Pick a game you can actually finish
Most beginner Unity projects do not fail because the person is not talented. They fail because the project is too big to complete with beginner time and beginner skills.
Your goal for a first project
Not a masterpiece. Not your dream game. Your goal is a small finished game you can show someone.
Finishing teaches you more than starting. It also builds confidence fast.
The one-sentence filter
If you can explain your game in one sentence, you can usually build a first playable version quickly. If you cannot, the idea probably has too many moving parts.
Use this format:
“In a [place], the player [does a thing] to [reach a simple goal].”
Keep it literal. If you find yourself adding “and also” three times, scope is creeping in.
Good one-sentence examples
- “In a small arena, the player dodges obstacles to survive as long as possible.”
- “On a tiny platform, the player jumps between moving tiles to reach the exit.”
- “In one room, the player pushes crates onto switches to open a door.”
Common scope traps
- Open world (too much content and systems)
- Multiplayer (networking adds a whole second project)
- Inventory, crafting, quests, skill trees (systems stack fast)
- Custom characters and lots of animations (pipeline overhead)
These are great goals later. They are just a rough first project.
Turn your one sentence into tiny steps
Here’s a simple breakdown that works even if you only have a little time. The trick is to build the playable version first, then add one small improvement at a time.
- Make a blank room.
A floor and a camera. Keep it simple. - Add a player that moves.
No animations yet. Just movement you can control. - Add one obstacle.
Something that can end the run or push the player back. - Add a win or fail condition.
Timer, lives, or “reach the exit.” - Make it restartable.
A quick reset button or auto-restart on fail.
The rule that keeps you from stalling
If it is not playable yet, do not polish. Get it working first, then make it pretty.
Quick check before you start
Answer these in one line each:
- What does the player do most of the time?
- What causes failure?
- What counts as a win?
- What is one thing you can cut without hurting the core loop?
