While Roblox is still played by many people (and especially children and teenagers): in May 2020, 155 million people were active on Roblox every month. High time for a blog! We answer the most important questions: What exactly is Roblox? How does it work? Is it safe for children? You can visit Roblox to get ahead and learn more about it or you can read on to find out.
What is Roblox?
Roblox is a platform that allows you to create your own games. Roblox games are called those games. And the nice thing is that others can also play your game. And you the games of others. You learn to program there, and you can (if you are a premium member) also sell things you have made. They call the Roblox currency ‘Robux’, but you buy this Robux with real money.
You can give games a thumbs up if you like them, and see what others think are fun games.
And the nice thing is that others can also play your game.
How does it work?
You need to create an account to play and design games on Roblox. There are of course many different types of games, and you can find them all on Roblox. Adventure, building something, military, sports, and so on. There are quite a few free things that you can use to make a game, certain building materials for example, but they have already been designed by others. And so it is no longer entirely your own. If you want to make something yourself, it takes much more time. And some things you have to buy: such as clothes for your avatar (a kind of online profile), or access to extra levels in games.
Game makers
The great thing about Roblox is that you can create a game without high costs to try out how people find it. Before you put all the costs into it as a company, you can first test your idea. And anyone in the world can try out your game, as long as you have a phone, tablet or internet access. You also get quick feedback from these players and you can adjust your game. That’s how it gets better and better.
Contact with others
In Roblox you can connect with others. You can become friends with other users. And you can chat with each other, play a game together, and create a group with friends.
Is it safe?
You can play Roblox safely, just like almost everything else on the internet, but there are also risks involved. It is therefore important to pay attention and to be wise (and to guide your child in this). Through Roblox, for example, you can get in touch with strangers. And because there are always people online with ‘nefarious plans’, and these people also know very well that there are many children active on Roblox, it is important to be extra alert to the contacts you have and the information you share.
From what age can you play Roblox?
The age advice that Roblox itself gives is from 7 years. The PEGI age rating is PEGI 7, so from 7 years. It is important to know that this assessment is made with the basic Roblox games. The games created by other players are not included in this review.
The ESRB is another organization that classifies games. They give Roblox an E10+ rating; from 10 years because of fantasy and violence. They also draw parents’ attention to Roblox’s communication channels. Players chat with each other in the game, which entails risks.
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5 tips for parents
A few points of attention.
In-game purchases
Roblox is best advised to make purchases in the game. You can play it for free, but you are always tempted to spend Robux money anyway. And players can also insist on this among themselves. Good to make agreements about this in advance.
Be careful with the homemade games of players
Because players make the games themselves, there is no age verification or age rating.
Roblox does check the games, for example for inappropriate images or blasphemy. But games that have a horror or murder theme often still come through control. You can indicate account restrictions in your account that, for example, you only want games that are made for children under the age of 13. But this is not waterproof.
Online games in the living room
To prevent your child from playing a violent game, you can agree that you only do online games in the living room, which others can watch. This way you also ensure that your child does not play too much game. This ‘social filter’ often works best in the end. By showing interest in the game your child is playing, you will stay informed about which Roblox games are being played.
Parental controls
In the game, you can turn on parental controls. You can read more about this on the Roblox website. They have a special page for parents, where they explain how the game works and how you can watch and help your children.
Fixed rules
A number of fixed rules for any online platform are useful to meet in your family. Think of:
- Never use your real name;
- Never tell where you live, or what school you are in;
- Never meet offline with people you only know online;
- Never send photos of yourself, your environment, your identity documents, etc.;
- Always be aware that not everyone has good intentions;
- If you get a weird chat from someone, report it. Roblox can then see what is going wrong and address the user about it or block him.