How to Play Just Dance

Getting The Game

Decide which version of the game you'd like to play. Just Dance releases a game every year with a varied tracklist of songs, and plenty of features. With the multiple versions of the game, Just Dance is available on most major video game consoles. Currently, Just Dance 2024 Edition is the most recent version of the game, but you can choose another version if you'd like.

Purchase the game. You can purchase copies of Just Dance through online shopping sites, and at video game stores. If you do not have a console, Just Dance Now is available for the PC (via a browser), where a smartphone is used as the controller.

Consider buying Just Dance Plus. If you buy Just Dance Plus, you will get more exclusive songs and re-releases of your favorite Just Dance songs. You can do this via your video game console shop. Additionally, all new copies of Just Dance 2023 Edition will give you a free 30-day trial of Just Dance Plus. For Just Dance 2017 to 2022, you can purchase Just Dance Unlimited as an alternative.

Playing the Game

Grab a controller. For Just Dance 2023 Edition, all supported consoles allow you to use your smartphone as a controller, by downloading the controller app from Ubisoft in your phone's App Store. Additionally, Nintendo Switch users can use their Joy-Cons for the game. If you are playing an older version of the game, note that the controllers for each console are different. For the Wii and Wii U, you will have to use the Wii Remote. For the Xbox 360/Xbox One (original), you’ll use the Kinect. For Playstation 3, 4, or 5 (prior to JD2022), you can either use the PS Move controller or the PS Camera. Plus, the original Controller app is effective for playing on Just Dance 2017 - 2022.

Create a profile if you're able to. In Just Dance 2 and later, you can create a profile with your name, which will track stats like your star average. Starting from Just Dance 4, you can also give this profile an avatar, which will be displayed in-game. You can also customize your profile if you're playing Just Dance 2019 and above, and you can change your avatar, alias, and the background of the profile. Your profile can also be seen publicly if you get "Dancer of the Week" (for getting the best score for a song; only on 2019-2022)/on the top 100 on a leaderboard (2023) or if you participate in the World Dance Floor (2018-2022).

Select a song and dancer. Scroll through the list, find a song you like and play! Starting from Just Dance 3 on, you will be able to select which dancer you'd like to play as. You can choose any of them, but the only difference is the moves performed. You may need to focus on the difficulty of the song that best suits your needs if you're playing Just Dance 1 to 3 to Just Dance 2019 - 2023, since these games contain difficulty levels. If you are warming up, try going for the Easy routines. Those looking for a challenge should go for the Hard routines.

Follow the dance moves on screen. In Just Dance, you gain points by following the dancer's moves. There are 5 levels of scoring: "Perfect", "Super", "Good", "OK", and "X". The more closely you follow the moves, the better scores you'll get.

Pay attention to the pictograms on the bottom. On the bottom right of the screen, you'll see some figures. These are called "pictograms", and they depict the moves that are coming up, so you'll know how to move next.

Watch for gold moves. Gold Moves are special moves, which are performed at certain points in the song. Every song has one, and these only have two scores: "YEAH!" and "X", depending on whether or not you performed the move correctly. These can give you a lot of points, so watch out for them when they come up!

Earn stars. After reaching a certain score, you will start to earn stars for dancing. Try shooting for the Superstar/Megastar level - this will show that you've mastered the routine!

Practice to get better. Once you get a feel for the game, you'll slowly start to get better at it. It just takes some practice!

Avoid being afraid of looking silly. Part of the fun of Just Dance is doing silly dance moves, either by yourself or with your family or friends. If you don't worry about looking silly, it can help you move better, and get higher scores.