Just Dance 2021

As with the previous installments of the franchise, players must mimic the on-screen dancer's choreography to a chosen song using either motion controllers (excluding the ninth generation consoles and Stadia) or the game's associated smartphone app. The Stadia version also allows the use of a gamepad and a keyboard for menu navigation.

Its user interface and features are largely identical to Just Dance 2019 and Just Dance 2020. Changes include the "World Dance Floor" now being revamped with a three-song competitive tournament in three separate rooms that matches a player's level with other players of a similar level, Chill Panda (Beginner), Fabulous Hippo (Intermediate), and Fierce Deer (Expert), and a new results screen that details the player's accuracy rate in performing the moves, which is only shown when playing solo.^[6][7] The game also features a new mode, known as "Quick Play" mode, in which the game randomly shuffles a song to make it easy for players to jump right into dancing without the struggle of choosing a song to dance to.^[8]

The Just Dance series primarily features routines performed by real-life dancers, who have makeup and costumes applied on and their in-game appearances edited in post-production. The production of Just Dance 2021, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, presented several challenges for the development team at Ubisoft Paris owing to social distancing guidelines. To tackle these problems, Ubisoft Paris used strategies like a comprehensive overhaul of traditional production methodologies to accommodate remote collaboration, while upholding the series' established brand strategy.^[9] Ubisoft Paris also embraced a commitment to diversity and inclusivity by introducing a variety of characters, including disabled dancers, into the game's universe.^[10]