The Unity game engine from Unity Technologies was first made available in 2005 and was initially designed to be used exclusively to develop games for systems using Mac OS. Over the years, 24 additional platforms have been added, including Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
There have been numerous Unity builds since 2005, with the current build being 2019.3. Unity is primarily designed for development of 3D games, but can be used for the creation of 2D games (like side-scrollers) as well. One of the best aspects of Unity is that it’s free to use for individuals regardless of income, and also for small companies with a yearly income of $100,000 and under.
Updated on September 26th, 2023, by Jeff Drake: The Unity engine just keeps going. Almost 20 years after its first release, it is still arguably one of the top three game engines to be widely available; even with its recent troubles regarding the new proposed pricing plans. Remaining relevant for 20 years in the gaming industry is an incredible achievement, considering most console generations only last about six or seven years. What's even more impressive is that the Unity Engine is also being used in the production of films. This latest update will add four additional Unity-made games to the mix.
24 Night In The Woods
This game combines several different genres of games into a single, fun, package. Night in the Woods is one of those rare games that looks like a modern game, but is able to foster feelings of nostalgia in older gamers. At first glance this looks like a standard 2D platformer.
After playing Night in the Woods for a few minutes, you will discover that this game has more in common with the '90s point-and-click adventure games from Sierra and Lucasarts; games like Sam and Max Hit the Road, or Space Quest. The goal is to explore the world and discover the nature of the evil plaguing the town of Possum Springs. Night in the Woods was praised for its colorful graphics, charming dialogue, and great soundtrack.
23 Starship Troopers: Terran Command
Starship Troopers: Terran Command is a real-time strategy game based on the Starship Troopers movie, which is (some would argue loosely) based on the Robert Heinlein novel. This game uses the top-down isometric view standardized by Starcraft and Command and Conquer.
Players praise the game for its visual qualities, and the strategy of using certain units to counter specific enemy units. Although this game has received mostly positive reviews, there are some players who feel the game is a bit too easy at the start and lacking in content at the end.
22 Angry Birds 2
The success of the Angry Birds series cannot be ignored; very few games get a full-fledged, full-length, motion picture made about them. The premise of the game is simple — fling birds into structures in an attempt to topple the structures built by dastardly green pigs.
There are several birds to choose from, each with a special power. One bird can explode and cause area damage, one bird can be made to drop an explosive egg below it as it flies through the air. There are guilds you can join, leagues to play in, and a seemingly endless supply of stages to play through.
21 Planet Crafter
Planet Crafter sets you down on an alien planet with a few supplies. The goal is to terraform the planet. This starts with exploring the planet and extracting needed resources. Using these resources, like water, you can change the planet. You also have access to advanced technology to aid in terraforming — like heaters to increase the temperature of the planet.
Nearly everything you do to the planet has an effect. By heating the planet, ice locked in the soil begins to come to the surface. Over time, you will notice bodies of water forming on the landscape. Life can then be seeded on the planet when conditions are right.
20 Metal: Hellsinger
Rhythm games have been around for a while. Some early arcade games had rhythm-based game mechanics. Some famous games in the genre are PaRappa the Rapper, Child of Eden, and (of course) Guitar Hero. Metal: Hellsinger takes the idea of rhythm-based gameplay and inserts it into a first-person shooter.
As its name suggests, Metal Hellsinger has a heavy metal soundtrack that is more than just background music. Damage can be increased by attacking in time with the music. This may sound difficult, but synchronizing attacks to the driving beat of the music becomes second nature in no time.
19 Beat Saber
Many gamers' first foray into motion-controlled gaming was probably Wii Sports, and there's a decent chance your first VR experience was with Beat Saber. It didn't take long at all for Beat Saber to become the Wii Sports of VR gaming. It's a winning formula — intuitive, fun gameplay, dazzling visuals, and a great soundtrack.
One of the best aspects of Beat Saber is its large following. There's an abundance of mods and custom beat maps to be found out there; though there's plenty of available DLC content to keep you occupied once you're done with the base game.
18 Monument Valley
Monument Valley is a seemingly simple isometric puzzle game. Seemingly, because this game is minimalistic in the graphics department, and the first few chapters don't present much of a challenge. Somewhere around chapter four, this game's puzzles begin getting quite devious.
In Monument Valley, your goal is to guide Princess Ida through a series of maze-like stages. Over time, Ida begins having to travel across walls and ceilings. The experience can be quite disorienting, as you will have to retrain their eyes in order to spot the correct path.
17 Return Of The Obra Dinn
Return of Obra Dinn isn't a game you often hear someone say they "think" they might have played. If someone's played this game, they remember this game. The reason is the striking visuals — this game is completely in black and white. Most objects are rendered in a simple fashion, but light sources (and some objects) have a particle effect that is very pleasing to the eye.
The goal of Return of the Obra Dinn is to investigate the derelict ship, Obra Dinn, and try to piece together what happened to the crew. This unique game is an absolute must-play, and runs great using the Unity game engine
16 Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight has everything you would want in a Metroidvania style game: a creepy setting given life with detailed graphics, responsive controls, challenging boss fights, and the perfect amount of story to keep you involved in the plot. This game doesn't really have any glaring flaws.
You control the Knight on their quest to help the kingdom of Hallownest fight of a supernatural infection. Along the way, the Knight will encounter friendly NPCs that will give access to new abilities — like the much vaunted double-jump.
15 Rimworld
This game is for all those Prison Architect fans who finished the game and wished there was a version where you're in charge of an off-world colony instead of a prison. That's Rimworld. The visual style is very close to Prison Architect; though, instead of being confined to a prison, you can roam the countryside of the alien world in search of resources.
Rimworld is one of those games that keeps you thinking, "I'll play until this task is done." The next thing you know, the sun's rising. The graphics might be simple, but the depth of gameplay options in Rimworld make it a unique, and engrossing experience.
14 Subnautica
The gorgeous underwater world of Subnautica is hypnotic, and the exploration of the unknown keeps you returning again and again. Hearing the call of a leviathan while swimming in the ocean is absolutely horrifying. Subnautica is another visual treat that really shows what games made in Unity can produce.
If you like your games with a little adrenaline rush included, give Subnautica VR a try. This version has better controls, and makes encounters with terrors of the deep a million times more frightening.
13 Death's Door
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Death's Door is one of those games you try at a friend's house, thinking the whole time you can't believe you've never heard of this game. It plays like Legend of Zelda and Diablo. It has the dark atmosphere of Dark Souls or Secret of Nimh.
In this game, you control a crow as it journeys across the land, battling fearsome creatures and large bosses. The game is played from an isometric top-down view, similar to Diablo; however, the gameplay feels much more like an early Zelda title. The visuals in this game are truly impressive.
12 Gunfire Reborn
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Gunfire Reborn shows off what the Unity engine is capable of handling in terms of gameplay. This is a fast-paced first-person shooter that gives you an arsenal of powerful weapons to choose from. The randomized levels help keep the game fresh through multiple playthroughs.
This is one of the smoothest running first-person shooters out there. Even with enemies running around, explosions going off everywhere, weapon effect light shows popping-off, and frantic player movements, this game's frame rate stays constant.
11 Pokemon Go
This game keeps getting better with time. If you stopped playing Pokemon Go shortly after downloading it, you might be surprised how much content has been added. There are also plenty of new Pokemon to catch and collect. Many ease-of-use updates have also been made since the game's launch, like an increase in spawn locations and improved PVP battles.
The Battle League introduced in 2020 gave gamers what they wanted — a global Pokemon league with multiple classes based on the Combat Power of the Pokemon.
10 Cities: Skylines
A few years after Maxis/EA disappointed gamers with their 2013 release of Sim City, Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order decided the time was right to provide an alternative to the de facto city-building sim. This game may owe a lot to Will Wright and Maxis, but it is a phenomenal game that surpasses the 2013 Sim City game in every way.
Cities: Skylines can handle fairly large geographical areas filled with hundreds of buildings and almost a million citizens. To handle this computational workload and still present a visually impressive experience, the developer (Colossal Order) went with the Unity engine.
9 Rust
Rust attracts a certain type of gamer — those who welcome the challenge of taking on the world. Rust is basically a more realistic and unforgiving version of Minecraft. You are dropped into a large open-world environment armed only with a rock and a torch. It's up to you to craft and find better weapons, and build bases and defensive structures.
As with most games in this genre, player-created clans quickly form as you seek to survive. The level of difficulty this game presents turns off some, which has led to somewhat mixed reviews. The freedom, challenge, and setting make Rust as much of a compelling anthropological experiment as it is a game.
8 FAR: Lone Sails
FAR: Lone Sails is not for everybody. That is because FAR: Lone Sails is more of a journey than a game. The setting is that of a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and you must traverse the countryside on a quest to discover what is left of the world.
The game starts your character out on foot, but a vehicle is soon found. This vehicle is similar to those in the movie Mortal Engines, and there is a convenient cross-section view of the interior for easy navigation. If you love an adventure complete with beautiful, sweeping landscapes, you should check this game out.
7 My Friend Pedro
My Friend Pedro is an intense 2D action/platformer filled with moments requiring superior hand-eye coordination. In My Friend Pedro, you control the protagonist through various levels, defeating enemies with the help of bullet-time, an interactive environment, and parkour skills.
Combining these available skills to perform feats like leaping through a window while shooting enemies during a slow-mo somersault is immensely fun and rewarding. My Friend Pedro has already achieved a cult following since its launch.
6 Hearthstone
Hearthstone, from Blizzard, is a digital collectible card game set in the Warcraft universe. It plays much like Magic: The Gathering without the mana generating lands — mana is automatically generated each turn. The game has risen in popularity to the point it is being played professionally — the Hearthstone World Championship typically has a prize pool in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The game has it fair share of critics though, who feel the game relies too heavily on a pay-to-win model. The Unity engine was reportedly chosen by Blizzard because it would allow the game to run faster.
5 Escape Plan
Escape Plan originally launched in 2012 as a Sony Vita exclusive and made good use of the handheld’s motion controls and touch screen. However, it saw a later release on the PS4 in 2013. This is a charming puzzle game featuring vivid black and white graphics.
You must guide the two protagonists, Lil and Laarg, through rooms filled with obstacles that often result in gruesome deaths if not avoided. Escape Plan was praised by critics and players for its striking graphical design, challenging puzzles, and for the little details added by the developers — like the number of times each of the two protagonists have died being displayed on their torsos.