What is Version Control?

Version control is a system that helps you manage changes to your code, assets, and configurations over time. It allows you to track changes, collaborate with others, and maintain a record of all changes made to your project.

Key Features of Version Control Systems

• Repositories: Central locations for storing and managing code and assets.
• Commits: Snapshots of changes made to the code or assets.
• Branches: Separate lines of development for experimenting with new features or fixing bugs.
• Merging: Combining changes from different branches into a single branch.
• Diffing: Comparing changes between different versions of code or assets.

Popular Version Control Systems in Game Development

• Perforce: A commercial version control system widely used in AAA game development, known for its scalability and support for large files and complex workflows.
• GitLab: A self-hosted alternative to Github, offering version control, issue tracking, and collaboration tools.
• Mercurial: A free, open-source version control system similar to Git, known for its ease of use and flexibility.
• Subversion (SVN): A centralized version control system still widely used in game development, particularly in legacy projects.
• Plastic SCM: A commercial version control system designed specifically for game development, offering features like branching, merging, and diffing.

Game Engine-Specific Version Control Features

Unity

• Unity Collaborate: A cloud-based version control system integrated with the Unity game engine.
• Unity Hub: A centralized hub for managing Unity projects, including version control and collaboration features.
• Unity's Perforce Integration: A built-in integration with Perforce, allowing developers to manage their code and assets directly within the Unity editor.

Unreal Engine