What is Roblox?
As we know it today, Roblox is a social platform-turned-metaverse where prideful gamers (of all ages) develop and share their creations while indulging in community-driven games. Roblox has left a legacy that’s attracted a supportive community and following, which is a large part of why the aging platform remains intact today. Roblox is more than just a massive sandbox/simulation game; it reels in a large, growing community and brings indispensable resources to get gaming creations out to the world without needing a top-end Android phone.
Thanks to Roblox’s commitment to bringing new features and the online safety practices the platform follows, it’s become a robust choice for educators and parents to promote virtual learning. As it currently stands, anyone can get started with Roblox. The platform is here to stay and will only continue growing. So, to aid newcomers and curious prospects in learning what Roblox is all about, we’ve created a guide that encompasses what Roblox is, how to get started, and a breakdown of fundamental features you’ll encounter on the app.
What is Roblox?
Roblox Corporation launched Roblox in 2006, and it’s still extremely popular as a metaverse for gamers today; it is currently one of Google Playstore’s most downloaded apps, with over 500 million downloads. Roblox is available across many platforms, including mobile, PC, Xbox, Mac, and Fire OS, and there’s no doubt that this cross-platform accessibility is a significant reason why Roblox has surged in popularity. Now it’s the primary platform for young aspiring game developers to learn how to make games.
The history behind Roblox
It all began when co-founders David Baszucki and Erik Cassel launched Roblox Corporation in 2006. Roblox was originally called “DynaBlocks” and “GoBlocks” during its course of development between 2003-2005; the company finalized the name to “Roblox” at release — which is how we know it today.
In 2007, Roblox followed suit with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998), where Roblox added restrictions on its primary chat for users under 13; underage Roblox users could only select pre-defined messages from a menu to communicate with other players. Within that same year, Roblox launched Builders Club (now rebranded as Roblox Premium) and other server improvements, including character customization and a ticket system.
Years later, Roblox continued to roll out new features and changes and, most importantly, expanded across macOS (2011), iOS (2012), Android (2014), and Xbox One (2015). It eventually reached VR in 2016 using the Oculus Rift. Now, millions of users load into Roblox on multiple devices, including Chromebooks, after adding some tweaks.
Getting started on Roblox
Roblox is available on various platforms; you can download a native app or launch the web browser version. It’s best to explore Roblox at your own pace by setting up and customizing your Roblox account, viewing other users’ creations and playing through the most popular Roblox experiences, and then getting your feet wet with game design.
Getting your kids involved with Roblox
Roblox is an excellent gaming platform to get your kids involved as parents or even as educators. Roblox is a safe online sanctuary for children. You don’t have to worry about your kids engaging with the community unfiltered; chat is fully moderated for inappropriate language and content by actual humans.
As a parent, you can also set parental controls on your child’s Roblox account; you’ll set permissions for how that account interacts with the website and personalize the amount of privacy and exposure to contact — while customizing which experiences are available for your child to play. Settings cannot change without using the parental PIN. But to ensure your child’s safety, always check if your child uses the same account you’ve used to set the parental controls. And if you’re still concerned about the games your kids become involved with, you can use Roblox as a bonding opportunity by partaking in some family-friendly Roblox experiences together.
Game creation
Roblox uses Lua, a programming language stored in scripts praised for being powerful, efficient, and lightweight. It’s beginner-friendly and teaches you how to write code and then stores that inside scripts, and then your games/applications run off of those scripts. You’ll gain a fundamental understanding of game design after working through a few projects inside the Roblox Studio.
Getting started on Roblox Studio
Aside from the Roblox app, you’ll need to download Roblox Studio, accessed from the Roblox website. Note: You can only download Roblox Studio for your PC (Windows and Mac).
- Navigate to the Create – Roblox webpage and navigate to Start Creating.
- Click on Download Studio.
Inside Roblox Studio is where the bulk of game creation happens; this is where you develop your game, create objects/resources, test your scripts (and debug), and work with tools and templates. Everything you need to make your game is found within Roblox Studio.
Roblox Studio is daunting if you haven’t worked on programming before, but that’s why users can visit the Developer’s hub to access tutorials and the community for resources and support. Educators can acquire free lesson plans and receive learning tools if they want to use Roblox as the primary learning platform.
Personalizing your Roblox account
Getting started on your Roblox account is a multi-step process. You’ll want to think carefully about how you’ll portray your account; your account is involved in everything you do on Roblox. Sometimes, your account is considered a representation of yourself in this virtual place. But still, protecting your identity is essential, so you’ll want to create a username that fits your image and branding, especially if you plan to grow on this platform.
Creating and customizing your avatar
When registering a new account, expect to take some time to create your Roblox avatar. Essentially, this is the character model you’ll see in Roblox games and what is physically associated with your account. New accounts will have limited cosmetic options, but the point is to buy into more customization options once you’ve decided to stick with the platform.
Remember that once you’ve settled on an avatar, this is what you’ll see in many Roblox experiences. It’s similar to creating a Mii on your Nintendo system. So do your best to put care into it, especially if you’re trying to establish your brand.
Username versus display name
Your username serves as the unique identifier to your account, and it cannot be changed without paying 1000 Robux. However, your username isn’t what’s displayed publicly to other Roblox users; your display name is what shows up, which is separate from your username. You can change your display name for free. Remember to avoid connecting your username to your personal information; your privacy matters and should always be protected, especially in an enormous community filled with hundreds of millions of Roblox users.
Parental controls and safety features
Children under 13 years of age should register a Roblox account with their parents. By customizing the account settings, you can ensure your child receives direct messages from registered friends, access to age-appropriate games, and restrictions to chat. Parents must keep tabs on the 4-digit PIN so their child cannot override the account settings. To get started, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Account Restrictions (turn the slider on).
Text-based chats also have a filter system and are closely monitored. That way, you don’t have to worry about inappropriate chat topics while enjoying an experience.
Chat with voice in Roblox
Roblox has rolled out a native voice chat option where users who enable the “Chat with voice” option can connect to other users with the same settings. The voice chat feature has been in beta and is only available for users ages 13 years and older. Verifying your age is lengthy, requiring you to scan your ID and take a selfie. The process takes a few extra steps, but since there is little to no filter with the voice chat feature, Roblox has to ensure you’re in the appropriate age group to begin using it.
To enable voice chat, head to Settings > Privacy, then tap to enable the voice chat option. Note: You must be part of the Chat with voice beta program and successfully verify your age. Otherwise, the voice chat option isn’t present inside your settings.
Keeping your Roblox account secure
While creating new Roblox accounts, account security often gets overlooked by people who might be uninformed (much like children) and ill-experienced about the importance of this practice. Anytime you share personal information, put money down, and log into your account, you put yourself at risk if your account is unprotected. Data can become stolen, so we must take extra precautions to protect these accounts.
All Roblox accounts will have a separate username and a separate Display name; the Display name is there to protect you from sharing any personal information that may become tied to your username. Secondly, turn on two-factor authentication (2FA). Two-factor authentication provides an additional layer of protection on any Roblox account. That way, no one else can sign into your account without knowing how to bypass the 2FA.
How to turn on 2FA on Roblox
- Launch and login into the Roblox app.
- Tap on the circle three dots icon.
- Scroll down and tap Settings.
- Tap Security.
- Choose any option (authenticator app, email, and security keys on the web only) to set up 2FA, and turn that slider on; we recommend at least the email option.
- Enter your account’s password and tap Verify.
- Once verification is complete, the slider turns green (it is now on). Then, repeat the steps for all other 2FA verification options.
Now with 2FA set up, you will need to enter an additional (unique) code before logging into Roblox; you’ll generate and find the code with any of the three selected options above. Always use 2FA; it only takes a few extra minutes to keep your account fully secure.
Is Roblox free?
At its core, the platform is free to download and use across all devices. You can create a Roblox account for free and access most of its games (Roblox experiences) without paying a cent; note that some experiences will require paid access.
Despite those free perks, Roblox still incentivizes spending real money to acquire additional features and customization options. So in the grand scheme, it’s more appropriate to label Roblox as a freemium platform. But like most freemium models, money goes towards the operating costs and, sometimes, personal investment.
How does Roblox make money
Roblox earns revenue in a variety of ways. Every time a user purchases Robux, a percentage gets turned into profit, while the rest sustains the operating costs and development. See the illustration below for how every dollar spent in Roblox gets divvied.
For aspiring developers looking to sell their Roblox products, the total Robux earned can vary up to 75% depending if you’re the creator, distributor/seller, or both. The remaining 25% always goes to the platform.
Other ways Roblox makes a profit include advertising partnerships, licensing, and royalties. So just by sheer popularity and exposure of this gaming platform-turned-metaverse alone, Roblox has plenty of stable ways to stay afloat.
Investing into Roblox
All tools are freely accessed in Roblox, but sometimes you might want to spice up your latest creations using Robux, the primary Roblox currency, or start looking into one of the premium plans. In either case, it may require you to put some money down. It might even be a good idea to throw a few Roblox gift cards to your close friend or family heavily invested in a Roblox project, which is a sure way to show your support for their game development endeavors.
Robux and Roblox Premium
The in-game currency to purchase accessories, clothes, avatar animations, and access to unique perks in games. Robux is acquired with real money, donated, traded, and gained from your premium membership. The Roblox Premium has three available tiers, and each tier indicates how much Robux you’ll earn monthly.
- Premium 450 ($5/month)
- Premium 1000 ($10/month)
- Premium 2200 ($20/month)
You receive other perks from enrolling in the Roblox Premium membership program. You get VIP treatment where you get an extra 10% Robux on purchase, the ability to trade items, exclusive discounts in the Avatar Shop and bonus accessories, and access to premium-only items found in experiences.
What can Roblox Credit be used for
Roblox Credit is the direct conversion from real-world money to a Credit found on your Roblox account, specifically your credit balance. You use your Roblox Credit to buy a premium membership plan or for Robux. Anytime you redeem a Roblox gift card, you convert it to Roblox Credit, then convert those into Robux or Roblox Premium.
Choosing the right Roblox experience
Participating in Roblox experiences is another way of saying you’re accessing applications and games found within Roblox. Roblox becomes the primary hub where anyone can share and join Roblox experiences.
Like regular apps and games, Roblox experiences are searchable and have associated genres. You can search for thrill-seeking experiences that scare the living daylights out of anyone or simply browse the most popular Roblox creations that everyone’s playing.
The opportunities behind Roblox are vast and endless; you can enter any experience, whether alone or with people on your friend list. So if you’re looking for a time sink, you’ll find it by playing through the many Roblox experiences published by the day.
Supporting Roblox
The Roblox developers provide many tools and resources for online safety, learning tutorials, and advice on succeeding in game development. As Roblox continues to flourish, it becomes an excellent outlet to share projects within a sizable community, supporting the growth of newly aspiring developers.
Of course, even with the Roblox reaching double digits in age, it still holds an excellent foundation for some of the top-tier sandbox games to experience on Android. Plus, the platform continues to conjure surprises, so even signing up for a new Roblox account today will add a fresh take on gaming. There’s no time like the present to begin your journey through Roblox’s vast gaming metaverse, which is why we’ve included the app widget below.