For the interested reader, here is a list of Unity game ideas for beginners and solo developers.
Are you feeling stuck for unity game ideas? Can you only think of the latest AAA game that you’ve played and nothing else? Are you looking for something to help get old developer juices flowing?
Then stick with me, I have compiled a list of Unity game ideas for solo developers and beginners, which I feel is within reach for many developers out there, such as myself. At least I hope some of these are within reach…
Making games is hard – I have a whole blog post about it here which lists the challenges and tribulations around making indie games. It also has some solutions and ideas. A list of what could be categorised as moaning would be a rubbish post to read, and would only leave you despairing!
Unity game ideas for beginners.
I know the feeling of being generally stuck on what to make next.
For the sake of our uninspired brains, this is a mind dump of unity game ideas, starting with some of the more simple and obvious before evolving to the more ‘out there’ will hopefully add some fuel to the creative fire for game creation.
At the bottom of the post, I have put together analogue unity game idea generator – which is free to use. But do note, that some of the ideas it could spit out, may not be suited for beginners. Read the post first.
Onwards, let us discuss our list of Unity game ideas for beginners and solo developers!
Unity Game Ideas For Beginners : The List
“You could make a game where assume the role of a mildly charismatic tax accountant called Gerry. Gerry is also an anthropomorphic turtle who lives above a questionable and somewhat unsavoury restaurant. Gerry is trying to woo a colleague onto this date at said dodgy restaurant.”
1 ) 2D side-scrolling platform game
I told you I’d start with the easiest idea!
This list would only be a half-complete ideas list without mentioning a side-scrolling platform game. A staple for beginners too. One of the great things about a 2D side-scrolling platform game is that there are plenty of primers, templates, and tutorials to help get your project moving.
Although a 2D side-scrolling platform game is quite a general bread-and-butter idea, Is there anything you can do to give a 2D side-scrolling platform game a unique twist?
Could it be a ‘permadeath’ style game? A puzzler? Or a cartoony classic? Consider art styles to make it stand out.
2 ) An FPS game ( First Person Shooter )
When mentioning unity game ideas for beginners, this one should be a given. First-person shooters (FPS) have been around for a long time, becoming hugely popularised by the likes of Doom, Quake and Half-Life.
As a general idea, you could consider making your own first-person shooter… but there are a lot of FPS games on the market.
What would your unique take be on this busy genre?
You could consider doing something ultra-realistic, wacky, silly, 2-player, retro? A great thing with an FPS however is that it comes with a variety of tutorials and templates. Or if you are a glutton for punishment, you can see an example I started from scratch.
“You may find this post interesting – the best assets to get started within Unity.
3 ) An Isometric adventure game ( what is an isometric game? )
Isometric games are typically 2D games with a fixed 45-degree camera angle that enables the player to see 2 walls and a floor from a quasi-top-down view. If you were to be positioned in an L-shaped room, you would be able to see both ends of the walls at either end of the L. For example, the DOS and Amiga game of Heimdal was isometric.
Here is an illustration.
That is a basic explanation of an isometric game.
Why not create your own isometric game? It could either be an adventure, strategy, or anything else that would lend itself well to this type of camera view. It adds a novel spin to your stand 2D and 3D views.
4 ) A graphic adventure game
A classic genre. For those of an artistic vein, you may be wondering if there could be something to be said for making a classic graphic adventure or point and click game in our day and age.
I have a bias.
- ) I still like them.
- ) Other people still make them. ( 3rd party website Itco.io )
- ) People still play them.
I should also note that I have dabbled too with creating graphic adventure games.
You may find this post interesting if you are thinking of making your own point-and-click game.
5 ) An (*FP) graphic adventure game
You could always make an FP ( first-person )-type graphic adventure game.
Instead of a 3D or side-on perspective, you can see everything from the player’s or main character’s perspective. An FP perspective is a great way of making a player hone in on detail and framing a narrative.
As a developer, it is much easier for you to control what the player sees.
From a beginner’s point of view. Graphic adventures can be deceptively hard to make as there is a lot of logic and moving parts. There are tools and packages available that can help to make graphic adventures easier.
6 ) A low poly retro-styled flight simulator
A medley of retro game and flight simulation combined with low poly graphics.
It could have accents of the old style games like X-wing that game on the PC. Might just appeal to old retro game players too.
This may not be the easiest to start with, and if possible, I would like for free or open-source 3d graphics. Using free or open-source graphics will make your game development easier if you are a beginner.
7 )An Ideal Unity game idea for a beginner – A maze game
The principles of mazes have been around for eons. Whether this is from Greek mythology or a form of hedge maze that you may find around English manor gardens.
The concept of what a ‘maze is’ is widely understood by many in western and across many cultures. You don’t need to sell the idea of a maze.
A maze game mechanic works well both in 3D and 2D too, and a 2d version is arguably more manageable than a 3D version. Once you have mastered making a 2D maze game, what could you do to add a unique spin to your game?
Works as an app? A horror game? A cute adventure? This tutorial I followed, for example, could lend itself well to making a roller-ball style maze game.
8 ) A horror game
There are so many different styles and types of horror games that I could easily have listed 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, etc. A horror-type game could easily be broken down into subcategories in their own right. You could make a 3D jump scare game, a creepy story-type game, or a surreal horror. There are so many options to choose from when trying to come up with Unity game ideas.
Jump scares, atmospheric, body horror, cosmic horror, surreal, viruses – you name it! I have ended up listing a few under this heading anyway.
- Survival horror
- Puzzle horrors
- Jump Scares
- Dark comedy
- A Horror game suitable for children
Just remember, as a beginner not to make it too complicated.
9 ) Walking simulator
Walking sims can get a lot of undeserved negative feedback from gamers. But, I for one love the casual tone change from a high-octane gib fest to a more sedate walking simulator.
A ‘walking simulator’ is a viable Unity game idea and can be assembled by those relatively new to Unity.
There are plenty of assets that come with Unity such as a ‘pro builder’ and the ‘first-person controller’ that will help streamline your walking simulator workflow too. If you are in the early stages of learning Unity. This could be a viable option.
10 ) A sword-fighting combat game in 3D ( hack and slash )
Perhaps not the easiest of games to undertake as a beginner unity game idea, but it is something that should be added to the list.
If I were to approach this, I would seek out templates, tools, and assets to help with the main structure of making a hack-and-slash game.
You could make it hyper-real, fantasy, duel-based, or historically accurate.
11) Couch ( sofa game )
There aren’t nearly enough of these in the world!
I do miss the days of having more games where we sat and played with our friends and family on a sofa and… you know, socialise with each other.
Why not try and create your own couch or sofa game – two-player Co-op? Or you can make a 2-player battle, 3-player even 4-player battle!
12 ) Co-op puzzle game
When trying to come up with game ideas for your next project. Why not consider a coop puzzle game? This one could lend itself well to a multiplayer game, or a sofa game.
13 ) A boomer shooter
Boomer Shooters harken back to the good old days when First Person Shooters just wanted to be fun. Big guns, loud bangs, big graphics, all brash and all awesome. This is a sub-genre of FPS shooting game that aligns more closely with the principles of old-school arcade and PC gaming.
Why not make your own?
14 ) Classic tombraider-esque game
The Tomb Raider of then vs the Tomb Raider of today couldn’t be any more different based on my experience of playing both!
In my opinion, the Tomb Raider of old relied more on a bit more problem-solving, difficulty, and being high. The old tomb raiders couldn’t rely on ultra-realism to carry them.
The Tomb Raider of today feels more like a mass-market RPG and survival shooter with some painfully easy puzzles to complete. The modern iterations will even allow you to spot the spike traps! Not like games of old.
When trying to come up with unity game ideas, something has to be said about old games and their high playability. You may also find this topic interesting – why were old computer games so hard? If retro gaming and challenging games were your thing.
15 ) A Wacky racer style game
“Catch the Pigeon, Catch the Pigeon…”
Sorry, I know that makes me sound old! But Dick Dastardly would be happy at least.
Mario Cart, Blood Drive ( maybe ), and Blur are a few games that instantly come to mind when thinking of Wacky Racer-type games. Aside from being completely different demographics – these games are based on similar principles.
Take a car, stick weapons or power-ups to it, and let racers battle it out. Especially true for the iconic Mario Cart. Blur uses the same principle only this game is a bit more straight-laced and less wacky.
Perhaps when looking for ideas on your Unity game project, you could also consider some sort of a wacky racer game.
I would throw in the likes of Destruction Derby too or Wreckfest, but these are not Wacky Racer games in the truest sense. They are destruction derbys, or as we have over here in the UK – Banger Car Racing.
16 ) 2.5 d Classic Doom-like sprite game
Now, I’m not strictly saying to make a doom first-person shooter.
But is there something where you can make a 2.5D game or a 3D game with 2D sprites in it? Perhaps this can be an adventure, medieval sword fighting game, or some sort of battle game. There is a whole wealth of options to choose from, and game types to consider.
This can also be put together by beginners by using the correct assets to help boost your project. Especially if you are a newbie or a beginner.
17 ) A ‘weird’ computer game
What does a weird game mean? Something that deviates from the norm. I would say that Death Stranding is quite a weird game for example, and it was successful. It only takes a small search of the internet to find some interesting articles from the weird corner.
Indie game conventions can also be a good place to find some weird games made by indie publishers.
A weird game – something leftfield or strange. The type of game that makes you stop and go “What the…”
You could make a game where assume the role of a mildly charismatic tax accountant called Gerry. Gerry is also an anthropomorphic turtle who lives above a questionable and somewhat unsavoury restaurant. Gerry is trying to woo a colleague onto this date at said dodgy restaurant.
You could make a game about a downbeat traffic warden or lollypop man.
You could also make a comedy point-and-click game like Lancelot’s Hangover or Procession to Calvary.
Section 2 | Unity Game Ideas For Beginners – Broader Themes & Sub-genres
These unity game Ideas so far will hopefully have your game development ideas flowing in torrents! Or you are just passively scrolling… absent-mindedly still waiting for that eureka moment to come.
Still stuck for ideas?
Why not consider your game ideas in broader strokes or work with a theme first instead of a game mechanic first?
Do you have a favourite theme, setting, or story that you could work experiment with that has not been considered before?
Could you look at classic literature that could be gamified? Can you take inspiration from art? Some of the most awesome games that I have played have stemmed from literature.
Or.
When you are considering a game, as a seed for a theme or setting could you look at some of these as starter blocks:-
- Space themed
- Water themed
- Shopping
- Combat/conflict
Or select from an even greater variety.
I have elaborated further.
18 ) A Unity game where you are in space
Science fiction, space combat, terraforming a planet. There is a whole range of ideas you can play with when trying to consider what type of game you’d like to make that is space-themed.
You could also make a horror-based space game or shoot him up sci-fi. Space is a vast and exciting theme to experiment with. Just remember, as a beginner, to manage your expectations.
19 ) A Unity where you are in the water
I love any water-themed type games, just like ‘Space’ I feel this offers a very wide and largely unexplored genre of games you can create be it for Unity or any other game engine for that matter.
20 ) A unity game where you dig – mining/underground
“Digging” in computer games is not a new mechanic. Has anyone ever played the old game of Red Faction? That was a game that would now be at home in the nostalgic gaming section. It was coincidently, awesome for making maps.
Could you make your own indie Unity game where you have to dig, mine, or explore the earth in some way? There could also be tools and assets to explore that may help you.
21 ) A Unity game that involves immersive climbing
Games where you can climb around and think about your next action will make way for great adventure.
Where you put your hand, your foot, and your body could also have significant consequences. Perhaps combine this with an element of peril and ‘don’t fall’ and you have a solid foundation for a unity game idea.
If you fear that this may be too advanced for beginners. Do not threat! After a quick search of the Unity Asset Store, I found something called the “Climbing System” which may take some of the ‘leg work’ out of coding a climbing game.
22 ) Puzzle adventures where you have to actually solve a ‘puzzle’
There are many games out there that proclaim to be puzzle adventure games only to find when you come to play them, they are very light on the puzzle aspect.
Why don’t you make a puzzle game, that is puzzling?
And not geared toward casual gamers and developers pandering to the masses who don’t want to think too hard. Rant over! Create a puzzle game!
23 ) Word games
Some players love word games, others it gives them palpitations.
A word game could appeal to the type of person who enjoys games such as Scrabble or Bananagrams.
Along with other types of word games I have played and seen other people play on the Tube ( London Underground ), I could imagine a word game appealing to casual gamers and those who love apps.
24 )Digital card games
When brainstorming unity game ideas for beginners, virtual card games should not be dismissed as a viable idea. A card game of many different varieties could work on a smartphone, tablet, or as a desktop application – or even as a browser game.
Computer-based card games have been around for decades, since Win 3.2 and likely earlier. A simple card game could be a valid option when considering unity game ideas for beginners.
Just remember, the more complex you make the game, the harder it will be to develop. Keep it beginner-friendly.
25 ) Virtual party games
Throughout the pandemic, when we were locked in our homes and unable to see our friends and family in person, myself and my friends played a lot of Jackbox Games over the Internet via Zoom. The party packs we played came with a variety of games such as word games, drawing games, and silly games.
Could you create your own party game which can be played via Zoom? For inspiration why don’t you look at physical board games and party games for reference to get the old juices flowing?
This website – dragonbonegames.co.uk could be a great place to start getting some ideas for a Unity game. But do remember, don’t copy the games, you can be inspired by existing games but don’t copy their IPs or make your game look the same!
Unity game ideas for beginners: list round-up
This is a round up ( with a few ) extras for good measure of game ideas you can make with Unity. Remember, if anything in this post has inspired or helped you in some way, remember to offer some credit back, and share on social media or link to.
For those who would like to take something away, this is a FREE graphic with a list of ideas for you to download and refer back to. A simple case of right click and ‘save as‘. Game gunk unity game ideas!
Here is a round-up of Unity Game Ideas for beginners by game gunk:-
- 2D Side scrolling platform game
- An FPS game
- Isometric adventure game
- A graphic adventure game
- (*FP) graphic adventure game
- Low poly retro styled flight simulator
- Maze game
- Horror games
- Walking simulator
- A swordfighting combat game in 3D
- Couch ( sofa game )
- Coop puzzle game
- Boomer shooters
- Classic tombraider-esque game
- A ‘wacky racer’ style game
- 2.5 d Doom-like sprite game
- A weird and wonderful game
- An immersive story-led game
- Create a game inspired by literature
- Create a game inspired by art
- Consider game themes – Space, water, etc
- A shopping-themed game
- A planet terraforming unity game
- Science fiction games
- Space combat games
- A unity game where you dig
- Climbing type games
- Puzzle adventures, that are puzzling
- Word games
- Digital card games
- Party games
Free Unity Game Ideas Generator | Game Gunk
Use the table below to fill in the empty spaces, for example.
A ____1____ ____2____ , based in a ____3___ setting, where the player ____4___ ____5____ and _____6______
Wild card = ( From wildcard selection below )
A 3D, combat simulator, based in a space setting. Where the player destroys – aliens, and retrieves the golden formula.
Slot 1
3D, 2D, 2.5D, 8-bit, top-down, side-scrolling, fixed camera, over-shoulder, isometric, retro-styled, first-person,
Slot 2
Combat simulator, adventurer puzzler, action-adventure, horror, rpg, realistic shooter, boomer shooter, sport game, driving, fighting, flying, water.
Slot 3
Futuristic, pre-history, medieval, space, dystopian, underground, underwater, fantasy, Roman, Viking, cyber-punk, dark-age,
Slot 4
Destroys, collects, searches for, slays, captures, befriends, steals, fights, talks to, heals, listens to, succumbs
Slot 5
aliens, monsters, cute animals, machines, demons, robots, soldiers, food, old people, pets, countries, popstars,
Slot 6
Takes loot, gives to the needy, saves the day, rescues those in need, spares all, overcomes adversity, roams the ravaged land, continues their pursuit, continues quest, grows evermore,
*WILD Cards
Anthropomorphic animals, but you must sing, if these machines were made at a different time, It is food-themed, a 2 to 4-player sofa game, it is in an office, it is all 80’s science tech, you can import your face onto characters, it takes inspiration from a game in the ’90s, the game is very challenging, its actually VR, Its actually AR,
This post was brought to you by game-gunk.com. Ideas and inspiration were taken from my imagination and browsing the Unity Asset Store ( Source ). Other ideas from Dragon Bone Games.co.uk. Unity game ideas for beginners