Get started with 3D game development

Tip: If you have never used the Unity Editor before, start with the First time users documentation.

Everything in the Unity documentation, other than the 2D section, is relevant to 3D game development.

Select platforms and render pipelines

The first two choices you must make are your 3D render pipelineA series of operations that take the contents of a Scene, and displays them on a screen. Unity lets you choose from pre-built render pipelines, or write your own. More info
See in Glossary and the platforms you want to support. These choices affect each other: some platforms don’t support the High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP).

To get started, review the documentation for:

• Platforms
• Choosing a render pipeline

Check third-party application compatibility

If you need to import assets from third-party applications, check that all applications can produce formats that Unity can import. For more information, refer to Supported asset type reference.

Create the game

What you focus on next depends on your role, but if you’re a sole creator, you might want to consider the following:

1. Create an environment in your game:
   • For a natural environment, use the Terrain system or import an environment from a third-party modeling application.
   • For a built environment, such as buildings and rooms, you can start with placeholders or import modelsA 3D model representation of an object, such as a character, a building, or a piece of furniture. More info
     See in Glossary.
2. Use meshes to place objects in the environment.
3. Change lights and visual effects to create the right mood for your game.
4. Animate characters and objects.
5. Create user input controls and user interfaces.

Additional resources

• Unity Essentials
• 2D Beginner: Adventure Game
• Create a 2D Rougelike Game
• Tanks: Make a battle game for web and mobile
• John Lemon’s Haunted Jaunt: 3D Beginner
• Create with Code
• Getting Started with Unity Web
• Unity for first-time users
• The Editor interface