Create a beautiful, stylized nature environment in Unity, in 3 minutes

I want to quickly show you how a scene from my fox exploration game The First Tree came together. This is a quicker style tutorial, let me know in the comments if you like this speed!
For a longer in-depth look at creating environments in Unity, check out my atmospheric barn tutorial: • Recreate a gorgeous, a...
More articles and tips on the Game Dev Unlocked website: www.gamedevunl...
Follow me on Twitter: / davidwehle
Stylized Nature Pack for Unity: bit.ly/2JTWULa
Fox asset for Unity: bit.ly/3aVM0AG
(This description contains referral links)

[@vherus]

I was a software engineer for 10 years and quit the profession because it began making me miserable. Building business software is great for the bank and terrible for the self. I've spent 2 years trying to figure out what else to do with my life, trying to find a creative outlet, and then you pop up on my KZbin feed out of nowhere. Now I've started learning Unity, building out an RPG idea I've had for years but always ignored with "nice idea, hopefully somebody thinks of it." Thanks to you and my accidental 10 year technical course, I understand what I should do with my time and that it's entirely possible for me to bring this idea to life. Thank you for inspiring me to reconnect with the creative soul inside.

[@sandeepkumarsahoo3458]

Could you please tell me the steps to become a game developer? I am very much interested but thr is no one to guide me. I have around 5 yrs of development experience. I am a java developer. I have the same feeling like you. Wanted to do something different, please guide me. Thanks in advance

[@vherus]

sandeep kumar sahoo The same way you became a Java dev - learn how to do it and then do it. Watch some KZbin videos, start with the basics and just make a really crappy game. Then make a slightly less crappy game, and keep going until you make a game that isn’t crappy. Brackeys is a good KZbin channel to visit, he has a lot of high quality tutorials

[@joshyi589]

All the best,I did not understand your words however

[@sandeepkumarsahoo3458]

@@vherus thanks a lot.

[@joshfisidi]

So amazing, I can't wait to play your game!

[@dudefacemcgee1585]

This game is in my top 20 of all time. I loved every minute of it.

[@swiftcreations]

1EightySeven I’ve only played 20 games...

[@astrojigs]

@@swiftcreations there is more to life than games😊

[@swiftcreations]

@@astrojigs Exactly, I spend lots of my time making terrariums and gardening.

[@caketin4216]

astro jigs yeh I bmx aswell

[@sean7332]

@@swiftcreations get back to ya weeds

[@GayanWeerakutti]

Wow this guy is a genius on making use of stock assets.

[@Linuxfy]

@@roba9189 lol

[@dldldlokdeokdoe7505]

I agree ... the assets master. The true and only game developer

[@DravicPL]

lmao nah, this dude has nothing on the guy who made Bright Memory (FYQD-Studio). Bright Memory utilizes stolen (or borrowed, or purchased) work from like 500 different people lmao.

[@dldldlokdeokdoe7505]

Honestly, if his games works, it's because he deserve it. Now, as a true indi dev, making everything bymyself, I'm forced to admit there is an injustice because the things that he used to becoming rich, I've made it and I don't even have 1% of this kind of money...

[@VikramKumar-di6dj]

and I was thought I was the only one who mosty use free assets

[@3MKaTV]

You sir have inspired me to get into game development and i just finished downloading Unity, thank you for the inspiration!

[@SahilSingh-dq9ig]

It's been 2months, How's your Job?🤣

[@osmanarslan6270]

How is it going

[@dandontchev7679]

How’s it going

[@ccz7408]

How is it going bro?

[@derangeddoffy]

How's it going?

[@frederickstade6630]

Beautiful work, but am I the only one being uncomfortable with those sunbeams going from left to right when the sun is at the center?

[@MichaelJONeill333]

I was thinking the same! I was like, what are there 2 suns in his game world?! Lol

[@Buddlebot]

Art

[@KerimovKa]

I think it's because of the leafs shaking in the wind.

[@kristophermeeke132]

Tru

[@saadtachrimant9704]

Yes i noticed this too, otherwise it's a great work.

[@lofigirl5835]

Your content somehow strikes that perfect balance between being both inspirational in a way that captures the imagination but also grounded in genuinely helpful advice. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge

[@Thatonedumbglitxh]

i'm in progress of making a game and getting a small team of friends to help, I really appreciate all of your videos. As a first time developer, they truly inspire and help with the struggles of making a game.

[@SnutiHQ]

It's fascinating how cinematic your approach to level design it. Can totally see your background experience shining through and influencing the way you work, so cool! 👍

[@flaviocampos3581]

This is not level design. But it is beautiful I agree.

[@SnutiHQ]

@@flaviocampos3581 Ops, keep mixing the words up. 😅 Environment design 👍

[@gappyspins]

One Bite at a time I will remember this for my life ❤️

[@frantisekprchal8933]

As a graphic designer - this feel so intuitive! I just want to jump straight away into game development! :D

[@stylie473joker5]

I'm a graphic designer too and jumping into unity was the best thing ever for me still haven't shipped my first game though

[@AlecAndersonZx]

Your content is very high quality and I'm sure it will be a huge help to people who are struggling to get started. I'm really looking forward to seeing this channel grow.

[@derdugati7126]

There are a few things i like: Your videos are short but on point. No waste of time but great value. Your tips and advices are stripped down to the core, easy to learn, good to remember, to recreate and to built up on. You don´t advertising your website or to subscribe in every 3 minutes of a video, which made me subscribing instantly ;) Thank you for making this! I am excited where this journey will take us :D

[@noobforsoup]

I use your game is a inspiration to making my own, it's so beautiful. It's awesome to learn you used packs from the Asset Store as well, as models are one of my biggest struggles.

[@bozidarvojinovic1420]

I also want to make game similiar to his! I mean, I was really burnt out after my last game.. Then I found his channel and I got motivation back! I wanted to contact you, to see did you finish your game, do you have discord or something else?

[@AlexisBar06]

Me too! This summer I'm going to start developing my new game and this guy has inspired me a lot! My game is a bit like Mario Odyssey but with very good graphics

[@Drake00000010]

@@AlexisBar06 did u do it

[@AlexisBar06]

@@Drake00000010 I just finish the first level 😌

[@linkzyzaya6105]

Anyone here wanna work together on a game?

[@iceswallow9840]

i wish my laptop doesnt crash when i put more than 10 trees

[@SkoolConnor]

get a better laptop.

[@tunghoang2786]

Ammolife crimson well there’s a dude who stole 2 nike air mag lol

[@lemonboy9yearsago760]

I saw like someone make their laptop a system by drilling a whole directly to the processor and attached a fan to it

[@duongnguyenquy8594]

on my laptop, its 11

[@alxdrksoul]

Which specs would you recommend going for in a laptop to start using unity or at least being able to make something like this? mine has a 12GB ram but I guess ram is not everything since it starts heating up whenever I play 3D games like these and some games tend to run a bit slower sometimes. I'm starting to consider selling my laptop and go for a desktop pc.

[@idlenoodle2385]

Hey! I'm working on a small game and was still reluctant to get any assets online but like you said it takes a significant amount of time to make your own. I'm currently downloading some free assets to speed up the game 😂 you convinced me

[@prolificgames1112]

Dude, Assets make your work easy really easy and saves the time

[@Emelenyt]

I'm so happy I recently found your channel. You have proved to me that I CAN live my dream without needing to code

[@MatrixEscape54]

Learn to code

[@Emelenyt]

@@MatrixEscape54 I know basics, and I was struggling a bit. I did decide to try it again and started on code agaim a couple days ago

[@tomsted2902]

@@Emelenyt I struggled for 4 months and always stopped because it was getting too hard etc. But now i finally got over it and actually learned how to code at a decent level. Keep going and dont stop!

[@Emelenyt]

@@tomsted2902 thanks for the encouragement! I've since discovered that I learn better and remember more by following written guides as opposed to KZbin videos. That has been motivating as well

[@tomsted2902]

@@Emelenyt That sounds great. Make sure to join unity's discord channel. There are a lot developers there that can help you with errors and etc.

[@JoshCRE8S]

when you finished building the environment, i paused the video and just sat staring at it for 10 minutes in awe

[@torsumify]

Hi there! I've been a big fan of your journey. I also wanted to make video games since my early childhood and your story has reignited my passion. I don't know a single line of code but this truly helps. It would be awesome if you could make a course on the unity engine and playmaker. I would be the first to buy it believe me. I just wish I could take the first step but I'm struggling to do it cause I have a family and a lot of responsibilities. I would really appreciate your advice and waiting for a complete course on making a minimalist game. Thanks man! You da best!

[@itswez7271]

Like this!!

[@MrDiglenson]

Good luck on your journey. Hope your dreams come true :)

[@miketaylor8477]

Try with brackeys 3d game tutorial, it really helped me

[@yooyeonsoomin]

Learn first in Unity website, start with their "Create with Code".

[@MrDiglenson]

@@yooyeonsoomin Yes! That's a very good starting point.

[@BazamO]

I love how much the unity engine can help indie dev's.

[@eternalifecreations25]

"It was just something that worked by accident; like a lot of creative work." Ain't that the truth...

[@LEGOpachinko]

Empty lines in comments are quite annoying for people who read a lot of comments. Maybe i can see the point with a joke and punchline but in this case they were quite useless.

[@rameezsafdar6563]

Its so beautiful and also i think it takes courage to show behind the scenes, which makes me respect you so much. I did play the game and loved it too. I pray you get more success and prosperity. Amen, love from Pakistan

[@AFriskyGamer]

This is the PERFECT example of why I subscribed to this channel. It's a short and sweet video, that offers an INSANE amount of depth to creators. The advice is applicable, motivating, and realistic. Thank you for sharing your process with us. It means a lot to me.

[@DavidWehleGames]

That makes me very happy, glad you liked it!

[@Mr.Reddito]

Love your content!

[@pigsinspace9927]

This man with the real cheat sheet to making amazing video games

[@BernoTheSage]

This is really amazing. I'm currently working on a simple hyper casual game and your assets helped me alot! I hope to make something as amazing as the first tree someday.

[@maddawgzzzz]

same im a software dev of 8 years and using assets to create my game aswell. I do program though and it helps alot, and I can add a lot more than he did with his engine add on thats a game maker... Its about a cat. A stray cat. Its beautiful and will be on switch soon. Im about 600 hours in.

[@BernoTheSage]

@@maddawgzzzz that's great! Best wishes to you. What's the name of your game if you don't mind me asking?

[@tomsted2902]

How is it going? Just a reminder to keep going forward and never giving up :)

[@ThisIsMMI]

Him: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Me: Wait!! What???

[@pandanina]

I was soo shocked lmaoo xDD 😩😩😩

[@bill-cipher000]

I-

[@elijahsmall5873]

Lol

[@jimkincaidz]

Really cool seeing this come together 🙂

[@blackheartgaming6121]

I remember first playing this beautiful game I love this level

[@mikecicciari845]

that baja blast skybox changes everything

[@warsin8641]

ok this look so beautiful

[@E.y.e.C.a.n.d.y.]

You should be a motivational speaker.... Definitely inspired me to get back on unity 👍

[@HistoiredeGeek]

Short, very well timed, right to the point and oh God the result is excellent with so minimal efforts, I think you're getting closer from a perfect format for your videos ! Great job, it's always a pleasure to see you posting a new video

[@DavidWehleGames]

Thanks for your feedback!

[@HistoiredeGeek]

@@DavidWehleGames Np ! Do you plan on making a public discord for the yt channel ?

[@thebloocat]

@@HistoiredeGeek oh wow, I'd be interested

[@w1-w2-w3]

I'm so motivated by looking your work. Thanks.

[@McVincient]

Best & EASIEST. Thanks

[@Daniel2k20]

i love your work man. keep up the great work. it inspires me

[@karthiknaidu4240]

Im so inspired by your work and the art style of this game.. Im definitely gonna make my own game inspired by your game I will try to add my own touch and make some changes that i have in my mind

[@jurgenvantomme]

Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@atruedamefan118]

Thanks to you I am going to try making little things like scenes on unity

[@danieldickson4656]

Currently writing an app(yes, the next big thing) and your advice seems to keep being applicable. Was planning on creating my own icons but I will just go ahead and use the provided ones for now

[@therunawaykid6523]

Woww that looks beautiful

[@livious9914]

the elephant metaphor has changed my life... Now I can finally look up recipes in the cookbook in peace ps: pls take it as a joke! THANK YOU!😁

[@elijahsmall5873]

This is just gorgeous. I hope I can make games like this someday. 😊

[@julcrm]

This is pure gold

[@user-zq3sy1np6x]

Hi, I really love how you're using the assets. I think that a lot of people are thinking that if you did not model everything yourself, than it's not like you're a real game developer. I think it's a dangerous way of thinking, bc if you're thinking this way, you're very unlikely to finish any game.

[@lolindirlink]

Not true, it just takes way more time XD (which to be honest, is a reason for not finishing a game for many)

[@user-zq3sy1np6x]

@@lolindirlink Yep, I agree aha! But I really like David's philosophy that is "just get it done, and use all the resources you can to do it" aha :D

[@lolindirlink]

@@user-zq3sy1np6x haha yeah definitely. I just have a hard time feeling I'd never "own" anything with these asset flips. I feel similarly with playing games on KZbin, Adding commentary doesn't change the fact that the game is not mine :') and a copyright or demonetize strike will never be in my favour in these cases. So I feel like it's important to DIY as much as possible. Whatever you create is truly 100% yours. Edit: it's not simply a legal issue ofcourse, it's like making a painting but you didn't draw anything, you just cut images from a magazine. It will always feel wrong to me personally, but it can still be a great piece of art afterwards :) "Just get it done" is right, but it has been misused for the sole purpose of making money countless times before. So I think people really need to think about it before starting a big project.

[@sorinanghel6119]

Great video, and great tips!

[@prithwinp7719]

The qualityyy!!

[@sziklamester1244]

I have no developer experience but I do have ideas and I need also some kickstart with ideas what to start and how could get more experience with small time. My only experience for game making is modding but not the deep part, relatively simpl steps, changing stats and maybe in some game simple graphics. I however want to make a complete game, from scratch. Good luck to all who want to be a game dev and with a time investment you can reach something meaningful. The video is inspirational and maybe someday I could make my own games aswell or cooping with others to make something nice.

[@rahulbarman5314]

You are highly professional!

[@deli5777]

Lens flares are great

[@im_silenthysteria]

I found this video is more informative than my course

[@lingxiaowang6907]

sometimes it doesnt matter how vivid the scene is, it matters how handy a scene comes

[@taoxie4135]

Cool work! I love it !!:D

[@hiccupssorry4739]

I can't thank you enough. This really helped me.

[@Elminebloxx]

this is very inspiring

[@Minnvin]

You are being a big inspiration for me to make my game in unreal dont know what am doing but am learning has i go with the unreal blueprints

[@tnkspecjvive]

Really nice. Thank you!

[@venkamsi4339]

David I used to believe I was just a wanna be until I watched your video u just broke down what I've been trying to achieve for some months now thanks.

[@darkieplayzz5949]

Damn, You're so inspiring. Keep up the good work.

[@morrgash]

Great video thank you!

[@justboy5182]

I remembered that image from the forest at 0:16. Oh yeah, it is the picture I got from Ikea 8 years ago.

[@davegamedevelopment]

Great video :D

[@onefoxstudio]

The most famous asset store flip

[@hm8909]

That last bit about eating the elephant chocked me. I had never even given it a thought before. #horrified

[@FollowPhotiniByDesign]

Still as inspirational as the first time I saw it...

[@SiXtyBlockchainDev]

Amazing

[@ViorelMocanu]

I'm absolutely fascinated and terrified by the variety of things you need to master to get this right. I'd love to build my own game sometime. I already have a storyline and a robust idea over the gameplay, but it seems too big of a challenge for me right now. What pushed you into creating your first game? What mood were you in? What steps did you take? What lessons did you learn?

[@DavidWehleGames]

It can be a huge challenge, that's why you have to start off small and just get started even if you don't know what you're doing. You learn the most by just experimenting anyway. Walt Disney once said "“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

[@ViorelMocanu]

@@DavidWehleGames I completed a single Unity 2D game development tutorial so far, and it's super exciting because I found it straightforward and easy to follow. I know a bit of programming and a bit of design so it wasn't hard to understand and it took a relatively small time, but it was an uber simple side scrolling game. The only thing that gives me hope that I'll ever be able to complete the game I have in my mind is the fact that there are loads of presets that would simplify my asset generation time exponentially... so yeah, I guess all it takes to see if this idea has a future is to actually get started, right? :)

[@nataliapalweski2072]

Thanks for motivating

[@CC-zx3zo]

This is inspiring .

[@gamesworldaz7924]

loved it

[@المنيفي-تعز]

Gooooooood

[@oldcrowboy]

It's Amazing.

[@its_smoggy3502]

So "The First Tree" was that made with Assets you purchased not made? Just want to know if that's what you meant, can't wait to pick the game up on payday looks beautiful

[@thatguy1729]

Yes that's what he means.

[@its_smoggy3502]

@@thatguy1729 Thankyou, just started my course on Unity and in a few years when i feel confident to make a game it's nice to know I can still make beautiful games with purchased assets to help me along the way (prefer programming to 3d modelling)

[@greg214tx2]

In another video he said he mainly used public assets that he tweaked to put his own unique spin on them. Saved him a lot of time during development.

[@its_smoggy3502]

@@greg214tx2 that makes me so much more relaxed about making my own game

[@I_love_dr_stone]

@Free Speech if by scammed you mean bought them legally?????

[@nagalakshmi5903]

Him: "How do you eat an elephant?" Me: "YOU DON'T!!"

[@optikazzam]

thank you su much

[@alejandroperez4664]

It Iooks absoIuteIy cooI!

[@Gregasaurus]

done. I'm there.

[@zoroakasongoku962]

Thx bro

[@unitedsparks719]

All ingenious things are simple, you just need discipline and you can achieve everything not only in gamedev, everywhere! Just create a plan and follow it step by step and don't listen to somebody who tells you "its not serious", every big idea was just a hobby at the beginning.

[@pigsinspace9927]

I love the fantasy skybox, use it on everything😂

[@rudrakshr.n388]

how did you make animations and controls

[@dalima7342]

appreciate

[@dragonsdream4236]

I've always had a phobia towards the asset store because of a widely held opinion that using it in any form at all would make my game an "asset flip" I can see now that it can be very beneficial, especially to solo devs like me, but somehow, I still cannot shake this feeling that I'm not making something original if I use stuff from the asset store. What do I do?

[@daskymusic]

I honestly have the same problem as you, thank you for pointing it out.

[@DimaProsto]

Very cool! Can u show ur render settings as well ?

[@zenister3765]

Does anyone knows what's the name of the background music, it's so calming

[@virtuaknert]

Also curious about this!

[@rogerregor2489]

Curious to know too 🎶

[@atarimaida]

Hey are you using some kind of toon shader for the fox?

[@RX-570]

Nice!!!!=D You bought a 3d model Fox with rig and a lot of animations??

[@philosophyfrog2653]

I don't think anyone has ever asked themselves "how do you eat an elephant". How steep in the learning curve for unity? How long did it take for you to learn the software?

[@rvgr420]

Weird if I'm asking this but um, would it be possible to play what you made here? It's beautiful!

[@manobendro]

What is the Rendering Pipeline and post processing and lighting??? Please create a video..

[@talhatanveer5019]

Any advice from you? I just entered the game development field and am going to learn Unity.

[@HopemanStudio]

Which software is this

[@rehan4783]

Please make more tutorials I know python and I want to work with it anything I can consider

[@anuprabhaa9190]

Its really awesome 😊, but I want know which software do u use in this

[@naumov-channel]

Очень круто!

[@Meow45146]

dang I need to make abilities and need to use blueprints

how do i get the terrain default as white? Mine is checkerboarded.

[@noaaa8335]

so it's all 100% fine to use assets from the Unity Asset Store in a game that you fully publish and put on consoles/pc etc.?

[@The_one_that_got_away]

um yeah..thts what the asset store is for...

[@noaaa8335]

@@The_one_that_got_away epicas

[@The_one_that_got_away]

@@noaaa8335 ccolios

[@sora-0ls]

I mean i remember creating my first forest scene. It looked good but performance was really bad 😖 then i realized that the real deal was increasing your fps with out losing quality

[@greg214tx2]

How did you manage to do that?

[@sora-0ls]

@@greg214tx2 i learned to combine meshes, materias, textures but the one that for me is the best performance bost is LOD.

[@greg214tx2]

@@sora-0ls Awesome. Thanks. I always wondered about how people did that. This will give me some areas to look in to.

[@MohammadFaizanKhanJ]

It really helpful! How easily you make it possible . Thanks

[@coffee2611]

Thanks I am making a game inspired by the first tree and home is where on starts