New Post About an e-book. But this time, it’s a free e-book published by Unity itself. A concise guide that introduces us to the world of game programming patterns. Here’s the free e-book for you to read at your convenience, along with my review. You can also download it from the original Unity blog post.

Overview

Level Up Your Code with Game Programming Patterns is a comprehensive guide for Unity developers looking to enhance their coding skills through the application of design patterns. Authored by Wilmer Lin, a 3D and visual effects artist with over 15 years of industry experience, and co-contributors Thomas Krogh-Jacobsen, Peter Andreasen, and Scott Bilas, this guide serves as an invaluable resource for both novice and experienced game developers​​.

Content and Structure

The eBook covers a wide range of topics, starting with the basics of design patterns, the SOLID principles, and the application of these patterns within Unity. It delves into various patterns like the Factory, Singleton, Command, State, and Observer patterns, offering clear examples and illustrating the pros and cons of each​​.

Here’s a deeper look into its content and structure:

Introduction to Design Patterns

The book starts with a primer on design patterns, explaining their importance in software engineering. It emphasizes that these are not ready-made solutions but rather conceptual tools that can streamline coding processes. This section sets the stage for understanding how patterns can be applied in game development scenarios.

The SOLID Principles

A substantial portion of the book is dedicated to the SOLID principles – a set of five design principles integral to writing robust and maintainable code. Each principle is dissected with clarity:

• Single-Responsibility Principle: The idea that a class should have only one reason to change. The book illustrates this through Unity-specific examples, such as breaking down a complex Player class into simpler, more focused classes like PlayerAudio, PlayerInput, and PlayerMovement​​.
• Open-Closed Principle: It advocates for classes that are open for extension but closed for modification, demonstrated through examples like the AreaCalculator class, which can be extended to calculate areas of various shapes without altering its existing code​​.
• Liskov Substitution Principle: This principle is explained using Vehicle and its subclasses, highlighting the importance of ensuring that subclasses remain fully substitutable for their base classes​​.
• Interface Segregation Principle: The book illustrates this principle with game development scenarios, showing how splitting a large interface into smaller, more focused interfaces can enhance code modularity and flexibility​​.
• Dependency Inversion Principle: This section talks about designing high-level modules that do not depend on low-level modules but rather on abstractions, a concept elucidated with examples like the Switch and Door classes in a game scenario​​.

Game Programming Patterns in Unity

This is where the book gets into the nitty-gritty of various game programming patterns, their implementation in Unity, and their practical applications. Some key patterns covered include:

• Factory Pattern: Explained with an example of a simple factory, discussing its advantages in creating objects without specifying the exact class of the object that will be created​​.
• Singleton Pattern: This section describes the Singleton pattern, showcasing its use for creating a single instance of a class throughout the program. The pros and cons of this pattern are discussed, along with examples of simple singletons and their uses in game development​​.
• Command Pattern: Detailed with examples like undoable movements in games, illustrating how actions can be encapsulated as objects, allowing for parameterization and queuing of requests​​.
• State Pattern: The book covers the State pattern, using examples like simple state machines in games, demonstrating how an object’s behavior can change when its internal state changes​​.
• Observer Pattern: It delves into the Observer pattern, essential for event handling in games, with examples like simple subject and observer scenarios. This pattern’s utility in creating a subscription mechanism to notify multiple objects about any events that happen to the object they are observing is well articulated​​.

• Model View Controller (MVC) and Model View Presenter (MVP) Patterns: These sections explore the MVC and MVP design patterns and their adaptations in Unity, illustrated with examples such as a health interface in a game. The advantages and disadvantages of these patterns in game development are comprehensively discussed​​.
• Conclusion and Further Learning: The book concludes by summarizing the key takeaways and urging readers to continue exploring and applying these patterns and principles in their game development projects.

Overall, Level Up Your Code with Game Programming Patterns stands out for its practical approach, detailed examples, and clear explanations, making it an essential read for Unity developers seeking to enhance their coding efficiency and creativity in game design.

The guide emphasizes the KISS principle – “Keep It Simple, Stupid,” advocating for simplicity and efficiency in coding.

One of the standout aspects of the book is its focus on the SOLID principles, which are crucial for creating flexible, maintainable, and scalable code. Each principle is thoroughly explained with practical examples, showing how they can be applied in Unity game development​​.

Personal Opinion

As someone with a keen interest in game development, I found this eBook exceptionally enlightening. The balance between theoretical knowledge and practical application is well-maintained, making complex concepts accessible. The examples provided are not only relevant but also easy to implement, which is great for hands-on learning.

The emphasis on the SOLID principles is particularly beneficial. Understanding these principles is essential for any developer looking to write clean and efficient code. The way the book breaks down each principle and relates it to game development scenarios is both educational and practical.

However, the book might be slightly challenging for absolute beginners, especially those unfamiliar with C# basics. It assumes a working knowledge of C# and Unity, so it’s more suited for those with at least some experience in game development.

Conclusion

Level Up Your Code with Game Programming Patterns is a valuable resource for Unity developers. Its practical approach to teaching design patterns and SOLID principles can significantly elevate a developer’s coding skills. While it’s more suitable for those with some background in C#, its insights and examples are beneficial for a wide range of developers looking to improve their game development practices.