unity-scriptableobjects

Unity ScriptableObject Architecture

Use ScriptableObject assets to store shared data and decouple systems in Unity 6.3 LTS — configuration, event channels, and registries that live as project assets instead of being hard-wired into scenes or singletons. Targets Unity 6.3 LTS (6000.3).

When to use

• Use when you need designer-editable config (weapon stats, level data), to share one value between unrelated systems, to decouple senders from listeners via event channels, or to build a runtime registry of active objects — without a static/singleton manager.
• Use when the project has *.asset data files backed by : ScriptableObject classes.

When not to use: per-instance runtime state that differs per GameObject (that belongs on a MonoBehaviour) — a ScriptableObject asset is shared by everyone who references it. Saving player progress to disk → save-systems. Plain DTOs that never need to be an asset can just be [System.Serializable] classes.

Core workflow

1. Define the class deriving from ScriptableObject and tag it with [CreateAssetMenu] so designers can create instances from the Assets menu.
2. Create one or more .asset instances in the Project window; each is a shared, named piece of data referenced by [SerializeField] fields.
3. Reference, don't copy. MonoBehaviours hold a reference to the asset; they all see the same data, so changing the asset changes every consumer.
4. For decoupling, model signals and shared variables as ScriptableObjects: a "FloatVariable" the HUD reads and the player writes; an "event channel" the player raises and many systems listen to. Neither side references the other.
5. Reset runtime mutations in OnEnable if the asset is mutated during play, because edits made in the Editor at runtime persist on the asset (a frequent source of "my values changed after I played").
6. Verify by inspecting the asset values during Play mode and confirming consumers react.