#unity game development course

[alisheaburgess]

Dev Diary: Game Dev -Day 1

November 29, 2023

Last Saturday, I found probably the best online training program I have ever seen. It is so well put together and informative. This was, of course, the Unity Learn Programs! (Not Sponsored, Obviously!)

Unity is a real-time engine (or a game engine for game makers). And is a piece to game making that has had me overwhelmed up until now. It's so big and open that I didn't know where to even start with learning. I have seen courses for beginners listed on other learning platforms, but I hadn't personally found any that I jived with.

Unity Learn is their very own learning platform and has the best online learning experience I have ever seen! I started Dev Diary back in May when I was learning on LinkedIn Learning. It was a bit of a mess. This one has none of the chaos of the previous experience. Everything was streamlined and in order.

The only real issues I've had, were my own misunderstandings and fixed when I calmed myself down. 😅😂

I finished the Unity Essentials and now I'm working toward both Creative Core and Junior Programmer. They have so many after these that I want to take as well.

Today I'm starting to learn about Shaders and Materials in game dev and I'm excited. I don't get to do too much as my "misunderstandings" today did cost me a couple of hours. I took a shower and then everything worked... the human mind is weird.

Each of the courses that I'm in now have around 45-50 hours in them. As I don't currently have any other major obligations, I'm planning on going for about 3-4 weeks total, but I'm not being too strict with it.

Last time I overwhelmed myself with how much I took on. This time I'm allowing myself a bit of a cushion to get them done as it isn't timed by the month as LinkedIn Learning was.

Oh, did I mention that Unity Learn is 100% Free!!!

My Plan (so far anyway)

Weeks 1-2:

Learning Unity and getting lots of experience making little things

C# and the basics of coding in Unity

Weeks 3-4:

Design my own Game (I am determined to start small! 😋)

Practicing building smaller sections of my game...aka, the ugly stage

Finishing any training left

Tomorrow will be working on Shaders and Materials and maybe some of the beginners lessons for Junior Programming. I do have appointments tomorrow, so its just gonna be whatever I get done. 🥰

I have been looking for these course what feels like an eternity (roughly 1 year) and I'm so excited to see how quickly it all starts coming together!!!

Let's Make Games!!!

[gamedevelopmentcourse1]

Why Sound Design is Essential in Game Development Courses

Sound plays a crucial role in how players experience a game, yet it’s often overlooked by beginners. If you're serious about creating immersive and engaging games, now is the time to understand why sound matters. Our latest blog, Why Sound Design is Essential in Game Development Courses, breaks down the impact of great audio in game creation—and how you can start learning it today.

At Gamer2Maker, we teach you how to go from player to creator with hands-on courses focused on Unreal Engine, Unity, and yes—professional-level sound design. Whether you're new or already developing, our content is built to guide you step by step.

Dive into the blog and start building games that sound as amazing as they play. Let’s create together!

[soloindiegamedev]

Top 10 Courses To Take To Learn Unity Game Development

YouTube is a good place to learn game development for free, but courses from a professional instructor/institution are generally better. In most cases, if you’re unsure how something works or run into an issue, you can ask the course’s educator (or assistant) or fellow students. Paid courses are usually also more organized, and provide a step-by-step approach to make your game from start to…

[vracademi1]

Best 3D Game Development Courses in Dubai - VRAcademi

The main goal of VRAcademi is to teach virtual reality development skills for 3D game development and virtual reality. 

[ayeforscotland]

Ad | Hi folks, I'd previously been getting into the swing of posting Humble Bundle deals and the charities they were helping. With any non-bundle purchases helping to raise money for Endometriosis research and support. Then Humble decided to outsource their partner program to a system called 'Impact' which has honestly been a massive pain to get my head round. Looks like I can't link to bundles directly and they only give me the above link to share.

There is currently:

The TellTale Games Bundle featuring Batman, the Expanse, the Walking Dead, the Wolf Among Us - Currently raising money for Save the Children

The Sid Meier Collection with every Civilization game and DLC I can think of - Raising money for Covenant House and Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Math for Programmers Book Bundle which contains a whole bunch of data science, cryptography and Python books - Raising money for Girls Who Code

Learn Unit Game Development Course - From Shaders to 3D to a course on Game Feel - Raising money for Oceana

Super Game Asset Bundle for Unreal, Godot, and Unity. Over 7000 audio, visual and environmental assets - Raising money for Direct Relief.

Not sure if this format is okay, it requires you to visit the link and navigate but hope it helps? Let me know.

[centrally-unplanned]

I watched two documentaries recently that were very "2000's nerd culture" which I thought were very fun! In like a meta way as cultural commentary, of course, it is me after all. The first was Indie Game: The Movie, a 2012 documentary on the making Braid, Super Meat Boy, and Fez. It is a "creator-focused" documentary and in particular for the latter two games the film crew actually filmed them mid-production & release, which does make for some authentically heartfelt scenes.

So in a certain sense all eras of documentary will contain this, but the 2000's going into the 2010's was absolutely rife with a new wave of films, often supported by crowdsourcing funds like Indie Game was, primarily concerned with the self-legitimization of niche subcultures. By creating something cohesive, academic, and prestigious like a documentary, the film can codify the subculture as "real" and "worthy", and additionally lend credence to narratives about the subculture that have grown prevalent. And to be clear, this is not a criticism, even if there are parts that are - all meaning and identity is forged in similar ways. But for nerd culture in the 2000's, there was a particularly intense need for this process, because this was the era of nerdom going mainstream. That level of culture shift generated demand for all the above, which films like this aim to supply. There were lot of films of this type - we made a brony "documentary" propaganda film guys, nothing was exempt.

Indie Game is overwhelmingly the story of outsider artists bleeding and dying for their art, which will triumph above all odds. And it leans, heavily, into the bleed; at one point Phil Fish (creator of Fez), openly states he might commit suicide if his game fails. Much screen time is spent on personal sacrifice, financial poverty, the "doubters", etc. This is of course a classic tale for artists, but if I may be so bold that is something of an easy sell - emotionally, narratively - for someone writing the Great American Novel. It is maybe harder to sell if you are making this?

(Cover art by Bryan Lee O'Malley btw - very era appropriate!) How do we make "dude in hat solves puzzles" worth the Starving Artist life?

We do that by positioning these games not as games, but as paradigms. These games, by dint of being the independent vision of unitary creators, are making games that Big Gaming never could. New digital means of distribution are allowing artists to cut out the middleman of publishers, groups that corrupt the real vision of creators. And with no barriers to development, now anyone (maybe...even you?) can make games that can compete in the big leagues. Indie games through this lens are a different product than mainstream titles, and these creators are opening doors. And their suffering is going to be financially rewarded with success and money to boot! That is the narrative Indie Game is selling to its audience of gamers, to understand why the indie games they bought and loved are meaningful.

And to be clear, as much as I am about to deconstruct this, it isn't like totally false or anything. Starting in the late 2000's digital platforms like Steam, more accessible development tools like Unity (released in 2005), and so on did in fact make smaller games appealing to more niche markets more viable, and by virtue of their nicheness yeah they can do things big budget games maybe can't. These creators absolutely had passionate visions for their games, sacrifice for your passions is fine (not bashing that part here), hats off to them. Indie games in this era would absolutely "change gaming".

But not really in the ways this narrative wants them to, nor with the "meaning" people of the time expected it to have. For one, there is a conflict in this documentary of them wanting to highlight "bold new visions" and also wanting to highlight...popular indie games. This is Super Meat Boy, for example:

Yeah, never had a 2D platformer blob guy dodging traps before in gaming! "No see its retro" yeah retro to what, old games? Like those Nintendo made back in the 90's, which you explicitly mention in your documentary? You know, niche indie studio Nintendo? This isn't a bash, at all, at the game itself, but instead the idea that "AAA Studios would never"; they totally would, and always did. There has never been an era where the large gaming studios weren't also making creative games, but for this narrative they need to be propped up as static for it to make sense. And the actual niche indie stuff that big studios wouldn't touch don't sell well enough to justify being in this film!

And the idea of the "solo developer" is also, hm, let us say a bit sus. Not that these developers weren't solo or small teams, they were (though ofc a solo core creator will often have dozens of helpers on supporting roles that get sidelined in this "unitary vision" narrative); but that such a model is all that new? How big do you think development teams were in the 90's for so many classic games? The original Pokemon Red/Blue game had less than a dozen core developers (the total staff list, including American localizers, is ~30 people - Super Meat Boy meanwhile seems to have 16 for comparison). You wanna bring up the dev teams for PC-98 visual novels? They were made in an Akihabara cave with a box of pixel art scraps by like 6 people! You think those games didn't have "unitary creative visions"? Small gaming companies have always been a part of the ecosystem, getting niche titles funded & published using insane magic and pure luck. The "indie boom" is better seen as a change in the numerator.

Though what did change is that, by being self-published, development was approachable by outsiders in new ways. Though even then, this is a bit of a lie - Jonathan Blow of Braid was an industry veteran, and everyone here plays the "convention circuit" and networks with people like the PAX crew and Xbox representatives. But with the games being published by an individual over a studio, even a studio of a half dozen people, it is far easier for the audience to see the creators as "one of them". No office, no suits, just a man in his gamer den banging out his dream. That aesthetic is core to why this narrative was potent at the time, and why making a documentary to codify it was seen as compelling. It takes an already ascendant idea, polishes it, packages it as nonfiction, and then sells the idea back to the people who invented it. LIke so much media, to be clear! I always enjoy seeing it, it is the dialectic of culture in action.

I also find it very funny to see a documentary made in 2012 playing tropes that will become far more ~problematic~ just around the corner. Burnout and work-life balance - in a documentary where a developer, crying, discusses suicide if his game fails, to remind you - is pretty much never mentioned, and a successful game launch is absolutely presented as justifying endless crunch. You would never see that today. The only women in this documentary are wives and parents - which is very amusing, because the co-creator of the film is a woman! No one thinks gender is relevant to mention. Boy would that change in a few years.

Indie games today, of course, are just a segment of the gaming market. They are incredibly common now, so much so that most people lose money making them, people discuss oversaturation, big studio companies have "indie wings" to cover consumer preference ranges, etc. There is no magic in it anymore, it is just dev strategy. So yeah, very enjoyable as a representative time capsule in a strain of culture that is pretty much gone now! The Capital-R Romantic Era of indie gaming; what a time.

In the next post, we are going much more niche, so stay tuned for that. Or don't, I don't know you, and like this was a loooot of writing. Maybe i'll, idk work on that for the next one? ...I probably won't -_-

[last-sprout]

Last Sprout Dev Diary - Nov 22, 2024

Hello sprout folks! I'm Valerie, or @oneominousvalbatross, and I've been working on Last Sprout since July, and I'm wildly excited to share some of the things I've been working on with y'all.

Ignore that Twiggs' hat falls off that's natural.

I'm aiming for a Dev Diary once a week on Fridays, and I'm just gonna be giving a brief look into making a game! I'm learning how to do a lot of this stuff live, so I'm sure there'll be a ton of massive rewrites and changes. I have probably a dozen huge systems that are already built that I'm not going to be getting into in this post, since I'm already half a year or so into development, but I'm sure I will find space to include them later!

XP

I spent most of my time figuring out exactly how we wanted to represent XP in the world. We were pretty certain that we wanted XP to exist physically as a substance you picked up, so I started with a system from a previous build.

In that version, we just created a bunch of XP objects and scattered them into the world, then had some code that scooted them around. Of course, that means that we're tracking an individual unity GameObject for every single instance of a point of XP which is, uh, slow.

This is what we call 'suboptimal.'

So obviously we needed to not instantiate an entire transform every time we needed to spawn XP. Even if we re-used objects that would just be prohibitively expensive for an object that really just needs a position.

I'm not going to go over each step in the process, but after experimenting with GPU instancing to just draw a bunch of XP objects at once, eventually I landed on extending Unity's particle system, since it has a lot of the settings I wanted access to.

To make the XP move how I wanted, I wrote a pretty simple process that iterates through all the little blobs and checks how close they are to a designated collector, then uses an exponential decay function (with thanks to Freya Holmér) to make them move towards Twiggs.

I think every game should have an action that can be best summarized by making the noise 'SHWOOOOOP.'

Parrying

Parrying was a good deal simpler, but it still has its issues. Essentially, all a parry needs to be is a hitbox and an animation, with some callbacks to enemies to let them react to the parry. Whenever an attack hitbox intersects with either a Parrybox or a Hurtbox, it checks its tags to see if it's interacting with the appropriate entities, to makes sure enemies aren't hitting or parrying each other constantly. If it passes the test, it calls GetParried() on the intersecting object.

GetParried(), idiot.

For the basic behavior, parrying just interrupts the attack in progress and knocks the enemy back by a set amount, but there's room in the system to add all sorts of neat effects, which I'm sure we'll be taking advantage of in the future. It's been a challenge to juggle the various kinds of hitboxes, but it'll definitely be worth it going forward!

Of course, between all these bits there were a ton of bugfixes and little experiments, but that's a topic for a later dev diary!

[gamedevelopmentcourse1]

Game Design Course with Unity Game Development

In today’s fast-evolving digital world, game design is more than just creating visuals—it’s about crafting engaging experiences, interactive systems, and stories that resonate with players. A structured game design course with a focus on Unity game development is the perfect way to break into this exciting industry, whether you're an aspiring developer, designer, or hobbyist.

Unity is one of the most powerful and widely used game engines in the world. From indie titles to AAA projects, Unity powers games across PC, console, mobile, and even AR/VR platforms. Learning to design and develop games in Unity gives you a versatile skill set that’s in high demand across the gaming, education, architecture, and simulation industries.

A quality game design course that integrates Unity doesn’t just teach you how to use a tool—it teaches you how to think like a designer. You’ll learn how to conceptualize ideas, build mechanics, design levels, create compelling characters, and test user experience. Combined with Unity’s robust engine, this knowledge enables you to bring your game ideas to life, from prototype to publishable product.

Most Unity-focused courses begin by teaching the basics of game design theory: player psychology, goal-setting, feedback loops, and balancing. Once you understand the foundations, you’ll dive into the practical side of Unity game development, learning C# scripting, object-oriented programming, 2D and 3D asset integration, animations, physics, audio, and UI/UX elements. With hands-on projects, you’ll build real, playable games—perfect for your professional portfolio.

What sets a Unity-powered game design course apart is its emphasis on creativity backed by technical skill. You'll not only design but also develop games, giving you full creative control. By the end of the course, you’ll have a strong foundation in Unity, understand what makes a game fun and engaging, and have the tools to either build your own titles or join a professional game development team.

Whether your goal is to release your first indie game, work for a game studio, or simply explore a creative passion, a course in Unity game development provides you with the practical and theoretical knowledge needed to succeed.

Start your journey with Gamer2Maker, where our expert-led game design course with Unity is crafted to guide beginners and aspiring developers toward success. Learn by doing, build real games, and transform your passion into a career. Enroll now with Gamer2Maker and bring your game ideas to life!

[emblemxeno]

Corrin's probably an easier character to tolerate when they aren't front and center. I get that you adore their compassion, but it's that exact trait that makes them feel uncompelling to others.

First you have how their overwhelming sugary sweet compassion and naivete make them come across as infantalized, but this isn't really treated as a bad thing ever? Corrin never makes mistakes that the narrative treats as mistakes. Corrin almost got their party killed trusting an obvious traitor? That's okay, Corrin wouldn't be so great if they weren't suicidally trusting! Mistakes are only ever opportunities to confirm Corrin's priors and to claim that actually they did the right thing anyway.

Then you have how they never have to kick the dog. Corrin never has any choice but to do bad things in Conquest and characters will line up to take the burden off Corrin's hands or quite literally commit suicide so Corrin never has to do anything that might give them room to grow.

How does Corrin change over the story in any way but the most basic? They're already brave right from the start, and just learning more about the world isn't growth, nor is going from overly trusting to still overly trusting.

They're just such a nothing character if you're looking for anything more than the patron saint of trust and compassion.

I respect your view of things, even if I disagree.

To that end, as to why I disagree, it's because I think there's simply more than one way for a story to move its protagonist from A to B.

Contrary to your point of criticism regarding Corrin not developing, I believe that it's actually intentional. Or rather, the development he gets is atypical of what you'd expect.

As you say, the typical protagonist is expected to develop in a way that signifies a change in their core as a result of happenings in the narrative. Fire Emblem as a series of course, is exactly like this, with most of its protagonists showcasing a maturity or change that you can compare to earlier scenes and visibly see the difference. Leif, as an example, by the end of Thracia would not bum-rush into savior missions like he did at the start of the game.

Corrin, rather, well... when faced with having to save strangers from being brutally executed? He'd do that again by the end of the game as he did at the beginning. That's not a change, because he embodies that trait already at the start of the game.

So what's the deal? I argue that Corrin doesn't need to learn to do things differently or change a part of his personality. Rather, what he develops is the ability to stop second guessing himself or doubting his role in the world.

Trusting people is a good thing. Compassion for other living beings is a good thing. Seeking a world without brutal violence and better conditions for all is a good thing.

But Corrin exists in a world telling him the opposite. His role though, is to prove that sentiment wrong. That when he speaks of peace and unity, he means it, it's not an empty platitude.

I've encountered the same opinion you hold regarding the other characters in Fates supposedly "bailing out" Corrin so he doesn't have to suffer from his mistakes.

Yet the thing is... what mistakes? Yes, Zola tried to kill the party and kidnapped Izana, but Corrin makes a reasonable case to keep him captive as he's unarmed and without a military unit. Anthony made insensitive comments, but he's also physically quite young and small, and didn't actively do anything suspicious, so is it wrong for Corrin to give him the benefit of the doubt?

There's also the aspect of him being family to a LOT of people, including both royal families of the major kingdoms. I think claiming that characters artificially bail Corrin out of bad situations is a bit of a bad faith reading of what's presented.

These are people who care deeply about him, people who want to spare him suffering because of who he is, what he does and how he was raised. Is that not what family is meant to do? Shoulder part of the burden that comes with anything that may put yourself at risk?

Furthermore, Corrin also "bails out" his siblings as well.

In Birthright, were it not for Corrin searching for his brothers who led a charge without him, Takumi wouldn't be found and Ryoma would be stuck playing smalltime rebel without an actual way to meaningfully reach Garon.

In Conquest, were it not for Corrin exploiting loopholes and carefully using words and circumstance, the Nohrian siblings (Xander especially) wouldn't be able to fight Impostor Garon.

Were it not for Corrin giving her the push she needed to be brave, Azura would never be able to express the truth of the world and Valla. Were it not for Corrin, Xander and Ryoma would've killed each other over a misunderstanding in Cyrkensia.

But in that, I also think the verbiage of bailing someone out is very impersonal and not a good way to describe what Corrin and the siblings do for each other.

It also takes the agency of the perpetrators away. Who's truly the people who should be criticized? Corrin, for being a good person who wants to see the best in anyone and everyone? Or the people who would take advantage of that trust?

Why should a person just "learn how the world works and stop being so stupid and naive" when faced with injustice and irrationality? Why shouldn't the world change instead, to protect the ideals for a peaceful existence. Why shouldn't we instead simply punish malefactors who take advantage of good people, instead of blaming good people for having bad things happen to them.

That's what Corrin represents to me. A character who has defined morals and beliefs, who needs to develop the will to defend those things and fight for their existence. To that end, by remaining true to himself and not stooping to the level of his enemies, he gains the unconditional trust, love and support of those closest to him. He's able to turn the tide in his favor, and change the world by being himself, even though said world wanted him to mold him into something different.

Anyway, I didn't say all this to try and change your mind or anything, I just wanted to let all that out because that's truly how I feel.

[raymantogether]

Rayman Together Community Spotlight #4 - MarkedAsUnreal

Introduction:

Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc was published by Ubisoft Paris and released on February 21st, 2003, in Europe and in March 2003 worldwide. That was almost 22 years ago. Feeling old yet? Well, Ubisoft did release Rayman 3: HD in 2012, but we won't talk about that. Rayman 3 is undoubtedly a fan favorite in the series thanks to its whimsical but very risque adult humor. The game is also critically acclaimed thanks to its very fun and diverse 3D platforming and its exceptional cast of characters and enemies. Nothing has ever come close in the series to the success of Rayman 3, in my opinion. And while I wait in hope for Ubisoft to bring back Rayman to his core 3D roots, I can't help thinking, Why doesn't Ubisoft just remake Rayman 3. 

Fortunately, this is no longer an issue. For this latest Rayman Together Community Spotlight, I have the pleasure of interviewing Marked As Unreal, a Rayman fan from Poland who is working on the Rayman 3 Fan Remake on YouTube. This ground-breaking development blog focuses upon reimaging Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc using Unreal Engine 5. The development process has been fascinating to watch, and this has become undoubtedly a favorite fan project of mine. The results have been spectacular, and the game looks simply incredible. You can see the results for yourself below from these comparison shots.

(Rayman 3: Unreal Engine Fan Remake)

(Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc)

(Rayman 3: Unreal Engine Fan Remake)

(Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc)

So sit back and relax as this latest community spotlight takes you into more detail about the genius behind the Rayman 3: Fan Remake and a more personal insight into this amazing community project. 

Spotlight:

1. Please introduce yourself.

"Hi! I’m Mark. I’m a gaming enthusiast from Poland who dreams of making his own small indie title one day. To help me achieve that goal, I’m currently trying to learn game development and Unreal Engine by remaking one of my favorite games of all time, Rayman 3. I didn’t have much coding or Unreal Engine experience prior to this project, but I did work as a 3D artist for almost 4 years. The most notable project I’ve worked on as a 3D artist was “The Medium” by the Bloober team. What was really awesome about this project is that its art style is based on Zdzislaw Beksinski’s paintings, who is a painter that I am a big fan of."

2. What do you do for a living?

"For most of the year I work at a campground doing maintenance, but in the summer I work at an ice cream/waffle shop."

3. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time

"I often play games and watch various shows when I’m looking to have a chill time. There are many games which I would consider my favorites, but to name a few (besides Rayman of course), there are the old Halo games, the Dead Space series, Old School RuneScape, Subnautica, the Bioshock series, Portal 2, Undertale, from software games, or the Respawn Entertainments Jedi series. As shows are considered, I lately find myself really enjoying anime. My favorites are Vinland Saga, Attack on Titan, and Jojo’s bizarre adventure. Jujustsu Kaisen is also really sick. Regarding more active ways to spend my free time, I really love bouldering (it’s a type of rock climbing) and snowboarding."

4. What got you into the Unreal Engine project on Rayman 3?

"Learning game development by trying to recreate one of my favorite games just seemed like it could be a ton of fun (and I wasn’t wrong, because it is a blast!). And I decided to go for Unreal Engine because I really wanted to try out the new features everyone was talking about (Nanite and Lumen). The fact that many AAA companies use Unreal Engine to make their games also made it feel like a better choice than Unity."

5. Tell us about your experience on the project with Rayman 3.

"The hardest part was the start, of course. I didn’t really know Unreal Engine, so doing the simplest things was a challenge. Every step required me to go through a tutorial first. Also, I started this project with the most complex part, while still having very little programming knowledge, which was coding in the characters movement and collision. On one hand, this was maybe not the wisest thing to start with, but on the other, I wanted to start with the hardest and most important part, to know if there is even a point in trying to make this game in the first place. Otherwise, I was at risk of doing something easy for half a year just to hit an unpassable wall. But you know, the greater the challenge, the greater the satisfaction once you overcome it. So, satisfying and fun are two main words that I would use to describe my experience working on this.

What’s also an amazing feeling is to have this complete freedom and agency over the project. I can make it look however I like, I can work on whatever I feel like working at the moment, and I can work at a pace that I feel like working at. It’s an amazing luxury that’s only possible because this is a passion project.

I’d also like to mention how cool of an experience it was working on the Teensie highway part of the level. Because of how surreal and random that part is, working on it felt very fresh and different. Not to mention that it was a nice way to see how much I’ve grown since I started this project, because while coding in all the logic for the surfboard Rayman, I could see how much easier this was for me to make in comparison to the regular Rayman that I was making when starting the project. Granted, the surfboard Rayman is much simpler in terms of complexity, but still, I felt like I could see a noticeable difference in my skill level. 

Finally, I can’t leave this question without mentioning what a great laugh I had when putting in all the drunken Teensies around the Heart of the World area. I love those guys, and creating all those little stories (like the two teens fighting on a ledge) was such a fun experience."

6. How has it been for you personally revisiting Rayman 3?

"To be honest, this doesn’t really feel like I’m revisiting the game, because I replay Rayman 3 fairly often, so it kind of feels like this game is never far off."

7. Are you planning to recreate the whole game in Unreal Engine?

"I’m sorry to say that no, I am not. It’s like I said in one of my first videos: this was always meant to be a learning opportunity for me, as well as a way to get a grasp on what project scope seems realistic for one person or a small team. If I had unlimited time, then I would love to recreate the whole game, because I love working on this. But the sad reality is that I'd probably be well in my 40s before the whole game would be remade. I’d like to be younger before I start working on my own games.

I’m not yet sure where exactly I will stop, but I am going to finish the fairy council level and share it, so everyone will have a chance to play it.

I haven’t really ever mentioned, though, what my plans are for the project; once I decide, it’s time for me to move on, so let me reveal them right now. My plan is to share the whole project for anyone to download and create a Discord server that will act as a hub for the project. I will be there to assist and help anyone who would like to make something using my remake (like continue from where I left off, make their own custom levels, or even just use some parts of it to create something else entirely).

8. Has anyone at Ubisoft or within the gaming industry approached you during your time sharing your development blogs on YouTube?

"No, no one has."

9. Are you planning to do any other Rayman games or any other videogames in Unreal Engine in the future after you have finished with Rayman 3?

"After the Rayman 3 remake, I will start making my own title. I already have a pretty clear idea of what that game is going to be; however, I’m not going to share that information yet. There is a lot of work left in this project, even just for the first level, so I’m still keeping my focus on the remake."

10. You are also a fan of the Unity Engine; can you tell us why?

"I just really enjoy working in it. It’s really cool that anyone can just download this software and start creating a game. I really like how the software is structured. I feel like it's really daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, using it just makes sense. Nowadays, I don’t really need to revisit many tutorials on how to do some things because I find the whole user experience pretty neatly organized and logical. What’s also really cool is that a lot of features are pretty cutting edge and yet still free to use (this is a bit of a double-edged sword, however, as new features are often pretty risky to use as they are not yet properly tested for production)."

11. How did you get into the Rayman series?

"My first Rayman game was Rayman 1 on the PS1. I was probably around 4 years old or something like that, so I think that it goes without saying that I didn’t beat it back then (and still haven’t, but I never really went back to try). Then, if I’m remembering correctly, I found Rayman 2 lying in a supermarket on a heap with other games and managed to convince my mom to buy it. I was probably around 6. This one I did manage to beat, but it took a long time. Some parts were really challenging back then. Also, it was really hard for me to figure out that I needed to backtrack in order to help Clark. Then I think I got Rayman 3 around the time it came out, so I was probably like around 8. So old enough to beat this one without too many issues. This is also the one that I liked the most at the time. I vividly remember how the first time I booted Rayman 3, I had this weird bug where the left key didn’t work, and I thought that maybe this was intended. I figured that since Rayman doesn’t have his hands (because Globox runs off with them), he has problems with keeping his balance, and that explains why I can't run left. Let me tell you, trying to catch that barrel without the ability to run left was pretty impossible, haha. Luckily, rebooting the game fixed the issue."

12. What is your favorite Rayman game and character?

"My favorite game is either Rayman 2 or Rayman 3, depending on my mood. Both to me have their respective strengths and weaknesses, but both are absolutely amazing. Rayman 2 is unmatched in its atmosphere and level design. Rayman 3 has really fun combat encounters, and I like the characters (design and writing) much more. And the whole Knaaren desert level is just so awesome! When I was a kid, my favorite character was straight up Rayman, but now it’s definitely the teensies. Though Globox from Rayman 3 is a close second place. Whenever I play Rayman Legends, I usually play as a teensie (but if I don’t feel like playing as a teensie, I always go for Rayomz)"

Thank you so much for being a part of my community spotlight, Marked As Unreal. It was a pleasure to read and see some of the creative processes behind the Rayman 3: Fan Remake. I look forward to seeing everything once it's complete. I wish you all the best with the development and in your future projects. 

Please don't forget to support Marked As Unreal. If you are eager to see more, I have included links to their social accounts below. Have a good weekend, Rayman fans. See you next time. 

MarkedAsUnreal Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marek-holubowski/

Rayman The Boardgame:

Rayman fans, don't forget Rayman: The Boardgame Kickstarter campaign ends on October 8th. There isn't much time until the end of the campaign. If you haven't already, don't forget to pledge and don't miss out on this amazing board game and some amazing bonuses. 

[vracademi1]

Learn Immersive Filmmaking - VRAcademi

Learn to create immersive graphics at VRAcademi's Creative Design, Digital Art and Virtual Reality course

[thelettergii]

Sugarplum Cafe FAQ

I held an AMA about my upcoming game Sugarplum Cafe on Instagram and figured these Q&A's would be helpful for you to know as well!

If you have questions of your own, my inbox here is open!

Q: What is Sugarplum Cafe? A: Sugarplum Cafe is a merge crafting game that I'm solo developing! In this game, you run a sweets cafe and make desserts for fashionable ladies inspired by sweets. I wanted to make a game with frilly pastel shoujo aesthetics, and yes, there will be tea parties!

Q: What platforms will Sugarplum Cafe be on? A: The goal is to publish on PC and mobile (Apple included), but PC will come first because it's easier to fix bugs on PC.

Q: When will this game be out? A: Not for a few years, it's still pretty early in development. But paid members on Patreon can play an early version of this game now with about three hours of content! Support starts at $2 USD/month.

Q: How good do I have to be at games to enjoy this game? A: Sugarplum Cafe is meant to be a super casual game, so you can be the worst gamer in the world and still play this haha. It's more about collecting pretty ladies than any sort of strategy or skill.

Q: How many characters will there be? A: At least 50 Ladies! I have ideas for about 70 Ladies, but whether I get to all of them depends on interest in the project. So 50 feels like a good benchmark.

Q: What are your inspirations for this game? A: For one, The Nutcracker Ballet of course! Aside from that... For the longest time I was obsessed with Cookie Run: Ovenbreak because they had so many clever character designs! I don't play as much anymore (the UI is too cluttered now and I don't love the new characters as much) but I want to recapture the spark I felt when I used to play. I also really love Sakizo's illustrations of Victorian/Rococo sweets-inspired ladies, and I wanted to capture her aesthetics while mixing in my own fashion sense so I'm not ripping her off entirely haha

Q: Will you still be drawing fashion? Are you moving to gamedev permanently? A: I don't know about a permanent pivot, but this game will be my main focus. TBH I wasn't very happy with just drawing stuff and I'm really excited to build my own world where my designs can live. I will still be designing fashion, but it will just be part of something bigger. My goal is to make the world of games a little more fashionable! I may still draw the occasional illustration though, so never say never!

Q: What game engine are you using? A: Sugarplum Cafe is made in Godot! It's a free open-source game engine and I highly recommend it for 2D games. I think the scripting would be easier to learn than something like Unity. There are a few quirks but the community is so active that it's easy to find answers to your questions. I am using Godot 3.5 - I believe the latest version is Godot 4, but I heard 3.5 was better for porting mobile games. Will let you know how true that is!

Q: Can I cosplay/draw fanart of characters from Sugarplum Cafe? A: YES PLEASE!! Please tag me if you share cosplay or fanart! And if you need to know details of certain characters' designs, please don't hesitate to ask.

[asaraviapt]

[EN] Video Game Writing Resources!

Hello! My name is Andrea--I have been writing for games since 2018, and even worked as a writer at Firaxis Games from 2022 until April of 2023. So, I knew a few things about narrative design--but what the fuck is it? Recently, I gave a talk about the fundamentals and history of the field of narrative design. In Spanish. So, let's talk about it in English--the "what," "why," "how," "when," and "who," of narrative design! What is narrative design? Narrative design is not just writing--it's a huge part of it, but designing a narrative system involves implementing narrative content into the build of the game. So there is a technical learning curve to it. Personally, I watched and obtained certifications in Unreal Engine 5 and Unity in order to be aware of the limitations of each engine. I used the free trial of LinkedIn Learning, but courses about this engine are available in these websites: - https://platzi.com/ - https://www.arkde.com/ - https://www.domestika.org/?query=unity - https://www.coursera.org/ Why do we need narrative design? In order to create an interactive story that the player feels a part of, narrative designers are mandatory. It's not a responsibility that can be placed on other designers (then we would be entering crunch territory) rather someone who specifically specializes in both creative writing and game design is needed to explain within the context of the game's story why the mechanics work in a certain way. Imagine if a Telltale game did not have dialogue, for example--what would we be left with? Or if The Last Of Us did not convey a narrative through its environments.

Narrative designers are needed so that all of the departments are in sync and understand the story that they are trying to tell. For example, if a game takes place in a haunted house that was abandoned, we need all hands on deck. The narrative designer can explain to the environment artists why there are so many holes in the living room--perhaps the last tenants of the house were a rowdy bunch. Or, they can tell the sound designers which planks of wood are the most rotten and need a loud sound effect to highlight how it has been abandoned. How do I become a narrative designer? There is no one way to become a narrative designer. Some people start in QA and transition into the field, I have also witnessed engineers and doctors wanting to get into narrative design. I do recommend having the following (at least): - A passion for storytelling. - Deep understanding of the mechanics of the game and the player experience. - Communication skills are incredibly important--can you describe your story in a concise way to your peers in a Confluence page?

Documentation skills are also a massive plus.

Very basic understanding of game engines and limitations. You don't have to be a computer science major, but know what your requests will entail. If you have an idea of a cutscene, can the engine handle it? Will the animators have enough time? Is it within scope?

If you can, attend game jams! They are an amazing way to network with amazing people and get a feel of what the game production pipeline is like.

Additionally, I highly recommend the following resources: First, the free resources! ~It's free real estate~

Look up Twinery tutorials. (https://twinery.org/) Not only is it free, but you can use it on your browser. More importantly, you will learn about branching narratives and can create your own games within a few minutes--the interface, though it requires a bit of coding, is incredibly easy to use and there are a lot of tutorials available online.

Download Ren'Py (https://www.renpy.org/) and watch tutorials. It's free, and there is a huge community of visual novel developers who may need help with narrative designers, writers, editors and even translators. An amazing resource that a colleague shared was this Discord with visual novel developers--if you have an idea, feel free to connect with artists and voice actors here! https://discord.gg/nW5yn4FE

Network, network, network! Follow narrative design and game writer groups on Discord, Facebook and even LinkedIn. -- An amazing convention that is online, free and accessible regarding narrative design is LudoNarraCon.

If you go to itch.io you will see a list of game jams that you can attend to for free! Some game jams that I have attended and had a positive experience are the following: - Woman Game Jam. I encourage folks from marginalized genders to attend this game jam, as we have a large pool of mentors willing to help in every single discipline at any time due to the global nature of it. It is a safe and inclusive space for women and nonbinary folx who want to get into the gaming industry! - Global Game Jam. Self explanatory, it has some in-person opportunities but you can also attend remotely. - Greenlight Jam. Do you have an idea that can not be done in only 48 hours? The Greenlight Jam is amazing, as it lasts four weeks--which allows narrative designers to develop complex narrative systems and even record voice lines for a more complex project. Side Note: Even though most game jams have a time limit, I do encourage narrative designers to develop and polish the prototypes and levels created during game jams to have portfolios and writing samples that stand out!

Work With Indies is a job site that publishes job opportunities--including ones in writing and narrative design. Additionally, their Discord has some networking events with writers so you can connect with them.

Other websites that not only publish jobs but include networking events are Hitmarker.net (this is their Discord), IndieGameAcademy (link to Discord),

Newsletters! A lot of experienced game writers have newsletters dedicated to the craft, to name a few that I highly recommend: -- Greg Buchanan's newsletter. Rounds up game writing news every Tuesday, and includes job opportunities. -- Bright Whitney's newsletter. A studio founder with amazing insights regarding game design and thoughtful narrative, Whitney's threads are extremely insightful. -- Susan O'Connor's blog on The Narrative Department. In addition to providing free knowledge regarding world building, narrative design, game writing and other specifics of the craft Susan interviews industry professionals and alumni who offer testimonials that have amazing advice. -- GDC talks about narrative design. Though I recommend the GDC vault as well in the next section, I highly recommend the GDC talks regarding not only narrative design but the development of your favorite titles!

Now, for resources that may not be free--but I highly recommend, as someone who used them first hand. - The Narrative Department. This post is not sponsored by them at all, however it is rare to find an instructor as kind and hard-working as Susan O'Connor who has been a narrative designer in historic AAA, AA and independent titles. Known for her contributions in Tomb Raider, Batman: The Enemy Within, and BioShock to name a few (imdb is: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1897248/) her Game Writing Masterclass offers a certification in everything related to game writing. A few subjects she touches on are: -- Characters and how to make them compelling. -- Barks and ambience writing. -- Dialogue, backstories and scripts. -- How to work with other departments. And more! Additionally, you would obtain access to a huge alumni network full of game writing professionals working in independent, AA and AAA studios! Not to mention that all of the assignments completed in the class will look amazing in a portfolio as game writing samples. - GDC Vault. Though I have an opinion on the price tag of GDC tickets and the vault, I would definitely include it as it has resources from several studios, writers, narrative designers and more! When was narrative design formed? When can I become a narrative designer?

That's a wonderful question. Narrative design, as a term, was first used around the 90s but became more established between the 2000s and 2010s. So, although the field is relatively new, and there are not a lot educational resources available, consider yourself part of an innovative field that is exponentially growing! Recently, a game developer asked when was the best time to keep an eye out for job openings. And a harsh truth about the gaming industry is that it is extremely volatile--layoffs, downsizings and startups rise and fall. This is not meant to deter anyone from pursuing a career in narrative design, but rather I am including it for the sake of transparency. We cannot predict when a studio is going to layoff their employees, or when they cancel unannounced projects. Unlike most industries where we know for a fact that recruiters keep a sharp eye for candidates in Q1 and Q3, a piece of advice I received from a mentor of mine was to try to predict when projects are going to need more stories. There's the release of a game, and then there is the addition of additional narrative content--and for this, they will more than likely need associate/entry/junior level narrative designers, writers and quest designers. But--this is related to searching for a job as a narrative designer, and I can write a novel about that (and will edit this article to redirect folx into it.) So, keep an eye out for huge game announcements. Then, cater your resume to what the studio is looking for in a narrative designer. Now, to finish off this article: Who is a narrative designer? If you have a passion for storytelling and games, and have participated in game jams, congratulations you are a wonderful narrative designer! Make sure you always include that you are a narrative designer, and not an aspiring narrative designer--it makes you stand out amongst applicants. That's all I have for now--feel free to interact, comment and share! Let me know if I missed something and I will be sure to add it.

[zeivivii]

Survival Camp Showdown

Sequel to: Hot Springs Disaster

Fandom: Kaiju No. 8

Genre: Humor, Competition, Light Action, Found Family Chaos

Characters:

- Team Hoshina: Soshiro Hoshina, Kiyohime Akane, Kafka Hibino, Reno Ichikawa

- Team Narumi: Gen Narumi, Rin Shinonome, Eiji Hasegawa

- Guest Judges: Kikoru Shinomiya, Mina Ashiro

Setting: JGSDF Survival Training Grounds – Mt. Kurogane

---

HQ MEMO: MORALE & COORDINATION BOOSTING INITIATIVE

OBJECTIVE: Build trust. Improve communication. Encourage inter-division unity.

METHOD: Team-building camp. Friendly competition between 1st and 3rd Divisions.

REWARDS: Bragging rights. One week of chore exemption. Losers clean all Kaiju-waste containers for a month.

---

DAY ONE – THE ARRIVAL

Kafka stumbled off the truck, squinting at the wilderness. “So we’re really doing this, huh?”

Reno adjusted his gear. “Team-building. With Gen Narumi. This can only go terribly.”

Hoshina stepped out like he was on a fashion runway, towel around his neck and sword on his back. “I came here to win. And roast marshmallows.”

Akane, wearing mirrored sunglasses and sipping instant coffee: “I came here to destroy Narumi’s pride.”

---

ENTER: Team Narumi

Gen Narumi descended from his transport with theme music blaring from a portable speaker.

Shinonome followed calmly, notebook in hand.

Hasegawa was already holding mosquito repellent like a weapon.

Narumi grinned. “Yo, Team Hoshina! Ready to lose in the woods?”

Hoshina smirked. “Better question: did you bring tissues for when you cry after we beat you?”

Akane: “And for your face after I rub it in the dirt.”

---

CHALLENGE ONE: OBSTACLE COURSE OF DOOM

Designed by Mina Ashiro and Kikoru Shinomiya.

Obstacles include:

- Suspended net bridges

- Slippery mud wall climb

- A pit labeled “Definitely Not Containing Kaiju Larvae (probably)”

Hoshina vs Narumi – Mud Wall

Narumi: parkour flips over it like he’s in a first-person shooter cutscene

Hoshina: scales it with a rope, slips, lands in mud, stands up with a grin

“Y’all ever try exfoliating the soul with dirt?”

Kafka gets stuck in the net bridge. Reno helps by shoving.

Kafka: “That’s not helping!”

Reno: “It’s helping me.”

Score: Team Narumi – 10, Team Hoshina – 8

---

CHALLENGE TWO: CAMPFIRE COOK-OFF

Judged by Kikoru.

Shinonome presents beautifully grilled fish with foraged herbs.

Hasegawa contributes a stunning wild-berry dessert.

Narumi adds… prepackaged yakisoba with his face drawn on the wrapper.

Kafka tries to roast marshmallows. He sets one on fire. Then himself.

Reno panic-buckets him with river water.

Hoshina grills wild boar. It’s absurdly delicious.

Akane presents a mystery stew. Kikoru chokes. “What was in that?”

Akane shrugs. “Character development.”

Score: Tied – 18:18

---

CHALLENGE THREE: CAPTURE THE FLAG – NIGHT RAID EDITION

Rules: No transformations. No blade contact. Stealth, strategy, and traps allowed.

Narumi: “This is my game.”

Hoshina: “Oh, buddy, you just activated my hillbilly instincts.”

Highlights:

- Kafka gets stuck in a bush. Again.

- Reno uses his drone to blast Narumi’s eardrums with embarrassing audio clips from the hot springs.

- Akane leads a distraction op, drops fake Kaiju tracks, lures Shinonome into a pit of glitter.

- Hoshina sneaks into enemy base disguised in camouflage made of leaves and squirrel fur.

- He steals the flag while humming his sword theme song.

Final Score: Team Hoshina – 29, Team Narumi – 27

---

DAY THREE – DECLARATION CEREMONY

Mina: “Team Hoshina wins.”

Narumi: “This is sabotage.”

Akane: “No, this is karma.”

Kafka: “I still smell like marshmallows.”

Reno: “And failure.”

Hoshina: “Good game, Narumi. We’ll frame the flag next to your dignity.”

Narumi flips him off while Hasegawa apologizes with snacks.

---

POST-CAMP

Narumi sulks on the bus. “Next time, we bring Kaiju-proof tents. And earplugs.”

Hoshina texts a photo of him holding the flag and a bag of s’mores. Caption: Victory tastes like teamwork and burnt sugar.

[bobacupcake]

Hi Rob! After the events of last year I was really saddened by what happened with Unity, and haven't checked on it since. It feels like people are talking about Unity like normal again... Did things change back and it's okay to use again, or should I completely scrap my project?

unity walked back some of the changes, main points being

fee is no longer retroactive, only applies to unity 2024 and up

fee only applies to games with over 1 million in revenue over the course of a year, AND 1 million users

fee is now a choice between either self reported downloads, or a flat 2.5% revshare, whichever is lower, over the initial 1 million

ceo resigned

what that means for you is up to you ! most people are still pretty unhappy about the initial breach of trust. for bigger companies this also still means the per-seat cost that they were used to PLUS revshare, so a lot of them are considering switching to unreal since thats just revshare, but, i assume most of us here are not bigger companies, so its really just a case of, what you want to do with it

personally i am sticking with unity because i just cant really afford to learn another engine right now (which would probably be godot since getting away from unity just to go to unreal seems counterproductive for me . also i just dont like using unreal ..) godots also still a bit in its early stages, and this will absolutely change with all the attention its gotten, but again i cant really wait for that to happen.. and while some of my 8years of unity experience will carry over, id have to relearn a lot too and its just not feasible for someone who needs to launch a game like. Last Year

a lot of people still are switching though just because of the initial breach of trust, knowing that something like this could happen Again , jumping off a sinking ship, etc etc . a lot of people have been unhappy with unity for a While, it has a ton of different half-finished systems in place, some of them overlapping with eachother, while people really just want them to iron things out, focus on the structural issues people have when trying to launch a game with unity (unity was actually doing something like this, they were making a whole full fledged game in unity internally and going to release it as an example project. it got cancelled because they ran into structural issues trying to launch a game with unity . )

SO, basically . long story short its complicated . a lot of the initial issues got reversed, but the fact that they thought it was a good idea in the first place reveals larger issues that are going to take a while to address and build back trust of developers again . do what you feel is best for you. i Want off the unity ship but for me its going to have to be when im in a more stable place to actually do that... some day i hope to try out godot