Prepare for the UCA Game Dev exam

Finalize your project

Prepare for certification and publishing

GD Pathway: Game Development

Want to make your own games? Learn the basics of 2D and 3D game development and prepare for the Unity Certified Associate exam.

In this pathway, you'll master the fundamental skills needed for game development with Unity, including programming in C#, audio, visual effects, user interfaces, animation, materials, and lighting.

You’ll first create a simple 3D game and then a 2D game. Throughout the rest of the pathway, you can choose if you want to continue developing in 3D, in 2D, or both. You’ll make a game design document outlining your vision for how to turn those prototypes into unique, polished, final products.

When you're done with the pathway, you'll not only have the skills to pass the 

Unity Certified Associate Game Developer exam

 and to continue creating your own games, but you'll also have a fully realized game that you created from scratch.

Game Development Pathway

Welcome to the pathway

Get Started with Unity: In-Editor Tutorial

Create a balanced primitive structure

Unit 1 - Unity fundamentals

CreativeCore_2D

An introduction to the Unity pathway, a tutorial on the basics of Unity, and a 3D building challenge.

 pathway is structured. You’ll first complete an in-Editor tutorial that teaches you the basics of Unity, then you’ll complete a challenge where you need to build a balanced structure out of primitive shapes. All of this will make sure you have the skills needed to get started working on your game.

Get started in Unity

Introduction to Unit 2

Setting up the game

Moving the Player

Moving the Camera

Setting up the Play Area

Creating Collectibles

Detecting Collisions with Collectibles

Displaying Score and Text

Adding AI Navigation

Building the Game

Unit 2 - Program a basic game

Build a simple 3D Roll-a-Ball game as the potential foundation for your personal game project.

In this pathway, you can choose to create a 3D game, a 2D game, or both. This unit focuses on the 3D track, where you’ll build a simple Roll-a-Ball game that can be the starting point for a personalized 3D game project. In completing this project, you'll learn about C# programming, gameplay mechanics, AI navigation, and basic game design.

Create a basic 3D game

Introduction to Unit 3

Set up your 2D game world

Make a flying obstacle prefab

Random obstacle size, direction, and speed

Steer the player

Add a scoring system

Restart the game with a bang

Optional bonus features

Build and publish to web

This quiz will assess the knowledge and skills you gained over the course of this unit on creating a basic 2D game. 

Unit 3 - Create a basic 2D Game

In this unit, you'll create a simple 2D game called Sprite Flight that can be the foundation for your personal game project if you choose to continue on the 2D track. You’ll learn more C# skills and basic 2D game development skills.

Create a basic 2D game

Introduction to Unit 4

A surreal landscape at sunset with soft pink and purple light. Dark, winding canyons stretch across the foreground like a maze. In the distance, huge curling, gear-like shapes and loops rise into the hazy sky, silhouetted against a bright sun and colorful clouds.

Create a Game Design Document

 Clean 3D scene with a yellow sphere balanced atop a tilted purple cube, set against a monochromatic purple backdrop with subtle shadows.

Game Design

Minimalist arrangement of matte geometric shapes in soft green tones—a cube, a larger rectangular block, a half-cylinder, and a teardrop-like wedge—on a pale green background.

Game Genres

Abstract scene of glossy blue cubes floating and tumbling in a deep blue space, with soft shadows and gradients creating a sense of depth.

Game Platforms

Soft, flowing abstract waves in pastel blue and pink tones, with smooth gradients and gentle highlights creating a silky, curved landscape.  01.22.2026

Set up version control for your game project

Troubleshooting strategies for game dev

This quiz will assess the knowledge and skills you gained over the course of this Unit 4 on planning your game.

Unit 4 - Planning your game

Learn about game design, genres, and platforms, then build a GDD and set up version control.

In this unit, you’ll build on your Roll-a-Ball and Sprite Flight prototypes by shaping them into a clear, cohesive game concept. You’ll learn about game design concepts, then define your game’s vision and create the game design documentation you need to guide the rest of development. You’ll also set up version control and learn helpful techniques for getting unstuck during game development.

Planning a game

Introduction to Unit 5

Get started with audio

Create 3D sound effects

Add special effects to existing audio

Challenge: Your own soundscape

Audio for 2D Projects

Add audio to your game (Game Dev)

Unit 5 - Audio

In this unit, you’ll learn how to implement audio effects in Unity. Then you’ll apply those new skills and add audio to your own game.

You’ll learn about the role that audio plays in games, how to create 3D sound effects, and see how audio can improve game experience.

Audio

Introduction to Unit 6

Get started with VFX

Play around with a particle system

Create an environmental particle system

Create a burst particle

Experiment with VFX Graph

Challenge: Add some magic to your scene 

This tutorial guides you through applying your 3D VFX knowledge to 2D Unity projects.

VFX for 2D projects

Add VFX to your game

Unit 6 - VFX

In this unit, you’ll learn how to implement visual effects (VFX) in Unity. Then you’ll apply those new skills and add VFX to your own game.

In doing this, you’ll discover how to add visual effects in Unity, learn about particle systems, and learn how VFX can enhance your game’s visuals.

Visual effects

Introduction to Unit 7

Get started with user interfaces

Add a title to your scene

Manage screen size and anchors

Create a menu background with images

Add basic button functionality

Add toggles and sliders

Challenge: Make a worldspace UI

This tutorial will guide you through applying your 3D UI knowledge to 2D Unity projects.

UI for 2D Projects

Add UI to your game

Quiz - UI

In this unit, you’ll learn how to implement user interfaces (UI) in Unity. Then you’ll apply those new skills and add UI elements to your own game.

In doing this, you’ll learn how to design user interfaces for your game, while also learning about screen management and how to add interactive elements to your UI.

User interfaces

Introduction to Unit 8

Get started with animation

Create your first 3D animations

Refine your animation

Control animation with an Animator

Import animation

Challenge: Bring the scene to life

Animation for 2D projects

Add animation to your game

Quiz - Animation

Learn how to implement animations in a scene, then add animated elements to your own game.

In this unit, you’ll learn how to implement animations in Unity. Then you’ll apply those new skills and add animated elements to your own game.

In doing this, you’ll learn how to use Unity’s animation tools and how to import animations to your project.

Animation

In this tutorial, you’ll get a quick overview of what to expect from this unit about materials and shaders.

Introduction to unit 9

Get started with shaders and materials

Explore meshes and rendering

Explore shaders

Manage materials in a project

Simulate solid surfaces

Map materials with textures

Create translucent and transparent effects

Add physical texture with bump mapping 

Challenge: Create your still life composition

Materials for 2D projects

Add materials to your game

Materials

Learn how to work with materials in a scene, then customize the materials in your own game.

Shaders and Materials

Introduction to Unit 10

Get started with lighting

Get started with lighting in Unity

Configure the Directional Light and skybox

Add light sources to your scene

Configure shadows in your scene

Bake a lightmap for your scene

Improve your lighting with Light Probes

Examine and complete the indoor scene

Refine and troubleshoot the indoor scene

Improve reflections in your scene

Showcase your work with lighting

This tutorial guides you through applying your 3D lighting knowledge to 2D Unity projects.

Lighting for 2D projects

Add lighting to your game

Quiz - Lighting

In this unit, you’ll learn how to add lighting to your scene to make things more polished and visually pleasing. Then you’ll apply those new skills and add lighting to your own game

Lighting

Introduction to Unit 11

The games production cycle

Iterate on the player controller

Source new assets

Unity pro tips

Explore Unity Gaming Services

Quiz - Iterate on your game

In this unit, you’ll reflect on the process so far, iterate on the player controller, swap out the assets in your game, and then you’ll learn some Unity tips and tricks to take your skills to the next level.