From Dua Lipa to Bruno Mars: Just Dance 2026 invites you to dance

For over a decade and a half, "Just Dance" has been bringing movement to living rooms, shared kitchens and family parties. The new instalment picks up right where it left off - and manages to recharge the familiar rhythm with new energy. "Just Dance 2026" is less of a revolution than an invitation to experience the familiar in a new way. And that works surprisingly well.

Over 40 new songs form the core of this edition, curated with a with a sure feel for variety and mood. From Dua Lipa's "Houdini" to Post Malone to an upbeat "Bluey" medley for the younger ones everything that promises a good mood is included. Older hits also return older hits return - such as "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" or "Born to Be Alive" in two versions. Every choreography is carefully staged, every scene is finely colour-coordinated. You can feel that Ubisoft Paris and its studios have worldwide experience with movement, rhythm and timing. have experience with movement, rhythm and timing.

New is the party mode, which lets up to six people dance together in short sessions. dance together in short sessions. Ideal for evenings with friends, children or colleagues. It's not precision that counts here, but the shared experience, spontaneous laughter when the camera misrecognises a movement or someone someone gets out of step. Control via smartphone or camera works better overall than in previous years, even if the technology occasionally technology occasionally shows its limits.

"Just Dance 2026" has long since ceased to be a classic stand-alone release but part of a growing platform. Songs, challenges and profiles flow into a common system that has grown over the years. grown over the years. This provides clarity, but requires a certain amount of familiarisation. Anyone who sees the game not as a competition but as a ritual will quickly feel at home.

Optically, the series is in a league of its own anyway. The animations are precise, the stages are artfully designed, the colour colour spectrum glows like a digital celebration. In addition, there is a noticeable openness: pop, hip-hop, K-pop and Latin American rhythms stand side by side on an equal footing. This diversity is no coincidence, it is the actual statement of the series - dance as a universal language.

At the end of the day, it's the feeling that counts: Movement, energy, a grin on your face. "Just Dance 2026" reminds us that sometimes games don't need a story, a mission or a goal. Just music, movement and people who are in the thick of it. A game that connects with ease and shakes off a piece of everyday life with every song.

→ If you still have energy left after this dance session: You can find more highlights in our "Level Up" section - and of course in the current issue.