BLOG

What Is Roblox?

Roblox is a trendy, international, free, online game platform. So, while it's easy to think of it as a single game, it's really a platform. That means folks using Roblox create their own games for others to play. Visually it looks like a marriage of LEGO and Minecraft.

Is Roblox a game? Yes, but not precisely. Roblox is a game platform that supports user-created, multi-user games. Roblox refers to this as a "social platform for play." Players can play games while seeing the other players and socially interacting with them in chat windows.

Who Created Roblox and When?

"David Baszucki and Erik Cassel" created the platform in the early 2000s. It was released to the general public in 2006.

Where You Can Play Roblox

Roblox is available on most platforms, including Windows, Mac, iPhone/iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, and Xbox One. You can also play Roblox on Chromebook. Roblox even offers a line of toy figures for offline imaginative play.

Users can also create groups or private servers to play privately with friends, chat on forums, create blogs, and trade objects with other users. Activity is more restricted for children under the age of 13.

How do I get a Roblox promotional code?

You may receive a Roblox promo code from one of our many events or giveaways. Valid codes will earn you a virtual good that will be added to your Roblox account.

How do I use my promotional code?

This is the place to claim your goods. Enter the promo code in the section to the right and your free virtual good will be automatically added to your Roblox account. Remember that promo codes may expire or only be active for a short period of time, so make sure to use your code right away.

What Is the Object of Roblox?

There are three main components to Roblox: the games, the catalog of virtual items for sale, and the design studio for creating and uploading content you create.

Different games will have different objectives. For example, the game "Jailbreak" is a virtual cops and robbers game where you can choose to either be a police officer or a criminal. "Restaurant Tycoon" lets you open and run a virtual restaurant. "Fairies and Mermaids Winx High School" lets virtual fairies learn to hone their magical abilities.

Some kids may be more into social interaction, and some may prefer spending time customizing their avatar with both free and premium items. Beyond playing games, kids (and grown-ups) can also create games that they can upload and let others play.

How Many People Play Roblox?

According to Roblox in February 2020, more than 115 million people worldwide play the game. That number rapidly increased by July 2020 to more than 164 million players, probably fueled by the pandemic and stay-at-home orders.

More than 2 million creators build games and communities, which continually update the platform with new activities and features.

Is Roblox Safe for Younger Kids?

Roblox abides by Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which regulate the information children younger than 13 are allowed to disclose. Chat sessions are moderated, and the system automatically filters out chat messages that sound like attempts to disclose personal identifying information like real names and addresses.

That doesn't mean that predators could never find a way around the filters and moderators. Talk with your child about safe online behavior and use reasonable supervision to make sure they're not exchanging personal information with "friends." As a parent of a child under 13, you can also turn the chat window off for your child.

Once your child is 13 or older, they'll see fewer restrictions on chat messages and fewer filtered words. It's important to make sure you keep in communication with your middle and high school-aged child regarding online social platforms. Another thing older players should watch out for is scammers and phishing attacks. Like any other gaming platform, there are thieves who will attempt to get access to their accounts and rob players of their virtual objects and coins. Players can report inappropriate activity so that moderators can deal with it.

Violence and Younger Kids

You may also want to observe a few games to make sure you find the level of violence acceptable. Roblox avatars resemble LEGO mini-figs and not realistic people, but many of the games involve explosions and other violence which might cause the avatar to "die" by breaking into a lot of pieces. Games can also include weapons.

Although other games have a similar gameplay mechanics (LEGO adventure games for example), adding the social aspect to gameplay may make the violence appear more intense.

You know your child best so your judgment is key here.

Potty Language on Roblox

You should also be aware that when the chat window is up, there's a lot of "poop talk" in younger chat windows. The filters and moderators remove the more traditional swear words while leaving a little "potty" language in, so kids like to say "poop" or give their avatar names something with poop in it.

If you're the parent of a school-age child, this is probably unsurprising behavior. Just be aware that your house rules about acceptable language may not conform to Roblox rules. Turn off the chat window if this is a problem.