🧪 Variables and Data Types – Your Game’s Memory Bank

Welcome to your first real coding lesson!
Let’s start with one of the most important concepts in C#:
Variables – the way we store stuff in memory so we can use it in our games.

Imagine a game with no memory. The player collects coins… then forgets.
They take damage… then feel fine.
Sounds like a forgetful fish simulator 🐟

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🧠 What is a Variable?

A variable is like a labeled box that holds information.

int score = 10;

This says:

“I want a box called score that holds a number, and I’m putting 10 in it.”

In C#, we have to tell the computer what type of data we want to store.

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📦 Common Data Types in Unity

Type	Description	Example
int	Whole numbers	int coins = 5;
float	Decimal numbers	float speed = 3.5f;
bool	True or false	bool isJumping = false;
string	Text (inside quotes)	string name = "Alex";
char	A single character	char key = 'A';

🧙‍♂️ Note: float needs an f at the end, like 3.5f – Unity insists.

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🎮 Example in Unity

Let’s create a script called PlayerStats.cs and use variables to represent a player’s data:

UnityEngine;

public class PlayerStats : MonoBehaviour
{
    public int health = 100;
    public float moveSpeed = 5.5f;
    public string playerName = "Player1";
    public bool hasPowerUp = false;
}

Attach this script to any GameObject, and these variables will appear in the Inspector for easy editing.

Unity even lets you tweak them mid-game for testing! 🔥

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🤔 What’s “public” and “private”?

• public = visible in the Inspector and accessible by other scripts
• private = hidden from the Inspector (default if you don’t write anything)

We’ll dive deeper into access modifiers later. For now, just know:
If you want to see it in the Unity editor — make it public.

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✨ Mini Challenge: Create Your Own Stats Script

1. Create a new script called EnemyStats.cs
2. Add the following variables:
   • int health
   • float damage
   • string enemyName
   • bool isBoss
3. Attach it to a new GameObject in the scene
4. Change values in the Inspector and hit Play

🎉 You’ve just made a system that can handle unique enemies in your game!

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🧠 Recap

• Variables store game info like score, health, speed, etc.
• You must choose the right data type for each value
• Use public to show variables in Unity’s Inspector
• Now you’re not just a player—you’re a game architect

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🚀 What’s Next?

Next up, you’ll learn how to actually do stuff with your variables using methods and parameters.

🛠️ Go to Lesson 8 → Methods and Parameters in Unity C#