## Introduction

Creating an inviting and efficient Level Selection UI is an essential feature for any multi-stage game. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through designing a sleek level selector in Unity, giving players a clear gateway to each stage—all while keeping your project organized and scalable. Whether targeting beginners or rapid prototyping, this guide covers both traditional and universal scene approaches.

![](https://cms.cococode.net/assets/1e32c948-9e86-4b1c-bab3-17c0069aefc1)

## Step 1: Create the Level Selection UI

- **Start from Scratch**: Open a new `LevelSelection` scene. In the Hierarchy, right-click your Canvas, choose UI > Button, and rename it to `LevelSelector`.
- **Stylize the Button**: Resize to `100 × 100 px`, set a rounded rectangle as the source image, and pick your preferred color palette for a modern look.
- **Label Your Button**: Inside the button’s Text child, set the label to “1” and tweak the font and size for clarity.
- **Tip**: Want custom rounded buttons? Explore guides on customizing Unity UI shapes for extra polish.



## Step 2: Make Buttons Launch Levels

- **Add Level-Loading Script**:
    - Select the button, click Add Component, create a new script called `LevelSelector`.
    - Open the script and add:

```csharp
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.SceneManagement;

public class LevelSelector : MonoBehaviour
{
    public void OpenScene()
    {
        SceneManager.LoadScene("Level 1");
    }
}

```

- **Connect OnClick**: Back in Unity, with the button selected, add an On Click event and link it to `LevelSelector.OpenScene()`.
- **Build Settings Reminder**: If the scene won't load, ensure it's added in File > Build Settings.

![](https://cms.cococode.net/assets/643b7dca-d3dc-4cc1-8fd3-10794cf84fd0)

## Step 3: Build a Grid of Level Buttons

- **Prefab Creation**: Drag your `LevelSelector` button into a new `Prefabs` folder in Assets.
- **Setup the Grid**:
    - Right-click Hierarchy, Create Empty > name it `Grid`.
    - Add a Grid Layout Group component, set it to a constraint (e.g., 4 columns), align to Upper Center, and set spacing.
- **Duplicate Quickly**: Drop your button prefab into Grid eight times—watch as Unity aligns them automatically for a tidy, clickable menu.

![](https://cms.cococode.net/assets/d865bb2a-c63c-4e74-b1e3-28ae91349d82)

## Step 4: Make Each Button Load Its Level

- **Upgrade the Script**: Edit `LevelSelector.cs`:

```csharp
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.SceneManagement;
using UnityEngine.UI;

public class LevelSelector : MonoBehaviour
{
    public int level;
    public Text levelText;
    void Start() => levelText.text = level.ToString();
    public void OpenScene() => SceneManager.LoadScene("Level " + level);
}

```

- **Prefab Configuration**:
    - Set the `levelText` field by dragging the Text child into the Inspector.
    - Set each button’s `level` (1–8) in their Inspector, ensuring unique numbers.
- **Now each button opens its corresponding scene and updates its label automatically!**

## Step 5: Universal Scene Option (Advanced)

Instead of individual scenes, you can funnel every button into a single scene and use a static variable to keep track of which level was selected.

- **Static Pass-Through**:
Edit `LevelSelector.cs` again:

```csharp
public static int selectedLevel;
public void OpenScene()
{
    selectedLevel = level;
    SceneManager.LoadScene("UniversalLevel");
}

```

- **Don’t Forget**: Add `UniversalLevel` to the Build Settings.

## Step 6: Show the Correct Level in the Universal Scene

- **Create Manager Script**: Add `UniversalLevelManager.cs`:

```csharp
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.UI;

public class UniversalLevelManager : MonoBehaviour
{
    public Sprite[] backgrounds;
    public Image background;
    public Text levelText;

    void Start()
    {
        int level = LevelSelector.selectedLevel;
        levelText.text = "Level " + level;
        background.sprite = backgrounds[level - 1];
    }
}

```

- **UI Setup**:
    - Attach to a Canvas in `UniversalLevel` scene.
    - Assign a Text for `levelText`, an Image for `background`, and set up an array of Sprite backgrounds per level.

## Conclusion

With this approach, you unlock a flexible and modern level selection system, ready for any game that uses recurring core logic and just needs new visuals per stage. Use your creativity for button styling and grid layout, and streamline your workflow by leveraging a universal level scene for scalable projects.
![](https://cms.cococode.net/assets/83351dd7-3e9b-471f-83ea-02c2e87180eb)

Learn how to create a Unity level selection menu, handle scene navigation, and pass parameters for dynamic gameplay with a single game scene.

Level selection in your Unity game

Master Unity UI