Understanding Unity Scenes: How Games Use Them for Levels, Maps, and Worlds

Table of Contents:

What Are Unity Scenes?

What Are Unity Scenes Used For?

How Popular Games Use Unity Scenes

Best Practices for Using Unity Scenes

Conclusion:

In #Unity_engine, scenes are the backbone of your game, acting as containers for all the objects, assets, and logic you need to create different parts of your game. Depending on the type of game you’re building, you can use scenes for levels, maps, worlds, and even menus. But how should you organize them? Let’s dive into how different games use scenes and some best practices to help you structure your project efficiently.

What Are Unity Scenes Used For?

Unity scenes are like "chapters" in your game. Each scene contains a specific portion of your game, such as:

• Levels or Maps: Each stage of the game can be a separate scene (e.g., a puzzle level or platformer stage).

• Worlds: Open-world games may divide the game into multiple scenes representing regions or areas.

• UI and Menus: Separate scenes can handle menus, settings, and credits to keep gameplay scenes lightweight.

• Cinematics and Cutscenes: Story-driven moments or animations can be their own scenes, making them easier to manage and reuse.

How Popular Games Use Unity Scenes

Here’s how well-known games (and game styles) utilize Unity scenes:

1. Super Mario Bros. (Platformer)

• Scene Usage: Each level, like "World 1-1" or "World 1-2," is a separate scene. The game also has a menu and credits as separate scenes.

• Why It Works: This approach keeps things modular. Players progress level by level, and each level loads independently, reducing memory usage.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Open World)

• Scene Usage: The open world is divided into multiple regions, each as a scene. Unity's additive loading feature ensures that regions load dynamically as the player moves between them. Shrines and dungeons are separate scenes loaded on entry.

• Why It Works: Seamless exploration is achieved by splitting the world into manageable parts, optimizing memory usage and load times.

3. Flappy Bird (Endless Arcade)

• Scene Usage: One gameplay scene handles the endless loop. Separate scenes exist for the main menu, game over screen, and high scores.

• Why It Works: With such a simple game loop, one gameplay scene reduces complexity while menus are handled separately for clarity.

4. Skyrim (RPG/Open World)

• Scene Usage: Major regions like cities ("Whiterun," "Riften") and interiors (houses, dungeons) are separate scenes. When transitioning to these areas, Unity loads the relevant scene.

• Why It Works: Separating interiors and regions reduce load times and makes managing the game world easier.

5. Angry Birds (Physics Puzzle)

• Scene Usage: Each level is its own scene with unique obstacles and challenges. A menu scene allows players to select levels.

• Why It Works: Using separate scenes for levels makes it easier to test and tweak puzzles independently.

6. Among Us (Multiplayer Social)

• Scene Usage: Maps like "The Skeld" or "Polus" are separate scenes, loaded when players start a game. The lobby and menus are their own scenes.

• Why It Works: Modular scene design ensures smooth transitions between menus, lobbies, and gameplay while keeping assets organized.

7. Hollow Knight (Metroidvania)

• Scene Usage: The game world is divided into smaller chunks (e.g., "Greenpath," "City of Tears"), each as a scene. Unity loads and unloads scenes as the player moves between areas.

• Why It Works: Loading smaller areas dynamically optimizes performance while maintaining an immersive experience.

8. Grand Theft Auto V (Open World)

• Scene Usage: The open world is one massive scene. Interiors, mission-specific areas, and cutscenes are additional scenes loaded when needed.

• Why It Works: This keeps the open-world experience seamless, with smaller scenes handling specific tasks like missions or interiors.

Best Practices for Using Unity Scenes

To make the most of Unity scenes, follow these best practices:

1. Organize by Functionality

• Use one scene per major purpose (e.g., menu, gameplay, settings).

• Keep unrelated elements in separate scenes to reduce clutter and improve performance.

  
  

2. Use Additive Loading for Large Worlds

• Split large worlds into smaller scenes and load them additively using SceneManager.LoadSceneAsync with LoadSceneMode.Additive.

  
  

3. Avoid Overcrowding a Single Scene

• Don’t cram everything into one scene. This makes your game harder to manage and can lead to performance issues.

  
  

4. Implement Persistent Scenes

• Use a persistent scene for shared elements like the player character, audio manager, and UI. Add or unload other scenes as needed.

  
  

5. Optimize Scene Loading

• Use loading screens or fade effects to transition between scenes smoothly.

• Keep asset sizes small to minimize loading times.

  
  

6. Use Prefabs for Reusability

• For reusable assets (e.g., characters, props), use prefabs. This keeps scenes clean and allows for consistent updates.

  
  

7. Test Scenes Individually

• Test each scene independently to ensure they work as intended. This makes debugging easier.

  
  

8. Streamline Scene Naming

• Use a clear naming convention like:

  • Menu Main

  • Level_01_Forest

  • Level_02_Desert

Conclusion:

Unity scenes are versatile tools that can help you organize your game effectively, whether you’re creating a simple arcade game or a sprawling open-world adventure. By using scenes strategically and following best practices, you can optimize performance, improve maintainability, and deliver a smooth experience for players.

What kind of game are you developing? Let us know how you’re planning to use Unity scenes!