GGJ2026 Unity Template Project

A ready to use Unity 6.3 template project designed to help you hit the ground running at Global Game Jam 2026. This template includes pre-configured packages, an organized folder structure, and helper scripts covering common game jam patterns discussed in the presentation.

Clone, Fork or download!

Links

• Download here: GGJ2026 Release
• Google Slides at: Cómo usar Unity para Game Jams: Herramientas, Assets y Features
• Contact me on: The Fifth Corner
• Repo url: GGJ2026UnityTemplateProject

Requirements

• Unity 6.3 (6000.3.x)

Quick Setup

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Rename the folder name to your game title
3. Open Unity Hub and click "Add" to add the project
4. Open the project with Unity 6.3
5. Unity will import all packages and assets automatically
6. Open Assets/_Game/Scenes/Gameplay.unity to start working

Included Packages

This template comes pre-configured with the following Unity packages:

Package	Description
Cinemachine	Advanced camera system for smooth follow cameras, cutscenes, and dynamic camera behaviors
Post-Processing (URP)	Visual effects like bloom, color grading, vignette, and more via the Universal Render Pipeline
TextMesh Pro	High-quality text rendering with advanced styling options
Input System	Modern input handling supporting keyboard, gamepad, touch, and custom bindings
Timeline	Sequencing tool for cutscenes, animations, and scripted events
2D Animation	Skeletal animation system for 2D sprites and rigging

Project Structure

Assets/
└── _Game/
    ├── Animations/          # Animation clips and controllers
    ├── Audio/
    │   ├── Music/           # Background music tracks
    │   └── SFX/             # Sound effects
    ├── Materials/           # Materials and shaders
    ├── Prefabs/
    │   ├── Characters/      # Player, enemies, NPCs
    │   ├── Effects/         # Particles, VFX
    │   ├── Environment/     # Level props, obstacles
    │   └── UI/              # UI elements and panels
    ├── Scenes/
    │   ├── MainMenu.unity   # Title/start screen
    │   ├── Gameplay.unity   # Main game scene
    │   └── GameOver.unity   # End screen
    ├── ScriptableObjects/
    │   ├── Events/          # Event channel assets
    │   └── Variables/       # Shared variable assets
    └── Scripts/
        ├── Audio/           # AudioManager
        ├── Events/          # Event system scripts
        ├── Pooling/         # Object pooling
        └── Utilities/       # General helpers

Helper Scripts

Object Pooling (SimplePoolManager)

Object pooling improves performance by reusing GameObjects instead of instantiating and destroying them repeatedly. Perfect for bullets, particles, enemies, and other frequently spawned objects.

Location: Assets/_Game/Scripts/Pooling/SimplePoolManager.cs

Setup:

1. Create an empty GameObject and add the SimplePoolManager component
2. Assign the prefab you want to pool
3. Configure the default capacity and max pool size

Usage:

// Reference the pool manager
[SerializeField] private SimplePoolManager bulletPool;

// Spawn from pool
GameObject bullet = bulletPool.SpawnFromPool(spawnPoint.position, spawnPoint.rotation);

// Return to pool when done
bulletPool.ReturnToPool(bullet);

ScriptableObject Event Channels

A decoupled event system using ScriptableObjects. This pattern allows different systems to communicate without direct references, making your code more modular and easier to maintain.

Location: Assets/_Game/Scripts/Events/

Available Event Types:

Type	Use Case
GameEvent	Simple notifications (no data)
IntGameEvent	Scores, counts, levels
FloatGameEvent	Health, time, percentages
BoolGameEvent	Toggle states, flags
StringGameEvent	Messages, notifications
Vector3GameEvent	Positions, directions
GameObjectEvent	Spawned objects, targets

Creating an Event:

1. Right-click in Project window
2. Navigate to Create > Events > [Event Type]
3. Name your event (e.g., "OnPlayerDied", "OnScoreChanged")

Raising an Event:

[SerializeField] private GameEvent onPlayerDied;
[SerializeField] private IntGameEvent onScoreChanged;

void Die()
{
    onPlayerDied.Raise();
}

void AddScore(int points)
{
    currentScore += points;
    onScoreChanged.Raise(currentScore);
}

Listening to an Event:

[SerializeField] private GameEvent onPlayerDied;
[SerializeField] private IntGameEvent onScoreChanged;

void OnEnable()
{
    onPlayerDied.RegisterListener(HandlePlayerDied);
    onScoreChanged.RegisterListener(UpdateScoreUI);
}

void OnDisable()
{
    onPlayerDied.UnregisterListener(HandlePlayerDied);
    onScoreChanged.UnregisterListener(UpdateScoreUI);
}

void HandlePlayerDied()
{
    // React to player death
}

void UpdateScoreUI(int newScore)
{
    scoreText.text = newScore.ToString();
}

Pre-configured Events: The template includes sample events in Assets/_Game/ScriptableObjects/Events/:

• Game/ - OnGameStarted, OnGamePaused, OnGameResumed, OnGameOver
• Player/ - OnPlayerDied, OnPlayerRespawned, OnPlayerHealthChanged
• Score/ - OnScoreChanged
• Combat/ - OnEnemyDiedAt

Audio Manager

A simple audio management system with volume controls and persistence.

Location: Assets/_Game/Scripts/Audio/AudioManager.cs

Features:

• Master, Music, and SFX volume channels
• Automatic volume persistence via PlayerPrefs
• Optional UI slider integration for settings menus

Setup:

1. Add the AudioManager component to a GameObject
2. Assign your AudioMixer (must have exposed parameters: MasterVolume, MusicVolume, SFXVolume)
3. Optionally connect UI sliders for a settings menu

Tips for Game Jams

• Use the event system to keep your code decoupled - you'll thank yourself when making last-minute changes
• Pool frequently spawned objects like bullets and particles from the start
• Keep your game in _Game/ to separate your work from Unity's default folders
• Use the pre-made scenes as starting points - MainMenu, Gameplay, and GameOver are ready to customize
• Enable debug logs on events and pools during development (disable for builds)

License

This template is provided free for use in Global Game Jam 2026 and any other game projects.

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Good luck and have fun jamming!