Just Dance 2026 Review: Prepare To Have A Great Time!

I was never a big fan of dancing, so I’d never had the chance to try a Just Dance game before, but to my surprise, I found Just Dance 2026 super fun, especially when I played it with my girlfriend. It is also a great way to exercise for people who hate cardio because it fools you into doing it.

TL;DR

Just Dance 2026 makes a great return this year by adding 40 new songs for you and your friends or family to dance to and have fun. All this, with the addition of the new Party Mode, a new way of playing the game that adds exciting challenges and obstacles in a dance map and creates a good reason to revisit the game and have a blast.

Party Mode – The Selling Point Of Just Dance 2026

This new mode takes any song and turns it into a fun trial. Help Dr. Gigavolt complete his experiments by completing a series of acts. More specifically, in this mode, in which up to 6 people can play, you start an act by choosing the difficulty and the playtime of your desire. After you choose the above, you must complete a number of tests, which basically are dances that are cut short, filled with “obstacles”, in order to complete the act.

The Gameplay Loop of Just Dance 2026

During the dance act, there will be warnings of incoming visual or action disruptors. The visual disruptors block your view, making it difficult to observe the dance instructor, so you have to perform the choreography without any help.

Moreover, the action disruptors consist of several orders that the player has to follow, such as clapping their hands, staying still, or shaking their controller. You earn points by completing the disruptors successfully. If you manage to earn the required points by the end of the timer, you pass the test.

It was pleasant to see some kind of variety in the disruptors, keeping my mind and eyes focused on the game. Although I must say I faced some annoying technical issues, where my movements were not recognized by the game when an action disruptor appeared, even though I was moving the Joy-Con as instructed.

The Game Features Great Replayability

Party Mode offers a great opportunity to jump back into the game for a fast session because of the shuffle playlist it provides. At each run, you have a random playlist, but if you do not like a particular song, you also have several skips you can use. This new mode also works with the previous Just Dance games, starting from the 2023 edition, and with Just Dance+.

The More The Merrier

As I previously mentioned, I played both solo and with my friends. Playing alone has its good qualities, like using the game as a cardio tool or experimenting by trying new, more complicated dances.

On the other hand, dancing with others is what the game itself is aiming for. Just Dance 2026 gives the opportunity to either play locally or online with up to 6 of your friends, leading to some fun moments.

The Camera Controller Mode

Players can now play a truly immersive hands-free experience with Just Dance 2026 because of the addition of camera controller mode. All you need to do is connect your Android or Apple device (iOS 14.4 or Android 9 or higher) and match the coach’s movement as your camera turns into a full-body motion recognition tool. This feature is currently only on single-player, but it adds a whole new layer to the experience.

New Additions to the Songs List

Over 40 new songs you can dance to were added to Just Dance 2026. I won’t include them all, as you can find them on the official Ubisoft website, but some songs that personally stood out to me were:

• Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Lulu & Levon
• All Star – Smash Mouth
• Born To Be Alive – Patrick Hernandez (Reborn Version)
• Counting Stars- OneRepublic
• It’s ok, I’m ok – Tate McRae
• Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
• APT. – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
• Cry Baby – Melanie Martinez
• Girls Just Want To Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
• Houdini- Dua Lipa
• Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz) – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with Wanz

One thing that stood out to me is that you cannot access the previous year’s song list unless you either owned last year’s Just Dance or you pay the Just Dance+ subscription.

I think that for casual players, who make up a large player base, are not gonna bother to pay a monthly subscription, and they are also gonna feel a bit short because only this year’s list is not enough to keep someone on the game for a good amount of time.

Choreographies And Graphics

The choreographies in Just Dance 2026 were really impressive, well-thought-out, and really stood out in some of those songs. They were a great mix of modern hip-hop dancing with a touch of classic when the song called for it.

The background graphics were very impressive as well. From collage-like visuals to a whole team of dancers performing in the background, Just Dance 2026 provides enough eye candy images to keep you hooked and stimulated.

Dancer Card And Rewards

By completing different challenges and leveling up in Just Dance 2026, you can win a bunch of cool rewards like emotes, scoring effects, victory celebrations, and dancer card items. Your dancer card acts like a banner in which you can display badges you won by doing Ubisoft Connect challenges.

Your banner is fully customizable from the avatar and the background, to the nickname and the border surrounding it. These rewards add a lot to the replayability of the game, as they give you a goal you can chase, with continuous rewards being added.

Just Dance 2026 Final Thoughts – Is it Worth Buying?

As a new player introduced to this genre, I must admit I had a great time dancing with my friends and, in a way, working out. The whole player card and reward system is simple but enough to keep a player entertained.

The new party mode was extremely addictive, and most of my playtime was spent there. So I would suggest it both for newcomers and for those who are already fans of the series, but with a holdback that only this year’s list might not be enough to keep you entertained for a long period, so you will also have to subscribe to Just Dance+ to have a vast variety.

A big thanks to CD Media for providing us with a copy of this game!