Developing games has never been easier. Game development platforms like Unity make it possible to create everything from simple 2D platformers to fully detailed 3D first-person shooters, all on your own. Unity is free for small developers, and there are many resources available online for anybody who wants to learn to use this platform.

However, learning how to use Unity itself will only get you so far. The real heart of your game will be the code that determines its behavior.

What languages does Unity support? Good question. Working out which language to learn for game development on Unity can be challenging. We're here to help you sort out the best from the rest.

1. The Best Unity Code Language: C#

Inquiring minds demand to know: what programming language does Unity use? According to its official documentation, C# is the only language that Unity supports natively.

For anyone just starting out with Unity, or anyone with previous knowledge of object-oriented programming, C# is the best Unity programming language to begin with. In fact, C# is the only Unity coding language worth learning for the platform, and with good reason.

Unity uses Mono, which is a cross-platform implementation of Microsoft's .NET framework. C# is the primary language of .NET, and all of Unity's libraries are built using C# code.

To say that C# is the language of Unity is accurate. Unity has made it clear that it considers C# to be the only truly canon language for Unity development.

The good news is that C# is a powerful language and one that's easy to learn. Unity is just one of many reasons to learn C#, and if you're a beginner, you might even find it more accessible. Developing games is one way to give structure to learning, and project-based goals can lead to an enhanced understanding of new subjects.

With the consistent introduction of new features, Unity continues to push what can be done with C#. Without question, C# is the best programming language for Unity.

2. The Best Unity Code Language for Plugins: C/C++

Since 2016, many Unity programming languages have been deprecated by the company, in favor of C#. Despite the robust Unity library and all the available tools C# gives, sometimes you might want to use plugins. C++ is the most common Unity development language used for plugin creation.

People use plugins for a number of reasons, including speed and access to a codebase that's already written in another language. Building these scripts into dynamic link library (DLL) plugins saves you the trouble of rewriting code, and can even improve performance in some cases.

Although C++ is typically the language developers use for plugin creation, C works equally well. As long as the code builds into a DLL file, you can place it in Unity's plugin folder and reference it in code.

If you're already comfortable coding in C/C++, learning C# would likely be a relatively simple task. It never hurts to keep your options open; consider adding it to your Unity scripting language arsenal if you have some time to spare.

3. The Best Alternative Unity Language: Rust

Rust is a language with a lot of buzz around it. It was created by Mozilla in 2009, as a way for developers to develop high-performance software quickly. Experienced programmers love it for the incredible amount of control it gives, all while eliminating the pitfalls of languages like C++, which can feel less friendly at times.

While it isn't possible to write Rust in Unity directly, you can access functions and methods written in Rust from your Unity code. Jim Fleming covers the subject in detail in his how-to guide on Medium.

This is another way to create native plugins in Unity. By leveraging Rust's ability to interface with other languages, you can call Rust functions directly from C# code using Unity's DllImport attribute. Naturally, there are several steps in between. Reading Jim's follow-up post on Medium and gaining a good understanding of foreign function interfaces (FFIs) is definitely recommended.

4. The Ringer: IronPython

If you want to develop games, Python is probably not the language for you, but it is possible to use. In his Microsoft Developer Community blog, Charlie Calvert outlines how to run Python from C#, but it's not for the faint-hearted.

In short, you will need to download the IronPython libraries from GitHub and refer to them in your C# project. Almost 10 years after its introduction, IronPython is still in active development. It will allow you to call Python scripts from C# scripts, much like you would any other library.

IronPython—and IronRuby, its sister project linking C# with the Ruby programming language—are fantastic projects, but they aren't practical for use with Unity.

5. For Something a Little Different: Lua

One of the best implementations of an external language for Unity is MoonSharp, a Lua interpreter. This project isn't designed to replace C# as a language, but rather to act as a bridge.

The perfect use case for MoonSharp is adding a way for players to create game modifications in the Lua language. You could also use it to describe objects and design levels separately from your core game code.

If you are already coding in C# and looking for an interesting way to interface with your code, MoonSharp is worth consideration. Since this Unity scripting language is available for free on Unity's Asset store, you can import it directly into your projects.

The Best Unity Game Development Language: A Simple Choice

Unity's attitude toward any language that isn't C# is clear, and its commitment to C# might be one reason Unity is continuously able to renew itself. Alongside Microsoft's ongoing dedication to C# as a language, learning C# for Unity game development is a no-brainer.

There aren't many Unity programming languages readily available to use, but this system is far from your only option. Unity is only one popular game development engine; you have plenty of different game development software options to choose from, and great tutorials available for many of them.