Particles & VFX Graph
Particles drive fire, smoke, sparks, magic and impacts. This section covers the built-in Particle System and the GPU-based VFX Graph, how to author effects, control them from code and keep overdraw low. A good first stop for anyone making effects. 57 hand-picked Unity guides, tutorials, videos and repos, kept current.
- A Fire Tornado with Ring Particles in Unity
Breakdown of a fire tornado made from stacked rising ring particles in Unity's particle system.
jettelly.com · Oct 2026 - Spooky particles: vertex color animated mesh particles (tutorial)
Tutorial post with files for animating mesh particles using vertex colors, updated with axis fixes.
minionsart.github.io · Oct 2026 - A stylized Eldritch Blast VFX in Unity
Breakdown of a stylized magic blast whose inner eyes are fully procedural.
jettelly.com · Oct 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 - A dissolve effect in Unity using HLSL and VFX Graph
Dissolve shader paired with VFX Graph so particles spawn only around the dissolving region.
jettelly.com · Jul 2026 - Unity map scanner VFX breakdown (ArtStation)
Vladyslav Horobets' breakdown of a map scanner effect in Unity.
artstation.com · Jul 2026 - Blood magic VFX: Houdini fluid sim baked to VAT (ArtStation)
Fluid simulation from Houdini baked into vertex animation textures to run in real time.
artstation.com · Jul 2026 - Laser beam VFX breakdown in Unity (ArtStation)
Laser beam effect in Unity with free Substance Designer textures to download.
artstation.com · Jul 2026 - Zeri W ability recreated in Unity with Shuriken particles (ArtStation)
Fan-art breakdown of a League of Legends ability built with Shuriken particles.
artstation.com · Jul 2026 - Making fire feel alive: Real-time fluid simulation in Ignitement
Real-time 2D fluid simulation used to create dynamic, gameplay-driven fire effects.
unity.com · Apr 2026 - Patreon: Laser Beam for URP
Patreon post on a laser beam effect for URP.
patreon.com · ~Feb 2026 - Beginner's Guide to Exploding Tanks in Unity
Beginner guide to making tanks explode in Unity.
youtube.com · Nov 2025 - Laser Beam
Patreon post on building a laser beam effect.
patreon.com · Oct 2025 - How we use visual effects to build atmosphere in our cRPG, Glasshouse
Using HDRP and visual effects to build the moody feudalpunk atmosphere of a CRPG.
unity.com · Sep 2025 - Beginner's Guide to making Barrels Explode in Unity
Beginner guide to making barrels explode in Unity.
youtube.com · Sep 2025 - Unity Workshop: Setting Up Exploding Barrels
Workshop on setting up exploding barrels in Unity.
youtube.com · Jul 2025 - Create shaders and visual effects with URP (Unity 6)
E-book of recipes for making popular shaders and visual effects with URP in Unity 6.
unity.com · Mar 2025 - Sakura Rabbit: realistic real-time rain shader in Unity 6
Water droplets and puddles with ripples and accurate reflections in a cyberpunk scene, built in Unity 6.
80.lv · Dec 2024 - Unity 6: The Definitive Guide to Advanced Visual Effects
Free Unity 6 guide to VFX Graph: building real-time visual effects with its related tools.
unity.com · Nov 2024 - Street Fighter 6 effects column: the artists behind the VFX
Capcom column crediting and discussing the effects artists and craft behind Street Fighter 6.
streetfighter.com · Nov 2024 - Unreal Fest 2018: Stylized VFX in RIME 2.0 - Water Edition
Talk on stylized water effects in RIME, with a fire effect shown that Simon highlights as inspiring.
youtu.be · Nov 2024 - Real-time VFX project breakdown with project files (ArtStation)
ArtStation breakdown of a realtime VFX project, with downloadable project files.
artstation.com · Oct 2024 - PlatinumGames VFX: Infernal Demons and Homunculi (Umbran Studies)
Studio blog article on how effects for demon enemies were designed and built.
platinumgames.com · Aug 2024 - Sakura Rabbit: angel wings dissipation effect in Unity
Feathered wings that break apart and dissipate, a VFX showcase made in Unity.
80.lv · 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 - Unity VFX Graph Tutorial - Comic Book Impact Effect
Creates a comic book impact effect with VFX Graph.
youtube.com · ~Nov 2023 - Rain Effects Breakdown
Breakdown of rain effects including particles and ripple shaders for puddles.
cyanilux.com · ~Jul 2023 - Jedi: Fallen Order – Splishy Splashy
Looks at the water splash effects in Jedi: Fallen Order.
simonschreibt.de · May 2023 - Battlefront II: Layered Explosion
Looks at how Battlefront II builds layered explosion effects.
simonschreibt.de · Apr 2023 - Snowglobe Breakdown
Breaks down a snow globe: refractive glass shader with particles inside following the rigidbody.
cyanilux.com · Jan 2023 - Pseudorandom Surfaces: Surface Flow
Uses noise to move particles across a surface in a flow simulation.
catlikecoding.com · Dec 2022 - Triangle wave function/modulation (cheap sine alternative)
Explains a triangle wave function as a cheap sine alternative for lerping textures in FX.
artstation.com · Nov 2022 - Linear Smooth Step material and Niagara functions
Shares linear smooth step material and Niagara functions for interpolation.
artstation.com · Nov 2022 - Shader Sauce: How to Use Shaders to Create Stylized VFX
Using shaders to create stylized VFX.
youtube.com · Nov 2022 - How to (Not) Create Textures for VFX
Advice on how not to create textures for VFX.
youtube.com · Jun 2022 - Textures for VFX - Database | Notion
Notion database of textures for VFX use.
simonschreibt.notion.site · ~May 2022 - GDC/ADDON 2022: How (not) to create Textures for VFX
GDC 2022 talk on mistakes and best practices when creating textures for VFX.
simonschreibt.de · May 2022 - Splash! - Trifox
Developer blog on how Trifox built its water splash visual effects.
trifox-game.com · Mar 2020 - My VFX Tutorials/Ideas
Twitter events page collecting VFX tutorials and ideas.
twitter.com · ~Mar 2020 - My take on shaders: VFX Master Shader (Part I) – Harry Alisavakis
First part of a VFX master shader tutorial.
halisavakis.com · ~Jun 2019 - Recreating Overwatch's Dragonstrike | Mix and Jam
Recreates Overwatch's Dragonstrike ability effect in Unity.
youtube.com · May 2019 - Recreating Breath of the Wild's Fire Arrow FX | Mix and Jam
Recreates Breath of the Wild's fire arrow effects in Unity.
youtube.com · Feb 2019 - Stylized VFX in RIME – Water Edition
Talk on three stylized water-related effects in RIME at Unreal Fest Europe 2018.
simonschreibt.de · May 2018 - Stylized VFX in RIME | Simonschreibt.
Talk write-up on three stylized effects used in RIME.
simonschreibt.de · Jun 2017 - The Joy of VFX – Pintable
Looks at the VFX in a pinball table game.
simonschreibt.de · Jul 2016 - How to Simulate Smoke with Shaders
Simulates realistic smoke in Unity using only shaders.
alanzucconi.com · Mar 2016 - Diablo 3 – Wings of Angels
Looks at the wings of angels effect in Diablo 3.
simonschreibt.de · Feb 2016 - X:Rebirth – Geometric Lensflares
Looks at geometric lens flares in X:Rebirth instead of texture-based ones.
simonschreibt.de · Oct 2015 - Company of Heroes – Flamethrower
Explains how Company of Heroes renders its flamethrower flames and fire effect.
simonschreibt.de · Aug 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 - Homeworld 2 – Hyperspace
Shows how Homeworld 2 creates its hyperspace jump visual effect.
simonschreibt.de · Apr 2013 - Homeworld 2 – Engines
Explains how Homeworld 2 builds its glowing ship engine effects.
simonschreibt.de · Apr 2013 - Battlefield Bad Company 2 – Smoke Column
Explains how Battlefield Bad Company 2 renders huge distant smoke columns cheaply.
simonschreibt.de · Feb 2013 - Smoke Trails in Unity3D | James O'Hare, Game Character Artist- Blog
Blog post on creating smoke trails in Unity.
farfarer.com · Dec 2012 - Stencil Portal in Unity: VFX Breakdown
Breakdown of VFX tricks in a scene, including a stencil portal and related rendering issues.
shahriyarshahrabi.medium.com - Definitive Stylized Water | VFX Shaders | Unity Asset Store
Asset Store page for a stylized water shader package with reviews.
assetstore.unity.com - Crafting a Dragon Ball VFX in Unity
Breakdown of a Dragon Ball style laser beam effect: beam, dust circles, charging sphere and particles.
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