Creating a Tower Defense Game in Unity - Dev-log + Source Code

Summary

In this engaging tutorial, we create a tower defense game inspired by popular titles like Kingdom Rush and Plants vs. Zombies. The video covers essential game mechanics, including a waypoint system for enemy movement, efficient enemy spawning using object pooling, and the design of various turret types. Viewers will learn how to implement health management for enemies, create a shop for purchasing turrets, and design a captivating game level using Unity's tilemap system. With detailed explanations and visual aids, this guide equips aspiring developers with the knowledge to build their own tower defense game.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video focuses on creating a tower defense game inspired by popular titles like Kingdom Rush and Plants vs. Zombies.
• 🏗️ A waypoint system is essential for guiding enemy waves through the level, created using an array of Vector3 coordinates.
• ⚙️ Custom editor tools enhance the user experience by allowing developers to visually adjust waypoint positions within the scene.
• 👾 To improve performance, a pooling system is implemented to pre-instantiate enemies, minimizing runtime resource consumption.
• 💥 Different enemy types with unique animations and health mechanics are introduced, including a health bar to track damage.
• 🚶 The enemy movement is controlled through scripts that determine speed and direction, facilitating waypoint navigation.
• 🛡️ The game includes a turret system, where turrets can be upgraded and customized with various projectiles to enhance gameplay.
• 🛒 A shop interface is developed to manage turret purchases, utilizing Scriptable Objects for efficient data management.
• 🎨 The level design incorporates a tile map, creating an engaging environment for players while indicating enemy paths.
• 🎶 The final game features UI elements to display player lives, available cash, and current waves, enhancing the gameplay experience.

Q & A

What type of game is being developed in this video?

The video is focused on creating a tower defense game inspired by popular games like Kingdom Rush and Plants vs. Zombies.

What is the purpose of the waypoint system in the game?

The waypoint system guides waves of enemies through the map toward their destination, ensuring they follow a predetermined path.

How does the video address performance issues related to spawning enemies?

To improve performance, the video suggests using an object pooler that pre-instantiates all enemy game objects before the game starts, enabling them to be enabled and disabled during gameplay instead of instantiating new objects on the fly.

What are the key components included in the enemy design?

Each enemy includes health bars, animations for running and getting hurt, and scripts to manage health and movement.

How are the turrets in the game structured?

Turrets consist of a parent game object, a rotating point for the turret's sprite, and a projectile spawn position. They also have scripts that manage targeting and shooting enemies.

What is the function of the turret upgrade script?

The turret upgrade script manages the upgrading process for each turret, including the cost, damage increases, and the delay between shots.

How is a simple shop implemented in the game?

The shop is created with UI elements, including a panel for turret cards, where players can purchase turrets using a currency system that handles buying and selling.

What approach is used to create the level map in the game?

The level map is created using a tile map and a tile palette from a free classic RPG tile set, allowing the developer to visually paint the map layout.

How many enemy waves are included in the prototype?

The prototype includes three waves of enemies, each featuring different enemy types.

What additional elements were added to enhance gameplay experience?

Additional elements include UI to display lives, cash available for turrets, current wave information, music, and sound effects to enrich the overall gaming experience.