Game Development for iOS with Unity3D

Introduction

The book «Game Development for iOS with Unity3D» by Jeff Murray, published in 2012, is a practical guide to creating mobile games for the iOS platform using the popular Unity3D engine. Despite more than a decade having passed since its release, many fundamental principles of working with Unity and optimization specifics for iOS remain relevant. The book is aimed at developers who already have basic programming skills and offers a step-by-step approach to creating a complete game project.

What the book is about

The book covers the full cycle of game development for iOS: from setting up the environment and designing gameplay to publishing on the App Store. The main focus is on practical aspects: working with physics, animation, touch screen input, resource management, and performance optimization. The author uses the C# language (the book incorrectly mentions Swift, but the examples are actually in C# — the standard for Unity) and thoroughly examines integration with native iOS features such as Game Center, iAd, and In-App Purchases.

Who this book is for

The book will be useful for:

• Beginner game developers familiar with the basics of C# and Unity;
• Mobile developers looking to transition into game development;
• Students and instructors of game development courses;
• Indie developers planning to release a game on the App Store.

What the reader will learn

After studying the book, the reader will be able to:

• Set up a Unity project for iOS taking into account platform specifics;
• Implement touch controls and multi-touch;
• Work with physics, collisions, and animations;
• Integrate Game Center (leaderboards, achievements);
• Add iAd advertising and in-app purchases;
• Optimize performance for mobile devices;
• Conduct testing and prepare a build for the App Store.

Strengths

The main advantage of the book is its practical focus. Each chapter contains ready-made code examples and screenshots, allowing you to immediately apply the knowledge. The author pays a lot of attention to typical mistakes and ways to avoid them. The optimization sections deserve special mention: they will help avoid lag even on older devices. The book is written in a lively language, and complex concepts are explained in an accessible way.

Who it is recommended for

We recommend the book to anyone who wants to quickly get up to speed and obtain a working «turnkey» project. Despite its age, it remains a good starting point for understanding the basics of iOS game development with Unity. For a full mastery of modern versions of Unity (2020+), additional literature will be required, but the foundation laid in this book will serve as a solid base.