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Our biggest e-book yet: 2D game art, animation, and lighting for artists

May 5, 2022 in Games | 4 min. read
A group of adventurers in front of a crystal guarded by a dragon
A group of adventurers in front of a crystal guarded by a dragon
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Our most comprehensive 2D game development guide is now available to download for free. Over 120 pages long, it covers all aspects of 2D game development for artists. This includes roundtripping between Unity and your digital content creation (DCC) software, sprite creation, layer sorting for level design, camera setup, animation, lights, plus many optimization tips along the way.

2D games don’t have the same constraints as 3D, which empowers artists to produce cartoonish and fantastical art that looks great on any device. Let’s learn how.

Unity’s suite of 2D tools provides creators with endless possibilities. This guide unpacks key decisions to tackle at the start of your project, as well as best practices for leveraging Unity’s 2D toolset. It’s specifically tailored to developers and artists with intermediate Unity experience who want to make high-end 2D games, independently or collaboratively with a team.

The e-book was written by Jarek Majewski, a professional 2D artist, Unity developer, and creative director of our 2D demo, Dragon Crashers, together with input from several Unity 2D experts, such as Rus Scammell and Andy Touch.

An opened e-book for 2D games

Start with an overview of Unity 2D tools

If you’re unfamiliar with Unity’s tools for 2D creation, see our 2D page to get an idea of what’s supported by Unity. There’s native support for games of all styles and genres, ranging from pixel art to immersive animated experiences.

Then get inspired by our latest 2D sizzle reel, which showcases stunning 2D games made with Unity.

Creating a commercial 2D game? Don’t wait to download the e-book

A promotion of a 2D e-book

Get the full range of expert tips in our free e-book. Topics covered in this guide include:

  • The art of your game and technical considerations before beginning
  • How to choose the perspective and resolution of your assets
  • In-depth explanations and guidance on level design, 2D animation, and 2D lights 
  • Technical breakdowns of advanced visual effects and post-processing

For further inspiration and pointers around creating 2D games with Unity, check out the Level up your 2D skills reading list that our team put together.

Seeking additional support? We recommend that you visit the forum thread to follow up and provide any other feedback you might have.

May 5, 2022 in Games | 4 min. read

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