How to Learn Unity

With over 1.5 million active creators, Unity is one of the most popular game development platforms. Notable Unity games released recently include Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, Pokémon Unite, and Secret Agent HD.

According to Unity CEO John Riccitiello, more than half of all mobile games and 60-70% of virtual or augmented reality games are built on Unity. As a result, knowing how to use Unity is an in-demand skill for game designers.

In this guide, you’ll discover different ways to learn Unity, with a focus on coding bootcamps and online Unity courses. You can compare the pros and cons of attending a coding bootcamp vs. online courses. You can also learn about the most common Unity jobs.

Coding bootcamps are intensive learning experiences that provide learners with foundational tech knowledge and skills over the course of a few months. You can attend coding bootcamps for web development, data science, cybersecurity, and more. Although it is difficult to find a Unity-specific bootcamp, several game design bootcamps include Unity in the curriculum.

Students can take coding bootcamps online or in person and enroll on a full-time or part-time basis. Attending a part-time coding bootcamp may enable you to continue working while learning game design and Unity. Most bootcamps require you to attend classes at a set time, even if you attend online. However, a few providers feature self-paced bootcamps.

The average cost of a coding bootcamp was $13,579 in 2020, which is less than the average cost of a four-year bachelor’s degree but much more than typical online Unity courses.

There are many Unity courses online, including some free courses. Premium courses range in price from $10-$200 or more, but online courses are typically much cheaper than a full coding bootcamp. Online courses may be a good alternative for students who don’t want to pay for a coding bootcamp.

The time commitment required for an online course varies. Most course descriptions provide an estimate of how much time it will take to complete the course. Online courses can take a few hours to a few months. Most online courses contain video lessons, but some feature text-based lessons only.

Here are five online courses that teach Unity.

Microgames: Learn the Basics of Unity: This free, beginner-level Unity course takes about 20 hours. Students receive step-by-step instructions to build their first microgames in Unity. This is one of over 35 free courses offered on Unity’s website.

Complete C# Unity Game Developer 2D: This is one of the many Unity courses on Udemy, which typically range in price from roughly $20-$130. In this course, which contains 18 hours of on-demand video, students learn C# and Unity as they build foundational knowledge in game design. This course is normally listed as $129.99, but Udemy often runs sales, so students may be able to get it at a discount.

Introduction to C# Programming and Unity: This is one of over 350 Unity courses, projects, and specializations available on Coursera. Offered by the University of Colorado, students cover data types, variables, and constants; classes and objects; and 2D basics. It takes about 19 hours to complete the course. Students can start for free but must pay a $49 fee to receive a certificate of completion.

Introduction to Video Game Development With Unity: This free, self-paced edX course takes about six weeks to complete at a rate of about 3-4 hours per week. For $50, students can upgrade to the verified track, which includes a certificate. The course is designed for people who have basic programming skills.

Unity 2018 Fundamentals: This Pluralsight course teaches the fundamental tools and workflows used in Unity. Students use ProBuilder to create their own level for a game, learn how to export art assets, and configure animated characters. Pluralsight offers a free 10-day trial, after which it costs $45 per month for access. The course takes about five hours to complete.

Video game programmers create the code that runs video games. They create complex algorithms that determine how games run. Job responsibilities include recommending features, modifying code, and testing code. These professionals troubleshoot problems, such as graphics glitches and excess memory use.

Average Annual Salary (April 2022): $63,640

Video game designers produce code that creates video games. They come up with a storyline and concept and map it out for the game design team. Video game designers often work with flowcharts and storyboards. They create the video game environment and game rules and help test the game.

Average Annual Salary (April 2022): $67,050

A game developer works with the video game designer’s concepts and storylines and builds on them to create a playable game. Video game developers write code for various types of games, such as PC games, mobile games, and console games.

Average Annual Salary (April 2022): $83,880

Unity offers a variety of certifications over four experience levels: user, associate, professional, and expert. There are certifications for programmers, artists, game developers, and VR developers. Having a certification shows that you have achieved a certain level of skill in using Unity. It can be beneficial to list a certification on your resume, as it can help you stand out in a pool of applicants.

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