Unity is one of the leading game engines used by indie developers and professional studios. But creating a game from scratch is a time-consuming process that can be quite cumbersome. To make your workflow smoother, more efficient, and improve the overall quality of your game, you can leverage some of the tools and plugins found in the Unity Asset Store and others.
In this article, we will review five must-have plugins and tools that have the ability to boost your Unity game development process.
1. Odin Inspector & Serializer — Improved Editor Efficiency
If you’re dissatisfied with Unity’s native inspector being too restrictive, Odin Inspector & Serializer is a lifesaver. The tool augments the Unity Editor so developers can craft custom inspectors and enhance workflow without coding extra editor scripts.
Key Features:
- Quickly build custom editor windows and inspectors.
- Automate serialization to simplify the handling of intricate game data.
- Support for attribute-based property organization.
- Increases productivity by minimizing repetitive coding.
- Odin is ideal for indie developers who want to optimize their Unity workflow and tailor the editor to their project requirements.
2. Bolt — Visual Scripting for Non-Coders
Not all are at ease with C# scripting, and that’s where Bolt enters the picture. Bolt is a robust visual scripting system that enables developers to write logic through a node-based system.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop node-based scripting interface.
- Live debugging support, making it simple to follow logic errors.
- Seamless integration with existing C# scripts, enabling hybrid workflows.
- Perfect for indie developers who need to prototype fast without extensive coding expertise.
- Since Unity purchased Bolt, it has been integrated more into the engine and is now a great option for new developers and designers who work with programmers.
3. DOTween Pro — Powerful Animation and Tweening
DOTween Pro is a necessity for smooth animations, UI transitions, and object movements. It provides developers with high-performance and flexible tweens (animations), which enhance the look and feel of any game.
Key Features:
- Easy-to-use and intuitive API for animating game objects, UI components, and game logic.
- Highly optimized to provide silky-smooth performance even in mobile games.
- Editor tools included to visualize and manage tweens.
- Ideal for independent developers who want to create dynamic motion effects without intricate animation scripts.
- Smooth camera movement, UI transitions, or environmental animations — DOTween Pro makes it easy to create high-quality effects with minimal effort.
- Rewired — Advanced Input Management Managing player input on various platforms may be problematic for indie game developers who want to release their game on PC, mobile, and console. Rewired is a powerful input management system that surpasses Unity’s native Input Manager.
Key Features:
- Supports keyboard, mouse, gamepads, joysticks, and touch input.
- Compatible with multiple platforms such as Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and consoles.
- Offers advanced input remapping and customization.
- Supports multiple players and local multiplayer configurations.
- Rewired saves developers countless hours by offering a reliable, cross-platform input system that works out of the box, making it a valuable tool for Unity developers.
5. ProBuilder — Level Design Made Easy
Creating 3D levels in Unity can be a daunting task, but ProBuilder simplifies the process by allowing developers to model and edit geometry directly within Unity. It’s a fantastic tool for quick prototyping and final-level design.
Key Features:
- In-editor 3D modeling, without the need for third-party modeling software.
- Supports UV mapping, texturing, and vertex coloring.
- Smooth integration with ProGrids for accurate snapping and alignment.
- Ideal for indie developers who require a quick, versatile means of constructing levels.
- ProBuilder is especially handy for rapid prototyping, allowing you to construct and test level layouts in minutes rather than waiting for third-party assets.
Final Thoughts
These five utilities — Odin Inspector, Bolt, DOTween Pro, Rewired, and ProBuilder — have the capability to greatly maximize your Unity development process whether you’re working as an independent developer or part of a bigger team. They simplify things, increase efficiency, and add more polish to your endeavors.
With the help of the appropriate tools, it takes hours of less development to work with what matters most. Your time would then be more used for bringing to life that interactive indie game instead of finding a way past some technical hitch. If you haven’t incorporated them into your current Unity armory, incorporate them and get ready to transform the way your games are being made.
How’s your unity plugins and toolsets? Post in the comment box below.
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