{"id":46777,"date":"2023-09-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/griddb-linux-hte8hndjf8cka8ht.westus-01.azurewebsites.net\/blog\/save-unity-game-data-using-node-js-and-griddb\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T12:19:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T19:19:10","slug":"save-unity-game-data-using-node-js-and-griddb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.griddb.net\/en\/blog\/save-unity-game-data-using-node-js-and-griddb\/","title":{"rendered":"Save Unity Game Data Using Node.js and GridDB"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/h2>\n

In this post, we will build a simple game called Feed The Animals<\/strong>. This game uses Node.js as a backend server and the GridDB database as storage.<\/p>\n

Run the Project<\/h2>\n

Clone the project source code<\/a> from the GitHub repository.<\/p>\n

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git clone https:\/\/github.com\/junwatu\/unity-node.js-griddb.git<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
Change the directory into the project source code.<\/p>\n
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cd unity-node.js-griddb<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
Install the Node.js dependencies for the game server.<\/p>\n
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cd appserver\nnpm install<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
Game Server<\/h3>\n
Before running the game, you should run the game server first. Please go to the project source code and folder  appserver<\/code> if you haven’t and run the following command in the terminal:<\/p>\n
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npm run start<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
The server’s default host and port settings are in the .env<\/code> file. Please change it if you want to run the server on another IP address and port. For example, to run the game server on IP 192.168.0.11<\/code> and the port is 9000<\/code>. Open the .env<\/code> file and edit the GAME_SERVER<\/code> variable.<\/p>\n
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GAME_SERVER=http:\/\/192.168.0.11:9000<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
And then run or restart the game server.<\/p>\n
Game Build<\/h3>\n
Let’s take a look at the actual build.<\/p>\n
Windows Binary .exe<\/h4>\n
This game build is running on the Windows OS machine. Please download the binary build on this link:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/github.com\/junwatu\/unity-node.js-griddb\/releases\/download\/demo\/FeedTheAnimals.Windows-x64.zip<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Then extract it, and if you change the default game server address, you should change the IP address for the game, too. Open the config.json<\/code> file, then edit the WebSocketURL<\/code>:<\/p>\n
\n
\n{\n  \"WebSocketURL\": \"http:\/\/192.168.0.11:9000\"\n}<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
After that, you can run the game by clicking the feed.the.animals.exe<\/code> file!<\/p>\n
The gameplay is simple: feed the animal, and if you have failed to feed a few animals, you will lose, which means game over!<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n
This game only have three key functions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Control Key<\/th>\nAction<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Left Arrow<\/strong> or A<\/strong><\/td>\nFor the left movement.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Right Arrow<\/strong> or D<\/strong><\/td>\nFor the right movement.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Space Bar<\/strong><\/td>\nFor throwing a food at the animal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
The Building Blocks: Unity, Node.js, WebSocket, and GridDB<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Accurately and promptly saving every action, decision, and game state is crucial for seamless gameplay, especially in multiplayer scenarios or games requiring consistent syncing. We will build the game using the Unity<\/strong> game engine with the backend stack Node.js<\/strong> and GridDB<\/strong> database. Let’s examine the importance of each:<\/p>\n
Unity<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
Unity is a top game development platform with a versatile engine for crafting 2D sprites and 3D worlds. The platform has a user-friendly interface, rich assets, and a supportive community to help create immersive gaming experiences for mobile devices, desktops, and VR headsets.<\/p>\n
Node.js<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
Node.js allows developers to create efficient and scalable backend services using JavaScript, a language mostly recognized for web-based applications. Its event-driven, non-blocking I\/O model is ideal for handling numerous simultaneous connections, making it perfect for games with a large user base. It acts as a bridge, connecting Unity games to databases such as GridDB.<\/p>\n
GridDB<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
In real-time gaming, efficient data storage is crucial. GridDB is a highly scalable, available, and durable database system designed for this purpose. Its architecture is tailored for IoT use cases, translating well into gaming. It ensures every player’s action is captured and stored with low latency.<\/p>\n
WebSocket: Bridging Unity and Node.js in Real-time<\/strong><\/h3>\n
In the fast-paced gaming world, where every move and second is critical, more than traditional request-response communication models may be required. This is where the power of WebSocket<\/a> comes in.<\/p>\n