2D game perspectives reference
Explore the different camera perspectives available to 2D games.
Read time 1 minuteLast updated 13 days ago
Decide what game perspective or viewpoint you want your game to have. The following table describes the main types of 2D game perspective:
Game perspective | Description |
|---|---|
| Top-down | A 2D game that provides an overhead or bird’s-eye view of the action. |
| Side-on | A 2D game where the character moves left or right (or up and down) and the screen scrolls with them. The perspective is from the side. |
| Isometric and 2.5D (three-quarter view) | 2D games with isometric view simulate 3D geometry and a depth axis, but use an orthographic Camera instead of a perspective Camera. This gives the player a bird’s-eye view of the action. For information on orthographic and perspective Cameras, see Cameras. 2.5D (also known as three-quarter view) games are 2D games that use 3D geometry for the environment and characters, but restrict the gameplay to two dimensions. The 3D effect has a visual rather than functional purpose. |
Many sections of this guide are relevant for all game perspectives. For top-down and side-on perspectives, the Tilemap and 9-slicing tools are especially useful for designing your levels. For isometric, three-quarter view or 2.5D perspectives, the Isometric Tilemaps tool is especially useful.
Examples
A top-down 2D game demo made with Unity
A 2D side-on game demo made with Unity
An isometric 2D game demo made with Unity