Learn Unity and C# by Making Games / Tool Setup

🛠️ Create a new 2D Project in Unity

Create a clean 2D project and learn the first settings that matter.

Project setup checklist

Before you start

Basic computer skills
A willingness to build along inside Unity

You’ll be able to

Create a 2D project
Name and save the project clearly
Check the starting scene

Time to Make Your First Game World (Empty, but Full of Potential).

You’ve installed Unity. You’ve looked around the editor. Now it’s time to start a real 2D game project.

No pressure. Just a blank canvas of infinite game-dev possibility.

Let’s set things up the right way.

📁 Step 1: Open Unity Hub

Launch Unity Hub
Click the “Projects” tab
Hit the “New Project” button

🎨 Step 2: Choose the Right Template

When the template menu appears:

Select 2D (Core)
NOT 3D, not URP, not HDRP, not “Rocket-Powered Raytracing Mode” (unless you’re making a tech demo for NASA)

This gives you a lightweight setup ideal for 2D games-faster load times, fewer headaches.

📂 Step 3: Name & Save Your Project

Project Name: ClickerGame or MyFirstUnityGame (or go wild, “Project Pancake” works too)
Location: Pick a folder you’ll remember (e.g. Documents/UnityProjects)

Then… click Create. Unity will fire up and generate a shiny new 2D project just for you.

📜 What You Should See

Once it loads, you’ll see:

A blank Scene with a camera and light
The Hierarchy, Inspector, and Project windows
A completely empty world, just waiting for you to bring it to life

🧹 Optional: Organize Your Project from the Start

Create a few folders in your Assets/ directory:

Scripts/ – For all your C# code
Sprites/ – For images
Audio/ – For music and sound effects
Prefabs/ – For reusable objects
Scenes/ – For your level(s)

Right-click inside the Project window → Create → Folder

🔥 You’re Ready!

From here, we can start building our first actual mechanic, but for now, take a moment to appreciate your shiny new playground.

You’re now a Unity developer 🎉

🚀 What’s Next?

Time to start learning how to code in Unity using C#!
Don’t worry, we’ll start simple and fun.

👨‍💻 Go to Lesson 7 → Variables and Data Types in Unity

Try It Yourself

Open Unity and recreate the smallest version of this lesson's main idea.
Change one value, name, or setting so you can see the cause and effect.
Use the Console or the Game view to confirm the result before moving on.

Keep it small enough to finish in five minutes, then write down what changed and what Unity showed you.

Reading the whole lesson before trying the first concrete step.
Changing multiple settings at once and losing track of what mattered.
Ignoring Console errors because the scene still appears to load.

Quick Check

What is the best next step after reading a lesson section?

Key Takeaways

Small projects still need clear folders and names.
The 2D template gives you the right starting defaults.
Saving early prevents confusing scene state.

Resources

download

Project setup checklist

Use this before starting a new Unity prototype.

reference

Unity Manual

Official reference for Unity editor concepts, components, and workflows.

reference

Unity Scripting API

The fastest way to verify classes, methods, and Unity-specific behavior.

download

DMG Forge Resources

Checklists and creator resources for keeping projects moving.

Try It Yourself

Open Unity and recreate the smallest version of this lesson's main idea.
Change one value, name, or setting so you can see the cause and effect.
Use the Console or the Game view to confirm the result before moving on.

Keep it small enough to finish in five minutes, then write down what changed and what Unity showed you.