Modulus News

[h3]In our last Dev Deep Dive, we looked at the tricky balance between player freedom and technical performance in Modulus. If you missed it, go check that out first, it’s full of behind-the-scenes stories about how we keep factories running smoothly, even when players push the game to extremes.[/h3][h3]This time, we’re exploring another challenge: how a small team blends art, audio, and design into one seamless experience.[/h3][h3]Jarvs (Head of Comms): Let’s kick this off:

How do you make sure art, audio, and gameplay all work together? [/h3][p]That’s a lot of moving pieces.[/p][p]Oliver (Senior Engineer): Lots of back and forth.[/p][p]David (Game Director): Exactly. Being a small team helps. Communication between disciplines is fast. For one feature I’m working on, I’ve got a chat with Antoine on art, another with Oliver on programming, and I’m handling design. That iteration loop is super quick.[/p][p]Antoine (Art Director): Our task management system is a big help too. Everyone knows what needs doing each sprint \[sprints are two-week timed action plans], and when assets will be ready. That way programming can be timed with art deliveries.[/p][p]Jarvs: And none of the meetings feel like filler. Everyone shares progress in Slack too; animations, bug clips, sound tests, everything. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]It's so cool to get a window into what everybody else is doing. Not only is it interesting from a learning point of view, but it makes you really proud of the people you're working with, because you’re always seeing how cool what they're doing is. Plus it makes you excited for when it's all implemented. We learn a lot from each other because of that as well. It's something really special about Happy Volcano, our Slack is a goldmine.[/p][p]Right, moving on:[/p][h3]Has one team’s idea ever forced a major change in another’s work?[/h3][p]Mick: All the time. Sometimes it’s as simple as, “No, that’s not possible,” which already shapes design. But the best is when a system proves flexible enough to use elsewhere. Our event-based onboarding system, for example, can also power Creative Mode. That’s the kind of enabling back-and-forth that makes things better.[/p][p]Oliver: Audio is a good example too. Our sound designer \[Almut Schwacke] didn’t know every technical detail, so we brainstormed together. Operators, for instance, don’t run on their own timers but are synced under the hood. That made audio cues tricky, so we worked out new solutions together.[/p][p]Jarvs: And what about the really big reworks; the kind where one change ripples through the whole pipeline?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Oliver: The islands. Originally we didn’t even have them, just set levels. Switching to editable islands meant a lot of redesign between art and programming, plus making sure saves didn’t break. It was a huge back-and-forth.[/p][p]Antoine: Buildings too. Each building goes through a long pipeline: modules, numbers, polish, props, export, import. At one point David realised the ratios weren’t right and asked for a redo. Painful, but necessary.\[Check out the Art of Modulus Deep Dive series for more on how the buildings are designed][/p][p]David: And it wasn’t just tweaking. If Antoine has 100 modules instead of 150, that’s rebuilding from scratch. Over time we refined the pipeline to test ratios in-game first, so we don’t lose weeks of work.[/p][p]Mick: If I remember correctly, in the early version, like really early, post prototype, it was the player's job to assemble the building. You would feed them modules and then there was a diorama or something that you had to click on to put them in place. I remember this, but never saw it in full action. I think it was just small buildings. [/p][p]So maybe Antoine, at some point we can outsource this to the player and you can stop having to redesign, and then players can just make one long string of shapes that goes into the sky. You know, that'd be awesome \[laughs].[/p][p]Antoine: I love the idea, but I’m also terrified by it.[/p][p]Jarvs: That idea of releasing control of the designs?[/p][p]Antoine: Yeah, exactly.[/p][p]Oliver: Still, Creative Mode really is the perfect place for players to design their own buildings from scratch. That freedom feels right.[/p][p]David: Who knows, maybe one day Creative Mode brings that back.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Every feature in Modulus is the result of cross-discipline compromise, a negotiation between what’s fun, what looks great, and what works under the hood. The team’s ability to iterate quickly is what keeps the game evolving without losing its vision.[/p][p]In the next part of our Dev Deep Dive, we’ll look at the impact of playtesting, the moments when player feedback changed everything. [/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][/p][p]Catch you soon Module Makers.[/p]

• [p]Team Happy Volcano. [/p]

[p]This is it, Module Makers, our final screenshot contest (for now)![/p][p]To celebrate the spooky season, we’re going all out. Build something haunting, eerie, or spooky-cute around the theme of Halloween in the Modulus demo; a voxel pumpkin, haunted factory, ghostly monument, whatever your imagination conjures up![/p][p]💀 Theme: Halloween
🎁 Prizes: Exclusive Modulus merch (a hat, and T-Shirt), plus a Modulus key on launch
📅 Deadline: 12:00 UTC 23rd October 2025
📜 Rules: https://modulusgame.com/terms-weekly-contest/[/p][p]
[/p][p]How to Enter[/p][p]Simply snap a screenshot of your creation in the Modulus Demo and share it with us either:[/p]

• [p]Here on Steam with the title Spooky Contest[/p]
• [p]On social media tagging us so we don’t miss it[/p]
• [p]Or in our screenshot contest forum on Discord[/p]

[p]Images must be unedited outside of the game to count. [/p][p]This is your last chance to claim screenshot victory this year, so let’s make this one to remember.[/p][p]We can’t wait to see what you build, make it spooky, make it weird, make it Modulus![/p]

• [p]Team Happy Volcano[/p]

[h3]In this part of our Dev Deep Dive series, the team talks about one of the toughest design challenges: how to give players creative freedom in Modulus without breaking performance or stability.[/h3][p]Jarvs (Head of Comms): Welcome back everyone, let’s kick this off:
[/p][h3]How do you balance creative freedom with performance and stability? That can’t be easy.[/h3][p]Thomas (Senior Tech Artist): Our approach is usually to give players as much freedom as possible, and then only put limits where performance demands it. The camera is one example; we cap how far you can zoom and tilt, which lets us cull distant objects.[/p][p]Another big factor is the islands. Because the world is split into separate islands, we can optimise them in parallel, even simulating them on different threads. That way, performance scales better as players expand.[/p][p]David (Game Director): Yeah, we set some general performance guidelines, but ultimately we have to see what players do. You can imagine scenarios, but sometimes people surprise you. Like, someone places 2,000 Scrappers, and suddenly performance tanks. Who does that? [/p][p](Side note from Jarvs editing this interview. Mick LITERALLY just did this, see video below)[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]But it happens, and that’s when we optimise.[/p][p]We don’t try to cover every possible extreme upfront. And at the same time, some players actually want to push the game to breaking point, so we don’t want to restrict that either.[/p][p]Jarvs: It’s very much a “challenge accepted” kind of thing for some players.[/p][p]Thomas: Definitely.[/p][p]Mick (Lead Developer): And honestly, that’s part of the genre. In factory games, if you go infinite, at some point you’ll hit performance limits. The question is: do you stop players early, or let them break things and then patch it if it becomes a widespread issue?[/p][p]We always choose the second option. For example, we let you plant a tree on every single tile if you want. We don’t pop up a warning after fifty trees. It’s more fun to push the system and see where it breaks. And if enough players hit the same wall, then we’ll dedicate time to solving it.[/p][p]It’s a kind of cooperation between us and the community. The core systems we ask you to use will always run well. Beyond that, it depends on what players push hardest and shout loudest about.[/p][p]Jarvs : And our community has been amazing for that. They don’t just break things, they explain how and why. That feedback has been huge in helping us decide what to fix, what to leave open, and what to revisit later. Honestly, they’re legends.[/p][p]Ok next question:
[/p][h3]How does the simulation handle scaling?[/h3][p]Mick : Our biggest advantage is modularity. That’s true for gameplay and development. A small set of elements can be combined endlessly, and that’s exactly what scaling is about.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Of course, you start with a naive approach, just add more and see if it works. Eventually it doesn’t, and then you need smarter solutions. Graphically, that might mean not rendering distant objects. In simulation, it might mean not running every system at full power all the time.[/p][p]Behind the scenes, games are full of smoke and mirrors. Modulus is no different. Scaling always “works until it doesn’t,” and then you rebuild. You throw away an old solution, design a better one, and carry on. That cycle never ends.[/p][p]Jarvs: You guys are true magicians to me. [/p][p]So moving on then:
[/p][h3]How do you optimize assets when hundreds of machines are running?[/h3][p]Thomas : A lot of it is classic optimisation; culling, instancing, and vertex shader animations for conveyors and resources.[/p][p]We’ve also discussed future systems like abstracting items. Instead of simulating every single resource individually, we could average inputs and outputs, almost like treating a group as one operator. That would allow much bigger factories without tanking performance.[/p][p]David : It’s technical wizardry, really. The kind that players don’t see, but that makes the game possible.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]The balance between freedom and performance is never final. Modulus is designed to let players push the boundaries, even if it means breaking the game. Every extreme build, every odd experiment, helps the team find the next optimisation and the next way to scale.[/p][p]In the next part of our Dev Deep Dive, the team talks about cross disciplinary collaboration, looking at how a small team blends art, audio, and design into one seamless experience.[/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][/p][p]Catch you soon Module Makers.[/p]

• [p]Team Happy Volcano. [/p]

[h2]Hello Module Makers,[/h2][h3]We’ve got some big news to share. Initially, we planned to launch Modulus into Early Access on October 22nd. But after much reflection (and a lot of help from you, our amazing community), we’ve decided to shift gears. Instead of heading into Early Access, we’re going to take the time to go all the way to a full 1.0 release in 2026.[/h3][p][/p][h3]Why the change? [/h3][p]Simply put: we want to make Modulus the best game it can be. Your feedback in the playtest has been incredible; you’ve helped us identify what’s working, what needs polishing, and which features matter most. This extra time means we can:[/p]

• [p]  Add more of the community-requested features.[/p]
• [p]  Polish every system until it shines.[/p]
• [p]  Deliver a better Modulus experience right from day one.[/p]

[p]To our playtesters: thank you. Your contributions have been invaluable in shaping our priority list. You’ve helped us steer the game in ways we couldn’t have done alone.[/p][p][/p][h3]What’s next? [/h3][p]We’ll be sharing a roadmap soon, once we’ve finalised a few more things, so you can see exactly what we’re working on between now and launch. Plus, we will be committing to monthly dev logs that tie in to that roadmap, to give you a clear picture of how things are going.[/p][p]We know this is a significant shift, but we’re more excited than ever for the launch of Modulus, and we’re so grateful to this community for helping us along the way.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you, as always, for your support and for helping us to build something truly monumental😉.[/p][p]– Team Happy Volcano[/p]

[h3]Every week on our Discord we share a little something new; a peek at upcoming features, mysterious work-in-progress shots, or fun behind-the-scenes experiments from the dev team.[/h3][h3]From now on every month we will round up all those sneak peeks and share them with you here at the start of the next month.

So, without further adieu here are September’s developer reveals for Modulus:[/h3][h2]
🎨 New Creative Mode Colours[/h2][p]We kicked off the month with a splash of colour!
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
Creative Mode is getting a much wider palette, so you’ll be able to make your factories pop with bold new shades and unique combinations. Want a pink assembly line? A bright green shade to build a voxel alien? Or maybe all the shades to make a rainbow? The possibilities are opening up, and we can’t wait to see the vibrant builds you’ll create.[/p][p][/p][h2]🟡 A Monumental Glimpse[/h2][p]Next, we teased something big. Literally.[/p][p]For the first time, we revealed Antoine’s (our Art Director) gorgeous Yellow Monument design; though only in its hologram form, leaving plenty of mystery around what it will take to construct. For those of you who don’t know what the monuments are in Modulus, don’t worry I got you!

Monuments are colossal structures that will take careful planning and a feat of engineering to build in game. Why are you building them you ask? Well, monuments are needed to connect you to The Grand Neural Network, and if you want to know who they are you’ll need to play the game😉.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We placed this one beside a standard building for scale, and let’s just say: your factories are going to need to think bigger. Much bigger.[/p][h2]
🔤 Text & Icon Blocks[/h2][p]Straight from Oliver’s (our Senior Engineer) desk, this one’s all about expression. We’re adding Text & Icon Blocks, which let you write messages or drop in icons directly into your factory builds. And yes, even our Discord emotes can show up in-game. Want to label production lines? Add cheeky in-jokes for your stream audiences? Or plaster BotLove emotes across your factory floor? The choice is yours.
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]👉 What’s the first thing you’d write (or emote) in your factory? Let us know in the comments.[/p][h2]
💧 Shiny New Water[/h2][p]Finally, we showed off something that’s been quietly flowing under the surface: brand-new water graphics! Rivers, lakes, and streams now look more alive than ever, bringing atmosphere and a sense of nature to your industrial creations. Factories may be about modules and machines, but the world around them matters too, and this update makes it shine. Thanks to Thomas (our Senior Tech Artist) for this one![/p][p]What do you think of the new look?
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]That’s a wrap on September’s teases!
Want to see these drops the moment they happen? Join us on Discord, where we share Tantalising Tuesdays (and lots of other behind-the-scenes updates) every week.
[/p][p][/p][p]Before we go, there are just TWO MORE DAYS left to vote for Modulus for the Dev Gamm Community Award. If you’re excited to get your hands on Modulus when it launches or have already spent countless hours in the demo, do us a favour and get your vote in now.

Vote here: [/p][p]https://devgamm.fillout.com/community-vote2025[/p][p] Thanks as always for your support Module Makers. 
Catch you soon.[/p]

• [p]Team Happy Volcano. [/p]

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