🎮

Creating a 3D Adventure Game in Unity

Apr 16, 2025

3D Adventure Game Creation Tutorial using Unity and Adventure Creator

Overview

  • Tutorial on creating a 3D Adventure game using Unity 2021.3 and Adventure Creator 1.75.5.
  • Example game involves character "Timpot" rescuing another character tied up in an evil lair.

Setting Up Adventure Creator

  • Purchase Adventure Creator from Unity Asset Store.
  • Import into Unity:
    1. Go to Window > Package Manager
    2. Select Packages > My Assets
    3. Filter and import Adventure Creator (uncheck 2D demo folders).
  • Accept installation box for inputs and layers.

Importing Tutorial Assets

  • Download tutorial assets from Adventure Creator online resources.
  • Import the tutorial files into Unity:
    1. Go to Assets > Import Package > Custom Package.
    2. Locate and import tutorial files.
  • Open and set up the evil layer scene with lighting and props.

Creating Game Managers

  • Create managers for game settings using the new game wizard:
    1. Adventure Creator > Getting Started > New Game Wizard.
    2. Set game name, camera perspective (3D), player movement type (Direct), and GUI system (Unity UI).
  • Confirm choices and check project folder for created manager assets.
    • UI folder for interface prefabs.
    • Managers folder for manager asset files.

Setting Up the Scene

  • Save a new copy of the evil layer scene inside the game folder.
  • Convert to Adventure Creator scene using the Scene Manager.
  • Organize the scene and set up components for lights, sounds, and props.

Player Character Setup

  • Import player character model (El_Tin_Pot).
  • Use the Character Wizard to convert model to a character:
    1. Assign graphics to character model.
    2. Choose animation engine (Mecanim).
  • Add rigid body and colliders to character and environment objects to prevent clipping.
  • Set movement controls for character.

Character Animation

  • Create an Animator Controller for character animations (idle, walk, run).
  • Set up blend tree for animations based on movement speed.
  • Add talk animations and set them to trigger based on conditions.
  • Adjust player start position in the scene.

Camera Setup

  • Create main camera to follow character (similar to Cinemachine).
  • Configure camera settings for smooth tracking and transitions.
    • Set up constraints to avoid clipping through walls.

Adding Interactivity

  • Add interactive hotspots (e.g., chairs, laser buttons) that trigger actions when clicked.
  • Create action lists for different interactions, such as talking to characters or using items.
  • Use dialog options in character interactions for more dynamic gameplay.

Puzzle Mechanics

  • Integrate various puzzles requiring player interaction, like turning off the laser.
  • Use variables to track state changes (e.g., is the laser on?).
  • Allow background character dialogue based on game state.

Saving and Loading

  • Implement a save system to record player progress and object states.
  • Use Adventure Creator's built-in save components (Remember Transform, Remember Variables).
  • Test saving and loading to ensure the game state persists correctly.

Polish and UI Improvements

  • Add a cutscene at the beginning for introduction.
  • Fine-tune camera transitions and controls.
  • Update UI elements for consistency in font and layout (e.g., subtitles, hotspot menus).
  • Adjust interaction methods (e.g., mouse over, click to select).

Speech and Audio Handling

  • Add audio clips for character dialogue and background speech.
  • Use the Speech Manager to gather and organize all speech lines in the game.
  • Implement multilingual support for localization (translate text and audio).

Facial Animation and Lip Syncing

  • Use blend shapes for facial expressions and lip syncing in characters.
  • Implement tokens in speech text to trigger expressions in game.
  • Set up phoneme data for accurate lip syncing based on dialogue.

Conclusion

  • Recap of the tutorial emphasizing the integration of various features using Unity and Adventure Creator.
  • Encourage further exploration of Adventure Creator's resources and documentation.