.unity.multiplayer.mlapi. The documentation for MLAPI can be found here: https://docs-multiplayer.unity3d.com/netcode/0.1.0/getting-started/about/index.html. You can also have a look at Unity’s announcement after acquiring MLAPI: https://blog.unity.com/games/accelerating-unitys-new-gameobjects-multiplayer-networking-framework. This has some information about what the developers are hoping to accomplish with this package. While the documentation covers the basics, it is good to search around for other content that covers MLAPI in more depth. An excellent tutorial series is on Dapper Dino’s youtube channel:

Links

• MLAPI Documentation
• Download MLAPI on Github
• Announcement on the Unity Blog

Tutorials

• How To Make A Game With Unity Multiplayer Netcode | Project Setup by Dilmer Valecillos
• MLAPI — Unity Networking of Future Past by Gamefromscratch
• Setting up a multiplayer game in Unity by SRCoder
• How To Make A Multiplayer Game In Unity 2021.1
• How to set up a custom connection address by SRCoder
• Watch this before using MLAPI by Epitome
• MLAPI Multiplayer by Mr Benji
• Unity Multiplayer Tutorial: Spawn and Equip Items Using Unitys New Multiplayer System (MLAPI) by Slaymuel

With these tools, I hope you can quickly get started creating multiplayer games in the Unity engine! Unity MLAPI is a new frontier for game development that is sure to present all developers with new opportunities. We’re expecting new features and new content related to the Unity Multiplayer Networking system as well, so keep checking back!

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Machine learning allows agents (enemy, AI car, anything you want to have an AI) to automatically learn through reinforcement learning, imitation learning and many other learning types. What this means, is that you’re not specifically telling the agent what to do. Instead, you’re developing their brain overtime in order for them to determine how to go about a certain task with a number of given inputs.

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Let’s Look at an Example

Let’s go over an example of training an ML agent (this is from a Unity ML-Agents sample project). We have an agent who can move and turn on a flat surface. Their objective is to push a block into the end goal. We can train this agent’s brain, so that no matter the starting position of the block or goal, it will always be able to complete it. The agent can also detect the surrounding world with 14 raycasts shooting out from all directions. This can give info about what the agent can see and how far away.

Most likely, the first session will start with the agent standing still or moving around in a random direction. If we continue to run these simulations many, many times, eventually the agent will hit the block and maybe even accidentally move it into the goal. This is where agent rewards come in handy. Whenever the agent does something that progresses its learning (i.e. moving the block into the goal), we give it +1 reward. In general, this means the rewarded behaviour will carry over to future simulations and overtime the agent will gather more knowledge on where to stand relative to the block, the direction it needs to push, etc. After hundreds (maybe even thousands) of simulations the agent’s brain should be developed enough so that it can push the block (no matter the starting position) into the goal every time.

Here’s a look at the push block example we just went over.

ML-Agents Package

The latest release of ML-Agents can be downloaded from the Unity GitHub page here. ML-Agents also includes 17+ example environments, showing many different game types and how those are trained.

Resource Links

• Unity Machine Learning Overview
• ML-Agents GitHub
• ML-Agents at GDC – by Unity

Tutorials

• An Introduction to Unity’s ML-Agents by Tim Bonzon
• How to Train a Machine Learning Agents via Demonstration by Tim Bonzon
• How to Make AIs Target Objects with Unity ML Agents by Tim Bonzon
• Best Unity AI Tutorials – Unity Game Development Guide
• Unity ML-Agents Setup – by Immersive Limit
• Unity ML-Agents Tutorial | AI Truffle Pigs! – by Immersive Limit
• Unity ML-Agents Tutorial – Penguins – by Immersive Limit
• How to Install Unity ML Agents – by Philipp Dominic Siedler
• Machine Learning Agents – by Unity
• Kart Racing Game with Machine Learning in Unity! – By Unity

Demos

• AI Flight with Unity ML-Agents – by Immersive Limit
• Explorer Drone | Unity Machine Learning Demo – by m baske
• Angry AI v1 – Battle Robots | Unity Machine Learning Demo – by m baske

Other New Unity Features

• Unity Reflect
• Unity XR Interaction Toolkit
• Unity Havok Physics
• Unity Device Simulator

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For the construction industry, BIM, or Building Information Modeling, has increasingly become a standard during all phases of creating a building – from planning the design all the way to completing the actual project in real-life.  BIM models allow designers to easily track the physical characteristics of every aspect of their building project, while also allowing stakeholders and project managers to quickly make decisions to improve on the integrity of the structure, the overall infrastructure, and more.  Ultimately, the workflow drastically decreases building costs, results in fewer errors, and increases communication at all levels – thus increasing demands for this technology in the industry.

Unity Reflect, however, is set to take BIM to a whole new and exciting level.  Teaming up with Autodesk, the creators of the popular Revit software used for creating BIM models, Unity’s new Unity Reflect product will allow users to view their buildings in real-time 3D.  With only a single click in Revit, designers, managers, and more can transfer their models to Unity Reflect for easy viewing.  Additionally, as the models are live-linked in real-time, multiple designers can make changes to the model in Revit and see this immediately reflected in their Unity Reflect viewers.

Beyond this, Unity Reflect can also be used for virtual reality and augmented reality experiences, allowing close-up and very hands-on 3D experiences with the buildings before they’re even built!  As a bonus, with Unity Pro, businesses will be able to brand and customize their Unity Reflect views, creating a more personalized experience for their clients.

Overall, Unity Reflect is set to drastically change how designers, engineers, construction workers, project managers, and stakeholders communicate building project concepts, making it easy to make on-demand changes.  The high-fidelity environments that can be created also allow for enhanced views that give all team members a better idea of the final result, allowing advanced planning and important business decisions to be made early on in the project’s lifespan.  All in all, Unity Reflect is a game-changing feature that can take the benefits of BIM and further enhance them in all areas, which for developers will only increase the demand for the skillset.

If you’re interested in Unity Reflect and are prepared to upskill with this new and fascinating technology, we’ve created a list below with helpful links to more information and tutorials to get you started!

Links

• Unity Reflect Homepage

What is Unity Reflect?

• Real-time BIM with Unity Reflect
• Unity Reflect: BIM to real-time 3D in one click for better design decisions
• Unity Reflect Roadmap

How Unity Reflect Works

• How Unity Reflect works with Unity
• How Unity Reflect works with Revit
• Unity Reflect VR Viewer Demonstration
• Introduction and workflow of Unity Reflect
• Unity Reflect Basics Tutorial Series by Learn-Design-Create
• Unity Reflect Review

Other New Unity Features

• Unity Havok Physics
• Unity ML-Agents
• Unity XR Interaction Toolkit
• Unity Device Simulator

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