Modulus News

[h3]Welcome back to our Dev Deep Dive series! Last time, we looked at how Modulus works under the hood, from how we save massive factories to how new operators come to life.[/h3][h3]This time, we’re going smaller. Literally. We asked the team: what’s one small detail in Modulus you’re most proud of? It could be a visual effect, a clever piece of code, or just a moment that makes you smile when you see it in action.[/h3][h3]Turns out, all the “small” things are what make Modulus tick.[/h3][p]
Jarvs (Head of Comms): So, I want to know:[/p][h3]
What’s one small detail in Modulus you’re most proud of?[/h3][p]And I am going to start with Peter.[/p][p]Peter (Technical Director): There are so many little things that are cool about the game. How everything works together, how it looks, how it all just fits. I don’t think I could pick one specific thing, but that’s honestly what I’m proud of. The way all those parts combine into something cohesive. It’s not one detail, it’s how it all comes together that feels special.[/p][p]Oliver (Senior Engineer): I agree. You work on so many things that it’s hard to pick one moment that stands out. But when all of those parts finally click, when the systems you built separately start to sing together, that’s where the magic happens.[/p][p]If I had to pick something, I’d say the factory order system. Making sure operators know which ones to run first, how to handle loops, and keeping everything moving smoothly, that was complicated to get right. Seeing it all run perfectly now is deeply satisfying.[/p][p]Preet (Lead QA Engineer): For me, it’s the VFX. They’re tiny touches, but they really make the game feel alive. My favourite is the island unlocking effect, that big burst of light when you expand to a new island. It’s dramatic, but it also gives players that sense of achievement. Like, “yeah, I did something big.”[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Jarvs: I have to say the Data Centre building, the one that looks like a little black robot. It’s adorable. Every time I see it, I want a tiny 3D model of it on my desk. I’m still tempted to try building one out of LEGO.[/p][p]Antoine (Art Director): It wasn’t designed to look like a robot. That’s a happy accident. [/p][p]Jarvs: Well, he’s cute and I love him.[/p][p]Mick (Lead Developer): Mine’s a weird one: extractors feeding directly into other extractors. People always ask if it’s a bug, but it’s actually intentional! It’s such a space-saver, and once you know how it works, it feels like a secret handshake between experienced players. It stopped working at one point, but now that it’s fixed, it’s one of my favourite details in the game again.[/p][p]Rimme (Senior Engineer): I love how the whole game moves together. When you have a huge factory running, conveyors, operators, resources all moving in sync, it’s beautiful. We sometimes open debug saves filled with nothing but belts and items just to watch them flow. It’s hypnotic.[/p][p]Jarvs:  It's genuinely really satisfying to sit there and look at like some of the, the player builds where they've made a really busy factory. I like just watching them work. It's just so cool and so looks good.[/p][p]Antoine (Art Director):  For me, it’s the Advanced Stamper. It represents the whole philosophy of Modulus; creative freedom within clear rules. You can cut, rotate, cut again, and use both outputs however you want. It’s pure systemic design, and it encapsulates what the game is about.[/p][p]I’m also really proud of the Monuments. Designing a building with over 4,000 modules was a monumental challenge, pun intended. But seeing them finished is incredible.
[/p][p][/p][p]Mick: I have to also give a shoutout to the start scene. It might seem simple, but every time I boot up the game and see that drone floating across the screen, I remember why I love this project. It’s such a strong tone-setter; calm, beautiful, and instantly recognisable.[/p][p]Thomas (Senior Tech Artist):  Okay, mine’s super nerdy, the terrain shader. It prevents any visible repetition in the ground tiles, no matter how big the island is. Every island has its own texture map where each pixel represents a tile. It lets us blend materials like grass and stone seamlessly, and in the future, we can add new biomes easily because of it. It’s one of those things nobody will ever notice, but I love it.[/p][p]David (Game Director):  For me, it’s how the math just works. Everything ticks at consistent ratios; the furnace makes 15 cubes per minute, and buildings consume resources in neat multiples of that. When you finally balance everything perfectly, your Efficiency View turns green, and it just feels right.[/p][p]I was honestly scared it wouldn’t work when we first built the system, there are so many operations, so many variables, but it came together. That’s the moment you know Modulus is working as it should.[/p][p][/p][h3][/h3][p]Every little piece, from shaders and extractors to VFX bursts and modular math, adds up to what makes Modulus tick. It’s a game built on small details that work in harmony, each one contributing to that sense of flow when everything clicks.[/p][p]Next time, we shift the focus from development to discovery. The team reflects on what it’s actually like to play, sharing their favourite tips for new players, their own weird experiments, and the unexpected creativity that Modulus inspires.[/p][p]Don’t forget to wishlist the game, and give it a follow whilst you're there. Every follow the game gets, helps Steam recognise that people are excited for Modulus! It also means that you will be notified when we drop the next part of this series.[/p][p]
Become a Module Maker:[/p][p]Discord BlueSky TikTok YouTube Reddit Feature Upvote[/p][p]Catch you soon Module Makers.[/p]

• [p]Team Happy Volcano. [/p]

[h3]Welcome back, Module Makers![/h3][h3]It’s time for another Tantalising Tuesday Round-Up, where we gather all the exciting updates, sneak peeks, and behind-the-scenes progress we’ve shared on Discord across October.[/h3][h3]This month has been all about quality-of-life improvements, early-game clarity, and a first look at some massive new systems coming to Modulus. Let’s dive in:[/h3][p][/p][h2]Operator Config Copy + Paste[/h2][p]You asked and we delivered (well, Rimme did, at least 😄).[/p][p]One of the most requested QoL features is finally in the Discord playtest: Operator Config Copy + Paste![/p][p]Now you can:[/p]

• [p] Ctrl + Right-Click to copy an operator’s config[/p]
• [p] Ctrl + Left-Click to paste that config (single click, or hold and drag to paste onto multiple operators!)[/p]

[p]And because we love a little flair, there’s even a hologram-style animation so it feels like you’re literally carrying that setup in your cursor.[/p][p]No more rebuilding operators from scratch; just copy, paste, and keep your factories flowing.[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h2]
Early-Game Polish: Grey Basic Processing Plant [/h2][p]We heard you loud and clear, even some of our own team’s family were getting stuck here. 😅[/p][p]The Grey Basic Processing Plant Module #2 was causing confusion early on, so it got a well-deserved revamp:[/p]

• [p]Clearer colour coding for better readability[/p]
• [p]Updated mesh & thumbnail[/p]
• [p]Refined building visuals to match[/p]

[p]It’s a small change that makes a huge difference to how the early game feels. Less head-scratching, more building!
This change meant that our wizard of an Art Director, Antoine, had to redesign the building itself too. He honestly never fails to amaze the whole team with how he is able to make such cool looking buildings from David’s module shapes. [/p][h2] The Minimap Arrives[/h2][p]This one’s been hugely requested, and it’s finally here: The Minimap![/p][p]No more guessing which island you left that half-built refinery on. You can now move between your islands with precision and purpose:[/p]

• [p]Left-Click: Pan around your world[/p]
• [p]Scroll: Zoom in/out[/p]
• [p]Right-Click: Instantly jump to wherever you point[/p]

[p]It’s all about keeping you oriented and efficient as your factory empire grows.[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]That’s a Wrap![/h2][p]From copy-pasting configs to minimaps and module re-designs, October has been all about making Modulus smoother, smarter, and more fun to play.[/p][p]Thanks as always for your support, your feedback and enthusiasm keep the whole team energised. I genuinely share your comments with the team on the regular, and they love to hear your thoughts..[/p][p]Let us know which feature you’re most excited about below, and don’t forget to:
Follow the game to get notified when the next Dev Deep Dive or Tantalising Tuesday Round-up drops.
Wishlist Modulus to show your support.

Become a Module Maker:[/p][p]Discord BlueSky TikTok YouTube Reddit Feature Upvote[/p][p]Catch you soon, Module Makers!
— Team Happy Volcano[/p][p]
[/p]

[h3]In our last Dev Deep Dive, we looked at how community feedback has directly influenced the design of Modulus, from simplifying the furnace to improving drones and operators based on player suggestions. This time, we’re going a bit deeper into the technical side of things.[/h3][h3]We sat down with the team to talk about how some of Modulus’ player-facing systems actually work behind the scenes, from Efficiency View to saving and loading massive factories, and even what it takes to bring a brand-new operator to life.[/h3][p]Jarvs (Head of Comms): Let’s start with something a bit technical:[/p][p][/p][h3]How does the Efficiency View actually work under the hood?[/h3][p]Thomas (Senior Tech Artist): It’s honestly much simpler than people might expect. We just look at the last ten operations and average whether they succeeded or not. That’s the whole system.[/p][p]One small tweak we added later is that it starts at 100% efficiency, because we assume players know what they’re doing when they first build something. From there, it gradually adjusts down if the system isn’t running efficiently. It’s a tiny touch, but it makes the feature feel smoother and more forgiving.[/p][p]Mick (Lead Developer): What about that flashing red when something isn’t working, is that intentionally painful?[/p][p]Thomas: \[laughs] Absolutely. Years of psychological research went into finding the perfect shade of migraine-inducing red.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Jarvs: Okay, next question:[/p][h3]
How do you handle saving and loading big factories quickly?[/h3][p]Rimme (Senior Engineer): The short answer is: we prioritise stability first, speed second. Our main goal has been making sure saves always work correctly, even across versions. We’ve built systems that convert older save files to newer formats, which has been a big focus leading up to recent playtest updates.[/p][p]A few playtesters have already been helping us test extreme saves, the ones that really push the system. For now, a short loading screen hasn’t been a problem, so we’re focusing on reliability rather than optimisation.[/p][p]Thomas: There’s also a lot of work behind making sure that when you load a factory, everything runs exactly as it did before. Conveyors, operators; they all need to resume in sync. That’s harder than it sounds![/p][p]We did have a moment once where loading took over two minutes… and it turned out the grass system was the culprit. Every single blade of grass was checking every operator on load. That one got fixed fast.

[/p][p]Mick (Lead Developer): What’s cool is how lightweight the save files are now. Everything you place in the game, every operator, conveyor, or building, has its own little data entry. It’s all text-based, super compact, and surprisingly efficient for how large factories can get.[/p][p]We could optimise it further down the road, but right now, it’s performing well enough that we can focus elsewhere. If players ever build truly gigantic factories that push it to the limit, we still have options.[/p][p]Thomas: Exactly. It’s all about priorities. If nobody’s complaining, that’s usually a good sign that we can keep focusing on the features people are shouting about.[/p][p]Jarvs: Let’s finish this section by walking through:[/p][p][/p][h3]How a new operator actually gets made, from concept to in-game.[/h3][p]David (Game Director): The philosophy behind Modulus is that we don’t need dozens of operators doing wildly different things. Instead, we focus on a few powerful, versatile ones. Most operators fall into basic categories like cutting, stamping, or assembling; fundamental actions that can combine in endless ways.[/p][p]When we prototype a new one, I’ll usually start with a simple text description or a quick sketch. We build the logic first, just to see if it works with the rest of the system. If it does, it moves into internal testing. If it passes that, we add a proper model, optimise it, and make sure it meaningfully expands what players can do.[/p][p]If it doesn’t open up new possibilities or create new problem-solving options, it doesn’t make the cut. Everything needs to fit naturally with the existing toolset.[/p][p]Mick: That’s what makes it powerful. The system is flexible enough that we can prototype new operators really quickly, sometimes in a single day. Once you’ve built that foundation, adding new functionality becomes surprisingly straightforward.[/p][p]One of my favourites was the scrapper. Early on, it was literally just a black cube that made things disappear, no art, no effects, just delete-on-input. But it worked, and that made it easy to expand into the full system we have now.[/p][p]And of course, we have a long list of wild operator ideas we’d love to add someday. The fun part is knowing the system can handle them when the time comes.[/p][p]\[Editor Jarvs here, don’t worry guys I will get this list out of them at some point][/p][p]From efficiency systems to save logic, the tech under Modulus is full of clever solutions hidden beneath the surface. Every feature, no matter how simple it looks on screen, has been shaped by iteration, feedback, and the team’s obsessive drive to make things just work.[/p][p]In the next part of our Dev Deep Dive we’re going smaller. Literally. We asked the team: what’s one small detail in Modulus you’re most proud of? Hit that follow button on the game’s store page so you’re notified when we drop the answers to that question and more. Every follow the game gets, helps Steam recognise that people are excited for Modulus.[/p][p]Don’t forget to wishlist the game whilst you're there.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Catch you soon Module Makers.[/p]

• [p]Team Happy Volcano. [/p]

[h3]In our last Dev Deep Dive, we looked at how cross-disciplinary collaboration shapes Modulus; the constant back-and-forth between art, design, programming, and audio that keeps the game moving forward. If you missed that one, it’s well worth a read for anyone curious about how small teams stay agile.[/h3][h3]This time, we’re diving into another vital force behind Modulus: the community. From early playtests to Discord discussions, players have had a real impact on the game’s development.[/h3][p]Jarvs (Head of Comms): We’ve already said how much we love the community, but let’s dig into it further:[/p][h3]Has feedback from players ever directly changed what you were doing?[/h3][p]David (Game Director): All the time. It’s rarely about “massive problems”, the game’s in good shape, but players sink way more hours into Modulus than we can. That means they uncover little frustrations or oddities we’d never spot. And sometimes a tiny tweak makes all the difference, like unblocking a frustrating loop so the system runs smoothly again.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Thomas (Senior Tech Artist): A recent one was the furnace. We had this neat idea, but in practice it felt too complex. The feedback pushed us to make it simpler. It still worked the same, but the path to using it was much clearer. That happens a lot: we have a clever design in our heads, and the community shows us how to make it straightforward without losing depth.[/p][p]Antoine (Art Director): Same with buildings. In early demos, finished buildings looked way too polished compared to the modules players had crafted. It wasn’t obvious that the buildings were made from those modules. So we toned down the visuals to bring them closer together. Maybe they look a little less flashy now, but the connection is way more rewarding; you see exactly how your modules became the building.[/p][p]Jarvs: And honestly, that’s cooler. It’s not “less detailed,” it’s more personal.[/p][h3]Are there any favourite player suggestions that made it into the game?[/h3][p]Rimme (Senior Engineer): The Pick Operator tool. Middle-click on a conveyor or operator, and it selects that block so you can place more instantly. It’s tiny, but it feels amazing, one of those little quality-of-life changes that only came from players playing for hundreds of hours.[/p][p]Thomas: I love it too.[/p][p]Jarvs: Right? It’s small, but it changes how you build.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Mick (Lead Developer): For me, it’s less about one suggestion and more about community sentiment. Drones, for example. Everyone kept saying they felt too slow. Not mathematically, not “off by a number,” just… slow. Enough people said it, and we realised they were right. We sped them up, and suddenly the whole game felt better. No one person can claim credit, but the vibe mattered.[/p][p]Jarvs: That’s huge. Even if you don’t know it, your voice adds to the bigger picture.[/p][p]Ok Last question in this section:[/p][h3]What’s one thing you wish players knew about your work?[/h3][p]David: For me, it’s the numbers behind everything. Modulus looks, and is, approachable, but underneath it’s a deep factory game. There’s beauty when you start calculating outputs, balancing resources per minute, and squeezing maximum efficiency into minimum space. It’s daunting at first, but once you pierce that veil, it becomes this really satisfying puzzle.[/p][p]Jarvs: The community gets it, though. Remember when Thomas mentioned his “grass-only” challenge? Everyone immediately ran off to try it themselves. Watching players embrace those constraints and still come up with amazing factories was awesome. That’s the spirit of Modulus.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Modulus community doesn’t just play the game, they help shape it. From subtle tweaks to major reworks, player feedback has pushed the team to simplify, refine, and discover new ways of making the factory-building experience more rewarding.[/p][p]In the next part of our Dev Deep Dive, we’ll look at how it all works under the hood. From Efficiency View, to saving and loading massive factories, we dive into what makes Modulus tick. [/p][p]Don’t forget to wishlist the game, and give it a follow whilst you're there. Every follow the game gets, helps Steam recognise that people are excited for Modulus! It also means that you will be notified when we drop the next part of this series.[/p][p]
Catch you soon Module Makers.[/p]

• [p]Team Happy Volcano. [/p]

[p]Get ready for something special, Module Makers:[/p][h2]Modulus is heading to the EGX Arena Stage![/h2][p]
🗓️ Sunday, Oct 26 | 2:30–4:30 PM (BST)
📍 EGX Arena Stage, Excel Centre, London[/p][h3]
Think fast, build smart![/h3][p]Watch as creators race against the clock to build a voxel masterpiece in the most ingenious factories. Who will optimise, who will improvise, and who will crumble under the conveyor belts? [/p][p][/p][p]Featuring creators:[/p]

• [p]TotalXclipse[/p]

• [p]Bitz[/p]
• [p]Orbital Potato[/p]
• [p]Nikoheart[/p]

• [p]Spectrum Dad[/p]

[p]🎤 Hosted by Scott Tailford (WhatCulture Gaming / Just Good Game News) and our very own Jarvs Tasker from Happy Volcano.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]If you’re at EGX, make sure to come by and cheer them on, or catch the action online on the official EGX channel.[/p][p]
This one’s going to be a spectacle of speed, smarts, and serious voxel chaos![/p][p][/p][p]See you there Module Makers.[/p]

• [p]Team Happy Volcano[/p]

[p]
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