Roblox has changed and morphed in many ways over the nearly two decades since it was first introduced to the world. And it’s been a part of scores and scores of parental discussions, both pro and con. So, we here at Plugged In decided it might be time to actually review this much talked about “game.”
Of course, as you may already know, Roblox isn’t really a game at all. It’s a building and playing platform. And its platform offers in excess of 40 million games at this point. More than 5,000 of those user-generated titles have reportedly been played over a million times apiece, and some of that gaggle have surpassed the one billion play mark. And as of mid-2025, Roblox prides itself on being home to some 111 million active daily users.
So, why has Roblox become so incredibly popular?
Well, for one thing it’s relatively free to play (more on that down below). For another, the site offers an incredibly broad scope of digital contests. Some are eye-rollingly simple or silly fare; others feature more complicated and graphically impressive constructs.
In addition, the site’s Roblox Studio has all the building tools to help a global community of budding gamemakers (young and old) try their hand at coding whatever they can dream up.
How does it all work?
After downloading the free program on the Roblox website and setting up your username and password, you create a blocky little avatar that will represent you. Then it’s on to play all those many, many games.
But wait! You also need to enter a name and age. Children have access to titles approved for their age group. The “maturity ratings” include: Minimal, content suitable for all ages; Mild, content suitable for ages 9 and up; Moderate, content suitable for ages 13 and up; and Restricted, a category for players who are 17+ and have verified their age.
In fact, anyone who wants to play something other than content in the Minimal grouping will need age verification. AI will evaluate an imputed selfie or government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. (This process is handled by a third-party service.)
Roblox evaluates the age appropriateness of games based on the information that the game creators give, as well as using AI scans for content such as crude humor, scary elements, violent bloodiness, gambling, bodily functions and the like.
Oh, and the games you’ll find on the platform are legion. There are racing games, shooting games, dinosaur titles, horror entries, sims, zombie killers, you name it. On my play through journey, I saw blocky versions of popular games like Five Nights at Freddy’s, Portal, and Street Fighter. I discovered a great game that takes flying dragons into battle, a spray-paint art game and a title that explores the world looking for new cat species. The list of possibles stretches on and on.
Roblox requires an online connection to play.
Versatility and creativity abound on this gaming platform. And young game-makers get a chance to build a gaming challenge of their own and show it to the world. Not only that, but gamers get an incredibly huge list of titles that they can play for free.
Roblox is also taking steps to keep its environment safe. (Parents, however, are strongly encouraged to monitor kids’ play on the platform and to keep an eye out for unsavory elements that might creep into their approved maturity rating sections.) The game provides a system through which you can report violations of games or players.
Despite Roblox’s efforts to establish and monitor the age-appropriateness of its games and items, unsuitable content can and does sometimes slip through. The reason? It’s a challenge for the company to monitor millions of new games posted every month.
For that matter, some game-makers will purposely change in-game spelling and use hand-painted images to bypass or fool those AI censors. In other areas, some avatar items accentuating feminine curves can be purchased in the marketplace and swapped in for a normally blocky avatar.
Another concern centers around the online conversations that kids can have in Roblox. There have been reports of adults signing up for Minimum age accounts and interacting with children through messaging and role-playing games. A current lawsuit against Roblox, for instance, claims that a 13-year-old was targeted by a predator who posed as a child and exploited the girl’s age and vulnerability. He then sent her sexually explicit images of himself and convinced her to do the same.
Now, as for the “free to play” side of things, mentioned above, it’s true that Roblox technically doesn’t cost anything to use. However, players can purchase avatar items, game passes, premium subscriptions and other bits and pieces with an in-game currency called Robux.
This virtual currency can be purchased with real-world money in a Robux exchange or through selling your own created avatar items in the Roblox marketplace. In fact, some entrepreneurial creators actually make a profit by exchanging their earned Robux for real money.
Such transactions, however, require a Roblox Premium subscription. This monthly charge unlocks the ability to trade and sell items. It also gives you a monthly stipend of Robux and in-game discounts and perks. As you might imagine, these kinds of Robux expenditures can add up quickly once you dive in.
Roblox can be a fun and creative space for kids and adults. But despite the site’s improved safety features, there are still reports of predatory abuse and other problems in the mix. So parents, if you are open to your kids venturing into this digital milieu, you’ll also need to be hands-on and cautious with this creative platform.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
