10 Tips for Building Games with Unity + AI

Before you open Unity, write: "A game where [player] does [action] to [goal]." Then paste it into Gemini or Claude and ask it to expand into a full game design plan. That document becomes your spec — and your AI will follow it for the entire project.

Your job is to describe outcomes, not write code. Instead of trying to type C# yourself, say: "Add a script so the player jumps when Space is pressed, with a smooth arc and no double-jump." The more specific your direction, the better the result.

Ivan's Unity MCP lets AI actually control Unity: create GameObjects, attach scripts, run the scene — without you clicking anything. Set it up once and your AI becomes a hands-on co-developer.

AI can break things. Git lets you undo anything in seconds. Ask your AI to make the commit for you — then every change is reversible and nothing is ever truly lost.

Ask AI for one thing, test it, then ask for the next. Don't stack 10 requests in one prompt — you won't know what broke or what fixed it.

Instead of "it doesn't work", say "I added the jump script and now the player falls through the floor." The more specific your description, the faster AI finds the fix.

Tools like Nano Banana and Meshy can generate sprites and 3D models in minutes. You don't need to draw anything. Replace the gray boxes early and your game will feel real faster.

Gray boxes that move around is a game. Polished art with no mechanics is not. Build the core loop first — player moves, enemy reacts, win condition exists — then add visuals on top.

Camera shake, particles, hit-stops, and sound effects transform a flat prototype into something that feels alive. These take one session. Do them last, right before you ship.

A finished game on Itch.io beats a perfect game that never ships. Set a deadline, cut anything that isn't the core mechanic, and press publish. Shipping is a skill — practice it early.