Build for Windows: what files should result?

Getting Started
1

Hello! I’m ready to make a build for Windows of my first small game. I’m asked to specify a folder where the “build” will go, which I do. After a successful build, this is what I end up with:

GAMENAME_Data (a folder)
MonoBleedingEdge (a folder)
GAMENAME (a program file)
UnityCrashHandler64 (a program file)
UnityPlayer.dll (a file that is used as an addition to a program)

My questions are these:

  1. For a commercial game, is this what it’s supposed to look like? If, for example, the game was distributed through Steam, would download by a buyer result in these files on the buyer’s computer?

  2. Can I dispense with some of these files in order to get a neater package (taking up less space as a bonus)?

  3. Save game files: are these usually saved in this same build folder or are there settings in Unity so that save games are saved in a specified folder in Windows, according to some standard practice?

Best regards,
Nikolaj

2

Yes.

No. All of those files are required for your game to run.

Standard practice is to shove data into location specified by this property. You don’t want to shove data into the build folder because some platforms (eg Windows with the Program Files folder) block access to the installation folder if the app isn’t running with admin rights.

3
4

Thank you very much for that excellent answer!

5
  1. Yes, but I also have 1 extra folder GameName_BurstDebug etc.
  2. No, but you can compress the size before you build it in build settings.
  3. Save games are saved via script (they are all built in to the game) in the game telling the player’s computer to save progress in the playthrough of the game. Go to Unity Junior Programmer Pathway. Near the end after all the projects, they tell you how to save-game via script.
6

Thank you! I’ll look up the Junior Programmer Pathway.