Version control is a foundational practice in software development—and it’s equally important in game dev. It tracks changes to code, scenes, assets, and documents, allowing teams to collaborate, revert mistakes, and manage branches of development.
Git is the most widely used version control system. It tracks changes through commits and allows branching (experimenting without affecting the main build). Tools like:
- GitHub – cloud-based hosting with pull requests, issue tracking, and team permissions.
- GitLab – self-hosted or cloud solution with CI/CD and project management built-in.
- Bitbucket – integrates well with Jira and other Atlassian tools.
For game-specific needs, developers often use:
- Git LFS (Large File Storage) – allows versioning of large binary files like textures and audio.
- Plastic SCM – designed for handling large projects with massive assets; widely used in Unity projects.
- Perforce (Helix Core) – standard in AAA studios for handling gigabytes of binary assets across large teams.
Benefits of version control in game development:
- Track who changed what, when, and why
- Revert to previous versions if a bug or issue arises
- Merge branches (e.g., testing new mechanics) without affecting the main project
- Collaborate efficiently on code, scenes, prefabs, and shaders
Even solo devs benefit from version control. It’s a safety net and a time machine rolled into one. Without it, you risk losing work or overwriting good progress—especially in collaborative or fast-paced environments.
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