In game development, realism isn’t just about stunning visuals. It’s also about how objects behave in the world. Unity’s physics engine plays a key role in bringing these interactions to life.
Static Bodies
Static bodies are completely immobile. Once placed in the scene, they stay fixed in position and rotation. They don’t respond to forces or collisions. But other objects can collide with them.
Key Characteristics:
- No Rigidbody required in 3D (collider alone is enough)
- Use Rigidbody2D with bodyType = Static in 2D
- Ideal for: walls, floors, terrain, or background structures
- Optimised for performance. Unity doesn’t have to recalculate their position
Kinematic Bodies
Kinematic bodies don’t respond to physics forces or collisions themselves, but they can still affect Dynamic bodies if they move into them. They’re moved through scripting (e.g., by changing transform.position or setting velocity).
Key Characteristics:
- Set isKinematic = true on Rigidbody (3D)
- Set bodyType = Kinematic on Rigidbody2D (2D)
- Not affected by gravity or collisions
- Useful for: elevators, doors, conveyor belts, or moving platforms
Dynamic Bodies
Dynamic bodies are fully simulated by the physics engine. They respond to gravity, forces, collisions, and other physical interactions. These are the most “alive” objects in your scene.
Key Characteristics:
- Requires Rigidbody (3D) or Rigidbody2D (2D)
- Use bodyType = Dynamic for 2D
- Reacts to AddForce, velocity, mass, and friction
- Ideal for: players, enemies, falling crates, or any object that moves physically
Choosing the Right Type
- Use Static for anything that never moves
- Use Dynamic when you want full physics interaction
- Use Kinematic when you need scripted or manual movement without physics influence
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