Just Dance Wiki

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Just Dance Wiki
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Just Dance Wiki
For other uses, see Just Dance (disambiguation).

The Just Dance series is a series of rhythm games primarily developed and published by Ubisoft. Since 2009, at least one new installment has been released annually. The series began with Just Dance and the most current installment is Just Dance 2025 Edition. Since Just Dance 2023 Edition, releases function as paid song pack updates to the Just Dance service, though they are still marketed as new games. The series also consists of multiple compilation games, streaming services, and spin-off games.

The main series consists of the 16 annual installments: Just Dance, Just Dance 2, 3, 4, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Edition, 2024 Edition, and 2025 Edition. The main series also includes the compilation games Just Dance: Summer Party, Just Dance: Greatest Hits, and Just Dance: Best Of; the streaming services Just Dance Now, Just Dance Unlimited, and Just Dance+; and the standalone games Just Sing and Just Dance VR.

Outside of the main series, there are also two separate series aimed at kids (the Kids and Disney Party games) as well as two regional series (the Japanese and Chinese games), in addition to other spin-offs. The Kids series consists of Just Dance Kids, Kids 2, and Kids 2014; while the Disney series consists of Just Dance: Disney Party and Disney Party 2. The two regional series consist of games made specifically for Japan and China, featuring exclusive songs alongside main series routines using the same style of whichever main series game was out at the time. The Japanese series, which primarily featured exclusive songs, consists of Just Dance Wii, Wii 2, Wii U, and Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version. The Chinese series featured fewer exclusive routines and functioned more as the Chinese version of its main series counterpart. This series consists of 舞力全开2015, 舞力全开2017, and 舞力全开, which were the Chinese versions of Just Dance 2015, 2017, and 2020, respectively. The Chinese series also includes 舞力全开:活力派, a Chinese version of Just Dance Now that did not fully release, and 舞力无限, a Chinese version of Just Dance Unlimited for 舞力全开. Another Chinese app, 舞力全开:派对, is in development.

Additional games that are considered to be spin-offs include games focusing on a specific genre or artist, such as the Experience series, which includes Michael Jackson: The Experience, The Hip Hop Dance Experience, and The Black Eyed Peas Experience; as well as the standalone games Dance on Broadway, The Smurfs Dance Party, and ABBA: You Can Dance.

Gameplay[]

The main gameplay of the franchise is to try to copy the moves of the on-screen dancer, referred to in-game as coaches. Depending on the game, players can score using a controller (Wiimote, PSMove, Joy-Con, or Meta Quest Touch Controller), camera (Kinect or PlayStation Camera), and/or a smartphone (as a controller or camera, using various Just Dance apps) to track and score their moves. When using a controller, players score using their right hand and when using camera scoring, the whole body is tracked. Exceptions include Double Rumble mode and Just Dance VR, which require a controller in both hands to score and are not compatible with camera scoring. While gameplay has almost been the same in all games, some new features have been added to the series over the years such as routines with multiple dancers the player can choose to follow (Duets, Trios, and Quartets), online multiplayer modes (World Dance Floor, Challengers, and World Video Challenge), and a workout mode with a calorie tracker. Recent games have also included lore playlists consisting of storyline-based routines, such as Enter the Danceverses on Just Dance 2023 Edition and Dance with the Swan on Just Dance 2024 Edition.

The only exceptions to this core gameplay model include the handheld and mobile ports of Michael Jackson: The Experience, which functioned as a rhythm game in which the player had to tap parts of the screen in rhythm, and Just Sing, which was solely a karaoke game.

Games[]

The series is primarily split up into the following categories: the main series, Asian exclusives, kids games, and spin-off games. Games outside of the main series are sometimes referred to being part of the franchise rather than the series, while others only use "franchise" to refer to games that do not have Just Dance in the title or for games that do not have the same interface as the main series.

Main series[]

The main series consists of 16 annual installments, three compilation games, three streaming services, and two standalone games.

Annual editions[]

Annual installments are the core part of the series. The first game was Just Dance in 2009 and the most recent game is Just Dance 2025 Edition, which released in 2024. Games are typically announced sometime between June and September and release in October or November. Add-on content, such as downloadable content or additions to streaming services, is released sporadically between each game. Games were originally numbered, but this changed with the fifth game, Just Dance 2014, when they started to be named after the upcoming year instead. Beginning with Just Dance 2023 Edition, the word "Edition" was added to the title of each installment. From Just Dance until Just Dance 2022, each release was a separate game. Starting with Just Dance 2023 Edition, the series shifted to a live service model. This means that while each new installment is still marketed as a separate game, they are actually paid add-ons to the Just Dance streaming service. This service functions as a platform for Just Dance 2023 Edition and subsequent installments and allows players to access content from each purchased installment without switching between games.

The series was originally exclusive to the Wii, but Just Dance 3 brought the series to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This was followed by the Wii U on Just Dance 4 and the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on Just Dance 2014. PC and Nintendo Switch support would added on Just Dance 2017, though this would be the only official release on PC. Consoles would start to end support soon after with Just Dance 2018 being the final release on PlayStation 3, Just Dance 2019 being the final release on Xbox 360 and Wii U, and Just Dance 2020 being the final release on Wii. The series would be brought to Google Stadia on Just Dance 2020 and the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 on Just Dance 2021. Just Dance 2022 would serve as the final release on Google Stadia, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

From Just Dance until Just Dance 2020, games received different covers in the NTSC (Americas) and PAL (Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania) regions. The contents of each game would be mostly the same, though Just Dance 2 through Just Dance 2015 each had song(s) exclusive to one region. Since Just Dance 2021, the cover has been the same worldwide.

In addition to the normal versions of each game, Special Editions would also be released. This was more common in the NTSC region, where specific editions would be made exclusively for specific retailers or consoles and add one or two songs to the tracklist. In the PAL region, this was less common and any Special Editions would simply be titled "Special Edition" as opposed to being marketed as exclusive to a specific retailer. Since Just Dance 2016, Special Editions only include a bundled subscription to the current streaming service or exclusive cosmetics instead of exclusive songs.

Just Dance 2
(Best Buy Edition)
Just Dance 2
(Walmart Edition)
Just Dance 3
(Best Buy Edition)
Just Dance 3
(Target Edition)
Just Dance 3
(Zeller’s Edition)
Just Dance 4
(Wii U)
Just Dance 2016
(Gold Edition)
Just Dance 2017
(Gold Edition)
Just Dance 2022
(Deluxe Edition)
Just Dance 2022
(Ultimate Edition)
Just Dance 2024 Edition
(Deluxe Edition)
Just Dance 2024 Edition
(Ultimate Edition)
Just Dance 2025 Edition
(Deluxe Edition)
Just Dance 2025 Edition
(Ultimate Edition)

Just Dance 3
(Special Edition)
Just Dance 4
(Special Edition)

Compilations[]

Compilation games consist of songs from previous games using the same interface as whatever the current main series game was at the time. Two compilations were released in the NTSC region while three were released in the PAL region. The first was Just Dance: Summer Party, also known as Just Dance 2: Extra Songs in the PAL region. The game featured most of the downloadable content and brand exclusives from Just Dance 2 and used the same interface. The second game was Just Dance: Greatest Hits, which was released on the NTSC Wii and the Xbox 360 in both regions. The game features songs from the first three Just Dance games and uses the same interface as Just Dance 3. The third game was Just Dance: Best Of, which was the PAL Wii counterpart to Greatest Hits. It features a slightly altered tracklist and the same interface.

Streaming services[]

Three streaming services have been released as part of the main series. These services allow players to access additional content on a subscription-based model. The first one was Just Dance Now, which is a standalone app that allows players to use their phone to play songs on the Just Dance Now website. The game features several hundred songs and has received multiple graphical overhauls, the most recent being in December 2024. The second service is Just Dance Unlimited, which is an add-on to Just Dance 2016 through Just Dance 2022, though it has since shut down for 2016 through 2018. This service, which is unavailable on 7th-generation consoles, allows players to play songs from previous games alongside exclusive content. The third service is Just Dance+, which is an add-on to Just Dance 2023 Edition and subsequent games on the Just Dance service. The service features significantly less content than its predecessor but functions the same way, allowing players to access songs from previous games alongside new exclusives.

Note that the Just Dance service, which serves as the platform for Just Dance 2023 Edition and subsequent installments as well as Just Dance+, is technically a streaming service but is not listed here as it functions more as a platform and demo instead of an actual service.

Other games[]

Two additional standalone games have been released as part of the main series. The first was Just Sing, a karaoke game that was released in 2016 for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Unlike every other game in the series, players do not follow a dancer to score but instead use an app on their phone to sing along and score based on that. Online services for the game shut down in 2018, effectively making the game unplayable. The second standalone game is Just Dance VR, which was released in 2024 for the Meta Quest 2, 3, 3S, and Pro headsets. The game features 24 songs from previous games alongside one exclusive and allows players to play routines that have been adapted to the 3D environment using an interface loosely based on the Just Dance service.

Asian exclusives[]

Two separate series have been released in Asia: one for Japan and for China. These games are heavily based on their main series counterparts and feature exclusive songs alongside main series content.

Japanese series[]

The Japanese series consists of four games exclusive to Japan. The first three games consisted of mostly exclusives alongside a handful of songs from the main series, using the interface of the whichever main series game was out at the time. The first two were exclusive to the Japanese Wii while the latter two were exclusive to the Japanese Wii U. The first game, Just Dance Wii, released in 2011 and was based on Just Dance 2. The game featured mostly Japanese exclusives alongside a handful of songs from Just Dance and Just Dance 2. The second game, Just Dance Wii 2, was released in 2012 and was based on Just Dance 3, featuring exclusives alongside songs from Just Dance 2 and Just Dance 3. The third game, and first to be a Wii U exclusive, was Just Dance Wii U, which was released in 2014 and was based on Just Dance 2014. The game features exclusives alongside songs from Just Dance 4 and Just Dance 2014. The final Japanese game was Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version, a crossover with the Yo-kai Watch franchise. The game was released in 2015 and features a modified version of the interface from Just Dance Wii U. Unlike previous games, it does not feature any content from the main series and instead features 10 songs from the Yo-kai Watch series.

Chinese series[]

The Chinese series consists of three games and two streaming services. Unlike the Japanese series, the Chinese series has less exclusives and are instead Chinese ports of the main series with a few exclusives alongside most of their main series counterpart. The first game was 舞力全开2015, which was the Chinese version of Just Dance 2015 for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The game features most of the track list of Just Dance 2015 with three exclusives and a Chinese version of Let It Go replacing the English version. The second installment was 舞力全开:活力派, which was released in 2016 and was intended to be a Chinese version of Just Dance Now. The game was intended to have several exclusives, but only two ended up releasing and the rest were scrapped. The app officially shut down in 2020. The third game was 舞力全开2017, which was the Chinese version of Just Dance 2017. The game features most of Just Dance 2017 alongside two Chinese exclusives. The fourth game was 舞力全开, also known as Just Dance China, which was the Chinese version of Just Dance 2020. The game released in 2020 and is exclusive to the Tencent Switch. The game released alongside 舞力无限, a Chinese version of Just Dance Unlimited. A fifth game, 舞力全开:派对, also known as Just Dance: Party, is in development.

Kids games[]

Two series have been released that are aimed at children. These are the Just Dance Kids and Disney Party games. These games feature a completely different interface to the main series. Unlike the main series, the dancers are primarily children and teenagers and are not painted white or recolored during post-production.

Kids series[]

Three games were released in the Kids series. These games feature mostly covers of popular songs and songs targeted towards children, such as nursery rhymes and songs from shows such as The Wiggles. The first was Just Dance Kids, which was released in 2010 in North America for the Wii. In Europe, the game was released in 2011 under the name Dance Juniors. This was followed by Just Dance Kids 2, known as Just Dance Kids in the PAL region, in 2011 for the Wii and Xbox 360. The third and final game in this series was Just Dance Kids 2014, which was released in 2013 for the Wii, Wii U, and Xbox 360. Unlike the previous two games, this game features more non-covered popular songs alongside covered songs.

Disney Party series[]

Two games were released in the Disney Party series. These games feature songs from Disney movies and TV shows using a similar interface as the Kids games. The first game, Just Dance: Disney Party, was released in 2012 for the Wii and Xbox 360. This was followed by Just Dance: Disney Party 2, which was released in 2015 for the Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Unlike its predecessor, the game only features songs from Disney Channel.

Companion apps[]

Outside of games, a handful of mobile apps have been released in addition to Just Dance Now and its Chinese counterpart. These apps were designed to supplement the game experience or to provide standalone experiences. The first companion app was Autodance, an app to make and share short videos similar to the in-game feature of the same name. The app has since shut down. The second companion app, excluding Just Dance Now, was the Just Dance Controller. This app launched alongside Just Dance 2015 and allowed Xbox One and PlayStation 4 users to play the game with their phone as a controller. Compatibility was eventually brought to all consoles outside of 7th-generation on subsequent games. The app was used until Just Dance 2022 and is the only way to score on PC, Google Stadia, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. The third app was the Just Sing Companion App, which was released alongside Just Sing and was required to play the game. The app served as a microphone and camera for the game, but has since shut down. The fourth app was Arby’s Just Dance, which was a 2020 collaboration with the fast food chain Arby’s. The app allowed players to scan toys from Arby’s kids meals and dress up characters and have them dance around to Paca Dance. The app has since shut down. The fifth app is Just Dance 2025 Controller, which launched alongside Just Dance 2023 Edition. The app is the only way to score on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.

Spin-offs[]

Outside of the above categories, six additional spin-off games have been released, usually focusing on a specific artist or genre. These spin-offs differed greatly from the main and other series. The first spin-off was Dance on Broadway, which released on the Wii in 2010 and on the PlayStation 3 in 2011. The Wii version features a menu similar to Just Dance but features quartets of motion-capture animated dancers instead of solo routines with real people. These routines were converted to duets for the PlayStation 3 version.

The second spin-off was Michael Jackson: The Experience, which released on the Wii, PlayStation Portable, and DS, in 2010, followed by releases for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, 3DS, and iOS in 2011, and the PlayStation Vita in 2012. The Wii and PlayStation 3 versions were the most similar to the main series games with players following real-life dancers resembling Michael Jackson and people from his music videos. The Xbox 360 version was completely different and instead featured a blank dancing silhouette that is filled in by the player themself using the Kinect camera alongside animated backup dancers. The handheld and mobile ports were a rhythm game that required players to tap the screen or push buttons in sync with the music while an animated Michael Jackson dances in the background.

The third spin-off was The Smurfs Dance Party, which was released in 2011 for the Wii to promote the 2011 Smurfs film. The game features characters from the film dancing to a track list that is mostly covers and Smurf-themed parodies of popular songs and uses an interface similar to the Just Dance Kids games.

The third spin-off was The Black Eyed Peas Experience, which was released in 2011 for the Wii and Xbox 360. The Wii version functions similar to the Kids games and features real-life dancers resembling members of the Black Eyed Peas dancing to Black Eyed Peas songs. The Xbox 360 version features a completely different interface and instead uses motion-captured versions of the dancers. The fourth spin-off was ABBA: You Can Dance, which released in 2011 for the Wii. The game features a similar interface to the Wii version of Michael Jackson: The Experience and features songs by ABBA. The fifth and final spin-off was The Hip Hop Dance Experience, which was released in 2012 for the Wii and Xbox 360. The game features a similar style as the Xbox 360 version of The Black Eyed Peas Experience and features motion-captured dancers dancing to various hip-hop songs.

An additional spin-off focusing on Shakira was supposed to release in 2012, but was scrapped early in development.

Related games[]

The following Ubisoft games are related to, but not part of, the Just Dance series.

Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party[]

Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party is a 2008 Wii game that serves as the third installment in the Rayman Raving Rabbids series. In this game, the Rabbids take over Rayman’s TV. Each TV channel functions as a mini-game and the idea for Just Dance came from the "Shake It TV" mini-game.[1] In this mini-game, players use either a Wiimote or the Wii Balance Board to follow the dance moves of an animated pictogram.

Gold’s Gym: Dance Workout[]

Gold’s Gym: Dance Workout is a 2010 Wii game that serves as the sequel to Gold’s Gym: Cardio Workout (2008). In this game, players use the Wiimote to follow gym trainers in a series of dance workouts. These workouts are set to popular songs, though the trainer shouts instructions to the player throughout the song. Ubisoft released a couple of promotional videos for the game on the Just Dance YouTube channel, and the game appeared alongside other dancing games in various Just Dance instruction manuals.

Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time[]

Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time is a 2010 Wii game and is the fifth game in the Rabbids franchise. In this game, the Rabbids travel through time to various eras. These eras are represented by different sections in a history museum, which have different mini-games. One of these mini-games is a dancing mini-game, which features seven Just Dance-style routines that were made by the same studio as Just Dance 2. All of these songs replace the original vocals with Rabbids and some of these songs would later appear in the main series with normal vocals and different routines.

Other media[]

Board games[]

Just Dance was adapted into the board game Top Dance: Just Dance in 2016. The objective of the game is for players to mimic the dance moves on cards drawn from the deck. Additionally, Just Dance-themed DLCs were released for the Ubisoft versions of Monopoly and Uno. These added Just Dance characters to the game boards and cards.

Film[]

Just Dance is set to be adapted into a film by Sony subsidiary Screen Gems. The film was announced on January 14, 2019, following the acquisition of the film rights by Screen Gems.[2] As of January 2023, the film is set to be directed by Will Gluck with a script written by Gluck and A. C. Bradley.[3] No further details have been announced since.

Live events[]

Just Dance has held several live events, including esports-style competitions and live concert experiences. In esports, Ubisoft held the Just Dance World Cup from 2014 to 2019. In these competitions, players competed in online and offline tournaments to qualify for a spot in the in-person finals. Smaller competitions have been held in the years since, the most notable being an appearance at the Olympic Esports Series 2023.

Additionally, Ubisoft has held live Just Dance concert tours. The first was Just Dance Live, which toured the United States in 2018. This was followed by Just Dance Party, which toured Europe in 2019, and Just Dance 2020 X-Mas Tour, which toured Germany in December 2019.

Television[]

While Just Dance has never been adapted into a television show, a handful of competitions have been televised. The Just Dance World Cup 2018 televised the French, Italian, Spanish, and German national finals, in their respective countries. The British finals were meant to be televised as well, but the broadcast was canceled and shown to an offline viewing party instead. The following year, only the Italian finals were televised. Additionally, a Brazilian competition titled No Gás do Just Dance aired in 2021.

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

References[]

Site Navigation[]

v - e - d
Main series
Just DanceJust Dance 2Just Dance 3Just Dance 4Just Dance 2014Just Dance 2015Just Dance 2016Just Dance 2017Just Dance 2018Just Dance 2019Just Dance 2020Just Dance 2021Just Dance 2022Just Dance 2023 EditionJust Dance 2024 EditionJust Dance 2025 Edition
Additional games
Just Dance: Summer Party/Extra SongsJust Dance: Greatest Hits/Best OfJust Dance NowJust Dance UnlimitedJust DanceJust Dance+Just Dance VR
Asian spinoffs
Japanese series
Just Dance WiiJust Dance Wii 2Just Dance Wii UYo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version
Chinese series
舞力全开2015舞力全开:活力派舞力全开2017舞力全开舞力无限舞力全开:派对
Kids series
Just Dance KidsJust Dance Kids 2Just Dance Kids 2014
Disney series
Just Dance: Disney PartyJust Dance: Disney Party 2
Other spinoffs
Unreleased
Unreleased Shakira spin-off
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