Lighting & shadows
Lighting decides how a scene feels, and it spans real-time lights, baked lightmaps, light probes, reflection probes and shadows. These guides explain how each one works, how to tune quality against cost, and how to get a specific mood. Useful when your scene looks flat or when your frame time is going into shadows. 84 hand-picked Unity guides, tutorials, videos and repos, kept current.
- Custom SRP 7.3: Raster Shadow Passes
Custom SRP tutorial converting shadow passes to raster render passes.
catlikecoding.com · Oct 2026 - Custom SRP 7.2: Separate Shadow Passes
Custom SRP tutorial introducing separate shadow passes.
catlikecoding.com · Sep 2026 - Custom SRP 7.1: Splitting Shadow Code
Custom SRP tutorial splitting directional and other shadow code.
catlikecoding.com · Aug 2026 - How Mega Cat Studios Used Unity to Reimagine Backyard Baseball in 3D ❘ Unity Blog
Readable 3D level design, decals, lighting and VFX when remaking a baseball game in 3D.
unity.com · Jul 2026 - Unity Shader Code Basics 07 - Physically Based Rendering
Describes surfaces by albedo, metallic, smoothness and height to build a physically based shader in HLSL for Unity.
danielilett.com · Apr 2026 - Unity Shader Code Basics 06 - Lighting & Shadows
Loops over lights for diffuse, specular, Fresnel and ambient lighting and handles shadows in Unity shader code.
danielilett.com · Apr 2026 - @freya.bsky.social: analytic 2D lighting with complex numbers and conformal maps
Shader lighting via piecewise conformal maps of angular exposure yields fully analytic penumbras.
bsky.app · Mar 2026 - How to make a 2D game: art, animation, and lighting for artists (Unity 6.3 LTS edition)
Unity 6.3 LTS guide to 2D: project setup, sprite workflows, tilemaps, animation and lighting.
unity.com · Feb 2026 - Unity Shader Code Basics 04 - The Depth Buffer
Reads the depth buffer in hand-written Unity shaders to build depth-based effects.
danielilett.com · Jan 2026 - Red Mage job stone shader walkthrough
Getting a cut gemstone to sparkle through bevelled geometry choices and specular shader setup.
bobacupcake.com · Nov 2025 - Graphics and rendering tips from Survival Kids
Stylized paint-style shadows, Adaptive Probe Volumes and ambient occlusion tips from Survival Kids' graphics work.
unity.com · Aug 2025 - How to create atmospheric environments on a budget
Building cinematic atmospheric environments with HDRP and volumetric lighting while keeping performance budget low.
unity.com · Aug 2025 - Lighting & Environment HRDP Updates in Unity 6
HDRP improvements in Unity 6 for physically accurate lighting, high-fidelity materials and cinematic effects.
unity.com · Aug 2025 - High-End Lighting & Environments with HDRP in Unity 6
HDRP in Unity 6: physically accurate lighting, environments and effects, with performance guidance.
unity.com · Aug 2025 - Cool things to do with Light Cookies
Shows creative uses of light cookies such as moving cloud shadows.
youtu.be · Apr 2025 - Sims 4: Mirrors
Analysis of how mirrors are rendered in The Sims 4.
simonschreibt.de · Mar 2025 - Infinity Nikki: Mysterious Shadow Drop
Looks at the shadow drop effect in Infinity Nikki.
simonschreibt.de · Mar 2025 - Anno 1800: Shadows of Beauty
Explores unusual shadow details noticed in Anno 1800.
simonschreibt.de · Feb 2025 - Rendering Tiny Glades With Entirely Too Much Ray Marching
Pounce Light talk on Tiny Glade rendering: raymarched GI, tilt-shift DoF and stable shadows on old GPUs.
youtube.com · Dec 2024 - @halisavakis.com: sampling Adaptive Probe Volumes inside volumetric fog
URP fog sampling baked APV data, so emissive objects baked into probes light the fog.
bsky.app · Oct 2024 - Introduction to URP for advanced creators (Unity 6 edition)
Free Unity 6 guide to URP covering render graph, GPU Resident Drawer, decals and Full Screen Shader Graph.
unity.com · Oct 2024 - Unity 6's New Global Illumination Lighting Features
Unity 6 global illumination options, including Adaptive Probe Volumes, for better-looking and cheaper lighting.
unity.com · Jul 2024 - Unity Shader Graph Basics (Part 10 - Custom Functions)
Injects custom HLSL functions into Shader Graph, including access to additional point light data.
danielilett.com · Jul 2024 - Unity Shader Graph Basics (Part 8 - Scene Intersections 1)
Uses the depth buffer to detect where objects intersect other scene geometry in Shader Graph.
danielilett.com · May 2024 - Unity Shader Graph Basics (Part 7 - Custom Lighting)
Adds custom Fresnel rim light and cel-shaded lighting into Shader Graph.
danielilett.com · May 2024 - Find a treasure trove of lighting and visual effects in our new match-3 sample Gem Hunter Match
Match-3 sample showing how URP lighting and visual effects make a 2D puzzle game stand out.
unity.com · Apr 2024 - Light rays: stretched billboard quads with masking (shadow, cookie, depth fade)
Post showing light rays made from stretched billboard quads masked by shadow, cookie and depth fade.
mastodon.gamedev.place · Apr 2024 - Unity Shader Graph Basics (Part 6 - Lighting Basics)
Introduces physically based rendering concepts such as albedo, metallic and smoothness in Shader Graph.
danielilett.com · Mar 2024 - Ultraviolet Lights & Invisible Ink
Cyanilux examples of revealing invisible objects such as hidden decals with ultraviolet lights.
cyanilux.com · ~Jan 2024 - Unity Shader Graph Basics (Part 4 - The Depth Buffer)
Reads the depth buffer in Shader Graph to build depth-based effects.
danielilett.com · Dec 2023 - Unity - Manual: Configure a 2D light
Unity manual page on configuring 2D lights in URP.
docs.unity3d.com · ~Oct 2023 - Animated Light Patreon post
Patreon post on an animated light effect in Unity.
patreon.com · ~Aug 2023 - URP Light Color
Patreon post on URP light color handling.
patreon.com · ~Aug 2023 - GTA V – Underestimated Glow
Explains how the nighttime glow on GTA V traffic lights works.
simonschreibt.de · Jun 2023 - Forward+ (Plus) Rendering in Unity URP 14+ - Shine Your Lights!
Explains Forward+ rendering in URP 14+ and how it allows many real-time lights.
thegamedev.guru · Apr 2023 - Recreating Wind Waker Style Lights in Unity
Recreates Wind Waker style lights in Unity using stencil techniques.
youtu.be · Mar 2023 - Creating a Realistic Scene in Unity! (Full Breakdown)
Full breakdown of creating a realistic scene with lighting in Unity.
youtube.com · Feb 2023 - How do I make a shader that will work with Unity 2D Lights? - Questions & Answers - Unity Discussions
Forum answer on adapting a sprite shader to work with Unity 2D lights.
discussions.unity.com · Jan 2023 - Rendering realtime caustics
Tutorial with code on rendering realtime caustics in Unity using shaders.
alexanderameye.github.io · ~Mar 2022 - Showing multiple matcap techniques, including a proposed improved method that's no more expensive than the usual fix if you're starting with the world position and world normal.
Gist: Compares several matcap techniques including an improved method.
gist.github.com · Jan 2022 - The Secret Behind Valve’s Flickering Lights
Explains how Valve's classic flickering light effect works and how to reuse it.
alanzucconi.com · Jun 2021 - Unity Fake Volumetric Light
Forum post on a fake volumetric light shader that fades vertex color by view normal.
realtimevfx.com · ~May 2021 - Normal Maps, Tangent Space & IBL • Shaders for Game Devs [Part 3]
Shaders for game devs part 3 on normal maps, tangent space and image-based lighting.
youtube.com · Feb 2021 - The Bright Side of Ray-Traced Global Illumination in Unity
Article on ray-traced global illumination in Unity.
thegamedev.guru · Nov 2020 - Tails of Iron: How Odd Bug used 2D lights to create mood | Unite Now 2020
How Odd Bug used 2D lights for mood in Tails of Iron.
youtube.com · ~Nov 2020 - Art Design Deep Dive: Dynamic 2D Lighting
Deep dive on art design for dynamic 2D lighting.
gamasutra.com · Sep 2020 - Custom Shadow Mapping in Unity
Implements custom shadow mapping in Unity with a hand-written approach.
medium.com · ~Mar 2020 - Orthographic Depth
Explains orthographic depth handling in shaders.
cyangamedev.wordpress.com · Mar 2020 - Unity Toy Path Tracer
Devlog on a toy path tracer built in Unity.
theinstructionlimit.com · Feb 2020 - Journey Sand Shader: Specular Reflection
Part four of a series recreating Journey's sand specular reflections.
alanzucconi.com · Oct 2019 - Journey Sand Shader: Diffuse Colour
Part two of a series on the lighting model and diffuse color of Journey's sand.
alanzucconi.com · Oct 2019 - https://www.ronja-tutorials.com/post/044-spheretracing-shading/
Ronja tutorial on shading and lighting for sphere-traced signed distance fields.
ronja-tutorials.com · Aug 2019 - Specular Lighting - A Visual Explanation
Visual explanation of specular lighting.
youtube.com · Aug 2019 - Simple GPU Occlusion for Lens Flares
Describes a simple GPU-based occlusion method for lens flares in Summer Catchers.
dotsquid.com · Jun 2019 - Shader Fundamentals - Image Based Lighting
Shader fundamentals on image based lighting.
youtube.com · ~Jun 2019 - Shader Showcase Saturday #8: Subsurface Scattering - Alan Zucconi
Shader Showcase Saturday on simulating subsurface scattering for marble and wax.
alanzucconi.com · Sep 2018 - Fresnel
Builds a fresnel effect to darken, lighten or color object edges.
ronja-tutorials.com · May 2018 - Shader bits: Camera depth textures – Harry Alisavakis
Shader snippets for sampling the camera depth texture.
halisavakis.com · ~Jan 2018 - Car Paint Shader: Thin-Film Interference
Step-by-step car paint shader simulating iridescent thin-film interference.
alanzucconi.com · Oct 2017 - Fast Subsurface Scattering in Unity (Part 1) - Alan Zucconi
Part one of implementing a fast subsurface scattering technique in Unity.
alanzucconi.com · Aug 2017 - Fast Subsurface Scattering in Unity (Part 2)
Implements fast subsurface scattering in Unity, part two, for more realistic materials.
alanzucconi.com · Aug 2017 - CD-ROM Shader: Diffraction Grating – Part 2
Part two of a CD-ROM diffraction grating shader recreating rainbow reflections.
alanzucconi.com · Jul 2017 - CD-ROM Shader: Diffraction Grating – Part 1
Part one of a shader recreating rainbow diffraction reflections seen on CD-ROMs.
alanzucconi.com · Jul 2017 - Understanding Diffraction Grating
Explains how iridescence works via diffraction gratings for reproducing it in shaders.
alanzucconi.com · Jul 2017 - Volumetric Rendering: Ambient Occlusion - Alan Zucconi
Adds ambient occlusion to a raymarched volumetric shader.
alanzucconi.com · Jul 2016 - Volumetric Rendering: Surface Shading
Adds realistic surface shading and lighting to raymarched volumetric rendering.
alanzucconi.com · Jul 2016 - Volumetric Rendering: Hard & Soft Shadows
Hard and soft shadows for volumetric rendering (members-only post).
alanzucconi.com · Jul 2016 - Physically Based Rendering and lighting models in Unity3D
Tutorial on physically based rendering and lighting models in Unity shaders.
alanzucconi.com · Jun 2015 - Tomb Raider – Laras Hot Secrets
Looks at Tomb Raider visuals and character secrets.
simonschreibt.de · Jan 2014 - Dynamic 2D Character Lighting
Covers dynamic 2D character lighting to improve visual quality.
p1xelcoder.com · Dec 2013 - Company of Heroes – Shaded Smoke
Explains how Company of Heroes shades smoke so it looks different depending on view angle.
simonschreibt.de · Aug 2013 - Bioshock – Glossiness
Analyzes how Bioshock achieves its wet, glossy look on surfaces and materials.
simonschreibt.de · Apr 2013 - Dead Space 3 – Diffuse Reflections
Explains Dead Space 3's reflections that fade out with distance from the reflecting surface.
simonschreibt.de · Mar 2013 - 1943 – Retro Shadows
Shows a retro blob-shadow style technique from an arcade machine game, noted as not for modern use.
simonschreibt.de · Mar 2013 - Assassins Creed 3 – Bouncing Light
Explains how Assassin's Creed 3 fakes bounced light using colored ambient and fill lights.
simonschreibt.de · Feb 2013 - Shader Fundamentals - Normal Mapping
Shader fundamentals on normal mapping.
youtube.com - How to use 2D lights to set mood | 2D game design | Unity
Case study on using 2D lights to set mood in the game Tails of Iron.
unity.com - Fast Subsurface Scattering for the Unity URP — John Austin
Fast subsurface scattering for URP, aimed at Oculus Quest.
johnaustin.io - Enhance a top-down game with URP 2D lights | Unity at GDC 2023
GDC video on enhancing a top-down game with URP 2D lights.
youtube.com - Directional Shadows
Adds shadows for directional lights to a custom scriptable render pipeline.
catlikecoding.com - Directional Lights
Catlike Coding tutorial on supporting multiple directional lights in a custom scriptable render pipeline.
catlikecoding.com - Causticas para tu JUEGO! | Parte 02
Spanish video on making caustics effects for your game, part two.
youtube.com - Art Design Deep Dive: Dynamic 2D lighting in Dwerve
Explains adding dynamic 2D lighting to the 2D Unity game Dwerve.
gamedeveloper.com - 2D Light and Shadow Techniques in URP | Unity
Explains how lights and shadows were built in URP for the Happy Harvest 2D demo.
unity.com