What is Roblox? The gaming social media platform explained

Roblox is now over a decade old but is still as popular as ever, with over 40 million active users every single day in 2022.

Although it was created back in 2006, Roblox saw a huge surge in popularity during the Covid lockdowns and still sees tens of millions of active daily users. 

Keep reading to learn more about Roblox, where you can find it and, most importantly, whether it’s a safe platform for children to use. 

What is Roblox?

Not just a single game, Roblox is an online platform which allows users to play games either created themselves or by other users. There’s currently over 40 million games in Roblox, which have all been created by its players.

These games are otherwise known as “experiences” and can fall into a variety of genres, including adventure, obstacle courses, roleplay and more. Users can also add friends to play and chat with them while gaming.

Users create their own Avatar and play experiences as this character.

What are Roblox Avatars?

Roblox Avatars are how you will appear on the platform. Players are automatically given an Avatar when they sign up and you can customise your Avatar by earning items during experiences, or by using the in-game currency, Robux.

Your Avatar is very customisable, with options to alter your skin tone, clothing, accessories, animations, body parts and more. This gives players more ability to show off their personality and create an Avatar that suits them best.

Is Roblox a social media platform?

While Roblox does put a lot of emphasis on the various experiences you can play through, it can also be classed as a social media platform. You can connect with people you already know or people you meet through the platform, with the company claiming that around 2.5 billion chat messages are sent every day.

The platform rolled out Spatial Voice Chat in 2021 which allows users to talk to other players who are near them within games. To access this feature you will need to be a verified user over the age of 13.

To add to the sociability aspect, users have the option of voting on the experiences they play, with the choice of upvoting, downvoting, following or favouriting a game to help signal its quality.

Is Roblox free to play?

It is free to download Roblox, create an account and play. Most experiences on the platform are free but there are possibilities for in-game purchases. In-game purchases can be made to customise your Avatar or help in specific experiences.  

To make an in-game purchase you need Robux, which is the platform’s virtual currency. Robux can be purchased with real money, earned during gameplay or traded with other users.

Is Roblox safe?

Parents and guardians may worry about their children accessing online gaming communities. As the majority of users are younger children, Roblox has a few measures in place to keep children safe on the platform.

Firstly it has a filtration system called Community Sift which aims to sensor and remove inappropriate messages and content, although this isn’t always reliable. 

It also has privacy settings and parental controls as default on accounts for children under 13 years old, so ensure your child’s account has the correct age so you can access this. These controls include limiting who your children can contact and making sure all their experiences are age-appropriate.

Where can I find Roblox?

Roblox can be played on computers, mobile devices and tablets, and all apps are available for free. It is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Amazon Fire OS. 

To find the app simply visit your device’s app store and search for Roblox. Alternatively, visit the website on your web browser.