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.
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.
Turns out, all the “small” things are what make Modulus tick.
Jarvs (Head of Comms): So, I want to know:
What’s one small detail in Modulus you’re most proud of?
And I am going to start with Peter.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Antoine (Art Director): It wasn’t designed to look like a robot. That’s a happy accident.
Jarvs: Well, he’s cute and I love him.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Catch you soon Module Makers.
Team Happy Volcano.