unity-tilemap-2d

Q: How do I install unity-tilemap-2d?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/gamedev-skills/awesome-gamedev-agent-skills --skill unity-tilemap-2d in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/unity-tilemap-2d/ (personal) or .claude/skills/unity-tilemap-2d/ (project).

by gamedev-skillsAI & Agents

Build and script 2D tilemaps in Unity 6.3 LTS: the Grid + Tilemap components, the Tile Palette, tilemap colliders, rule tiles, and runtime SetTile/GetTile painting. Use when painting tile levels, adding a TilemapCollider2D, using rule or animated tiles, generating tilemaps from code, or when the user mentions Unity tilemap, tile palette, rule tile, or Grid.

Installs: 5.8K
Last 24h: +307
Trending rank: #946
Security: Pass

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/gamedev-skills/awesome-gamedev-agent-skills --skill unity-tilemap-2d

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads unity-tilemap-2d automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

Security audits

Independent scans of the skill's instructions and bundled files.

Gen Agent Trust Hub PassSAFE ·The skill provides legitimate instructions and code snippets for working with the Unity 2D Tilemap system. No security issues were detected.

Socket PassNo alerts

Snyk PassLOW ·Risk: LOW · No issues

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Unity 2D Tilemap

Author and script tile-based 2D levels in Unity 6.3 LTS with the Grid/Tilemap system, the Tile Palette, colliders, and runtime painting. Targets Unity 6.3 LTS (6000.3).

Package note: the core Tilemap (Grid, Tilemap, Tile, TilemapCollider2D) is built in, and so is the Tile Palette with its default brush. Rule Tiles, Animated Tiles, and the extra brushes (Random, Line, GameObject, Group) live in the separate "2D Tilemap Extras" package (com.unity.2d.tilemap.extras, 6.0.x for Unity 6.3) — install it via Package Manager before using RuleTile.

When to use

Use when laying out a 2D level by painting tiles, setting up a Grid + Tilemap, adding collision to the map, using auto-tiling Rule Tiles, or generating/editing tiles from script.
Use when scenes contain a Grid with Tilemap children, or *.asset tile/palette files.

When not to use: level design practice (pacing, blockout, layout principles) → level-design. 3D tile/grid placement → Unity's own 3D tooling (ProBuilder / grid brushes; no dedicated skill here). The platformer character that moves over the tiles → platformer / unity-physics.

Core workflow

Create the grid: GameObject → 2D Object → Tilemap → Rectangular (the Grid's Cell Layout also offers Hexagonal and Isometric for hex/iso levels). This makes a Grid with a child Tilemap (+ TilemapRenderer). Use one Tilemap per layer (background, ground, foreground) and set each renderer's sorting.
Open the Tile Palette (Window → 2D → Tile Palette), drag in a sliced sprite sheet to create Tile assets, then paint with the brush tools.
Add collision to the solid layer: TilemapCollider2D. For one merged collider (far cheaper and gap-free), also add CompositeCollider2D (+ a Rigidbody2D set to Static) and set the tilemap collider's Composite Operation to Merge.
Auto-tile with Rule Tiles (2D Tilemap Extras) so edges/corners pick the right sprite automatically instead of hand-placing every variant.
Edit at runtime via script with cell coordinates (Vector3Int): SetTile, GetTile, SetTilesBlock, converting world↔cell with the Grid/Tilemap.
Verify in Play mode: confirm collisions (Physics Debugger), sorting order, and that RefreshAllTiles ran after bulk edits.

Patterns

1. Painting tiles at runtime (cell coordinates)

using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.Tilemaps;

public class TilePainter : MonoBehaviour
{
    [SerializeField] private Tilemap tilemap;   // assign the target Tilemap
    [SerializeField] private TileBase groundTile;

    // World position -> cell, then place a tile.
    public void PaintAt(Vector3 worldPos)
    {
        Vector3Int cell = tilemap.WorldToCell(worldPos);
        tilemap.SetTile(cell, groundTile);
    }

    public bool IsSolid(Vector3 worldPos)
        => tilemap.GetTile(tilemap.WorldToCell(worldPos)) != null;
}

2. Bulk fill a region (faster than per-cell `SetTile`)

// SetTilesBlock writes a whole BoundsInt in one call — use it for procedural rooms/floors.
public void FillFloor(Tilemap map, TileBase tile, int width, int height)
{
    var bounds = new BoundsInt(0, 0, 0, width, height, 1);
    var tiles  = new TileBase[width * height];
    for (int i = 0; i < tiles.Length; i++) tiles[i] = tile;
    map.SetTilesBlock(bounds, tiles);
}

3. Clearing and refreshing

tilemap.SetTile(cell, null);   // null erases the tile at that cell
tilemap.RefreshTile(cell);     // re-evaluate just this cell's rule/animated neighbors (cheap)
// RefreshAllTiles() re-evaluates the ENTIRE map — reserve it for full regenerations, not per-edit.

Pitfalls

RuleTile type not found — it's not built in. Install the 2D Tilemap Extras package (com.unity.2d.tilemap.extras) via Package Manager.
A collider per tile tanks performance / leaves seams — add a CompositeCollider2D with a static Rigidbody2D and set Composite Operation to Merge to merge the whole layer into one smooth shape.
No "Used By Composite" checkbox, or an obsolete warning on usedByComposite — Unity 6 replaced it with Composite Operation (Collider2D.compositeOperation). Old usedByComposite = true maps to CompositeOperation.Merge; write that instead.
Small gaps remain between merged tiles — raise the Tilemap Collider 2D's Extrusion Factor so neighbouring tile shapes fall within the Composite Collider 2D's Vertex Distance.
Confusing world and cell coordinates — SetTile/GetTile take a Vector3Int cell, not a world position. Always convert with WorldToCell / CellToWorld.
Tiles render behind/in front of sprites unexpectedly — set each TilemapRenderer's Sorting Layer and Order in Layer; multiple tilemaps need explicit ordering.
Rule/animated tiles don't update after script edits — refresh after writes, but prefer the targeted RefreshTile(cell) for a few edits; RefreshAllTiles() re-evaluates every tile on the map and stalls large levels. Reserve the full refresh for whole-map regenerations.
Painting onto the wrong layer — the active target Tilemap in the Tile Palette determines where paint lands; check the "Active Tilemap" dropdown.

References

Primary docs: Unity Manual "Tilemaps" (https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/tilemaps/work-with-tilemaps/tilemap-reference.html), ScriptReference/Tilemaps.Tilemap, ScriptReference/Collider2D-compositeOperation, the Manual "Tilemap Collider 2D component reference", and the 2D Tilemap Extras package manual (https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.2d.tilemap.extras@6.0/manual/index.html) for Rule Tiles. (@6.0 is the version that ships with Unity 6.3 LTS; the old @1.6 docs are for Unity 2021-era projects.)

Related skills

level-design — engine-agnostic blockout, pacing, and tile layout practice.
procedural-gen — generating the tile data (noise, RNG, dungeons) you feed to SetTilesBlock.
platformer / roguelike — genres that compose this skill with movement and generation.

FAQ

What does the unity-tilemap-2d skill do?

How do I install unity-tilemap-2d?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/gamedev-skills/awesome-gamedev-agent-skills --skill unity-tilemap-2d in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/unity-tilemap-2d/ (personal) or .claude/skills/unity-tilemap-2d/ (project).

Which AI agents can use unity-tilemap-2d?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is unity-tilemap-2d safe to install?

Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub passed; Socket passed; Snyk passed. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.

Who maintains unity-tilemap-2d?

It is published by gamedev-skills in gamedev-skills/awesome-gamedev-agent-skills. It has 5,792 recorded installs.