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What is Roblox?
Roblox is an app that allows users to play a wide variety of games, create games, and chat with others online. It combines gaming, social media, and social commerce. Billing itself as the “ultimate virtual universe,” Roblox experiences are places where users can socialize, build their own spaces, and even earn and spend virtual money.

Games on Roblox are officially called “experiences” which fall into a variety of genres. Users can dabble in games tagged as roleplay, adventure, fighting, obby (obstacle courses), tycoon, simulator, and more.

Many of the most popular games on the app, including Adopt Me! And Brookhaven RP, fall into the roleplay category. These are less games and more virtual hangouts. Millennials, think of them like Gen Z’s version of Club Penguin. Other categories focus more on agility, strategy, or skill.

Though the platform itself is free, users can make purchases within each experience. A portion of the sales (about 28 cents per dollar spent) goes back to the game’s creator. That means brands and makers of all ages can earn money if the games they build become popular. It really takes user-generated content to a whole new level.

Need proof? Jailbreak, one of the platform’s most popular games, was built by teenager Alex Balfanz, who paid for his college degree entirely with his Roblox earnings. Serial game developer Alex Hicks earned over $1 million per year creating games for the platform, all before his 25th birthday.

Still not sure what Roblox actually does? If you don’t have a preteen around to guide you, we’d recommend giving it a try yourself. To get started, first create an account and then download the app on your phone or computer. Once you’re in, you’ll have access to millions of user-generated games.

If you want to make your own games, you’ll have to download Roblox Studio, the “immersive creative engine” that allows users to create their own games.
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Is Roblox safe for kids?
If you’re a parent, you might be wondering whether Roblox is a safe space for your child. As with any social media platform, the app comes with risk of scams and bullying. In fact, critics have called out Roblox for failing to adequately protect kids on the app from harassment and abuse.

Roblox claims to automatically filter out inappropriate content from chat, but parents should exercise caution and teach their kids about online safety before letting them sign up for a Roblox account.

As a parent, you can restrict in-game chat, in-app purchasing, and access to certain games. You may also set a monthly spend allowance and turn on notifications that let you know anytime your child spends money in the app.

To see a list of parental controls, log into your Roblox account and navigate to settings. In the parental controls section, you’ll see an option to add a Parent PIN. When the Parent PIN is enabled, users can’t make changes to settings without entering a PIN.

Roblox: the TL;DR
Short on time? Here’s the gist: Roblox is a platform that hosts more than 40 million user-generated experiences and lets users build their own from scratch. Within these experiences, users can play games, socialize with others, and earn and spend a virtual currency called Robux.