Millions of daily active users still play Roblox, an app that's over a decade old
Roblox, developed by Roblox Corporation, launched in 2006 and is still extremely popular today and considered a metaverse for gamers; it is currently one of Google Playstore's most downloaded apps, with over 500 million downloads since its launch. Not only is Roblox available on mobile, but it's also on PC, Xbox, Mac, and Fire OS. The accessibility is a huge reason Roblox has surged in popularity, making it the primary platform for young aspiring game developers to learn how to make games. Roblox provides the sandbox, the community, and the resources to get your gaming creations out to the world without needing a top-end Android phone to play. The continuous development and support behind Roblox and how it abides by online safety practices is another reason you'll see children's education and parenting promote learning in Roblox. Anyone can get started with Roblox, and the platform isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so 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.
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.
Roblox is an excellent gaming platform to get your kids involved as a parent 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, privacy, and contact, and which experiences are available for your child to play. Settings cannot change unless the parental PIN has been inputted, so you must ensure your child is on the correct account for Roblox.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Participating in Roblox experiences is another way of saying you're accessing applications and games found within Roblox. It's the place where you share and join Roblox experiences. Like regular apps and games, Roblox experiences are searchable and have associated genres. The opportunities behind Roblox are vast and endless; you can enter any experience, whether alone or with people on your friend list. If you're looking for a time sink, you'll find it by playing through the many Roblox experiences out there.
Roblox wouldn't be as well established and successful as it currently is if it weren't for the healthy relationship between the developers and the community. The developers provide many tools and resources for online safety, learning tutorials, and advice on how to succeed on the platform. The community comes together to create sizable and shareable projects that anyone can access. It isn't entirely accurate to call Roblox a sandbox game (in many ways, it still is), but it can still compete against some of the best sandbox Android games we currently have. All it takes to get started on Roblox is signing up for a new account and then exploring the published experiences, which is precisely why we included the Roblox widget, so you can see what Roblox has to offer.
Faith writes guides, how-tos, and roundups on the latest Android games and apps for Android Police. You’ll find her writing about the newest free-to-play game to hit Android, or compiling explainer guides on popular social networking apps like Twitch and Discord. Her area of expertise is in action RPGs and gacha games, but will play and study the occasional competitive shooter. Before joining Android Police, Faith studied Chemistry and graduated with an honors specialization in Chemistry in 2016; leading her to spending many hours toiling around the lab during her time spent as an undergraduate, eventually developing her analytical mindset to dissect and dissemble information and data to arrive at an answer. Her favorite pastime was writing reports, presentations, tutorials, and literature reviews, which led to her pursuing a career in writing after completing a graduate certificate in technical writing. Faith’s first Android phone was Samsung Galaxy Note II in 2012, giving her a taste of how a small piece of powerful hardware can open anyone up to endless opportunities for your favorite hobbies. She’s also been a gamer for over 20 years, starting with Super Mario Bros. on the NES; she has owned over 15 devices for gaming ranging from handhelds to consoles. Now with her analytical mindset, passion for writing, and core identity as a gamer, she can finally chase her dreams as a technical writer and gaming journalist. Nowadays, you’ll find Faith studying spreadsheets and assembling data to theorycraft new teams and builds for Genshin Impact. You’ll also see her trying to dig deep to discover Android gaming’s most hidden gems.