Brand Games

Roblox for brands: what’s possible?

6 minUTE read

In this Q&A, we speak with David Durham, our Lead Developer on Roblox games, to explain what Roblox is capable of, and how it's being used to create opportunities for brand marketing. 

We'll discuss how brands are activating on Roblox, explore popular game formats, look beyond games with event integration, and explore the platform's safety features to ensure a secure, engaging experience for all players. 

Let’s jump into the conversation.

Q1: What types of games can be developed on Roblox, is there a limit to what’s possible?

It’s hard to imagine a type of game that wouldn’t be possible to create in some form using Roblox. Though the focus tends to be on multiplayer immersive 3D worlds that allow players to showcase their avatars and mingle with friends, there are also single player narrative experiences and even user interface based 2D games. The versatility of Roblox is evident in the number of high-quality Roblox games that are heavily influenced by off-Roblox games like Among Us and Minecraft. Really, if you can dream it, we can make it using Roblox.

Q2: What are some of the most popular game formats currently trending on Roblox?

Almost any game format can find success on Roblox if it’s aligned with what Roblox players find entertaining and engaging. Roblox is a social, multiplayer games space, so that makes it ideal for games that focus on creativity, cooperation, and competition. But there are a few standout formats.

Role playing games are popular. They allow players to create and take on the roles of characters in Roblox games. For example players might create and customise avatars, and then immerse themselves in a virtual town where they can simulate everyday activities. Players can buy houses, drive cars, go to work, and interact with other players in various social settings.

These games tend to either have a focus on grinding, or paying, to level up. Grinding is where players have to repeat actions over and over to progress in small steps, like collecting things, for example. Grinding might sound monotonous but it can be a lot of fun and a great game mechanic to keep people engaged and progressing.

Also popular are Roblox games that are effectively modelled on free-to-play mobile role playing games, more than ‘traditional’ games. Also popular are games where the role-playing element is almost secondary to the game being used as a hang-out space.

Obbys, which is what obstacle course style games are called on Roblox, are sort of synonymous with Roblox. Obbys are often a new player’s go to Roblox experience because it helps them with the basic controls and mechanics as well as keeping things simple. Obbys don’t often maintain large player bases because the level design requirement makes them ‘completable’.

In the tradition of classic playground games, there are many popular asymmetrical multiplayer games. These are games in Roblox that involve players assuming different roles with unique abilities, creating unbalanced yet engaging gameplay, for example where one player hunts while others try to escape.

Q3: Is there more to Roblox than just launching games? Can we incorporate virtual events or competitions and what other things is it capable of that engage players?

Roblox really is flexible when it comes to incorporating experiences like virtual events and competitions.

There have been incredibly successful virtual concerts, brand launches and in-game meet-and-greet sessions. Probably everyone involved in Roblox has heard about Lil Nas X's concert and the Twenty One Pilots event, where players could explore themed worlds and unlock exclusive items.

Roblox is great for adding in-game competitions and tournaments using leader boards and rewards to encourage player engagement.

Events tied to holidays or seasons, like Halloween or Christmas, or even limited-time rewards, keeping Roblox content fresh.

Overall, I’d say that Roblox is a great platform for social games and we can bring any event or social idea to life.

Roblox is definitely a platform for innovation and Roblox and Walmart have started selling physical goods through their Roblox experience. Previously you could only buy virtual goods, so this is a big deal.

Ultimately dropping a game isn’t enough for long term engagement on Roblox. Players want evolving content. Competitions and events keep Roblox games fresh, which is the best way to keep players engaged.

Q4: What's possible with Roblox's social and multiplayer functionality?

Roblox's social and multiplayer functionality is where things really get powerful for us as developers working with brands.

Players can team up in real-time, which means we can run team-based games or cooperative survival formats.

Roblox’s social hub means we can create social spaces where players can chat, role-play, and take part in events. Also a big one for brand games on Roblox is friends and groups. Brands can leverage this to build communities and loyalty.

A big feature of Roblox that’s overlooked sometimes is the fact that it’s cross-platform. So players can play pretty much anywhere at any time – mobile, laptop, console and more. Playing together across devices makes multiplayer experiences really inclusive and is a big boost.

Q5: What about the visual quality of Roblox games? Is there a limit to how good things can look? How well can Roblox match say Fortnite and other games?

Roblox have been continually improving what’s possible with visual quality and I would say that, as games developers, we’re good at pushing Roblox hard in this area. But we want everyone to enjoy our Roblox games so we also keep everything looking great for less capable and older devices too.

Roblox recently rolled out a lighting update called Future is Bright. It included PBR (physically-based rendering) materials, realistic shadows, and improved reflections. That means we can do water effects and advanced terrain generation. The gap between Roblox and high-end graphics in other games is now pretty narrow.

I think some Roblox games are unfairly criticised on looks when Roblox players don’t necessarily care. Historically they are more interested in game mechanics, theming and hanging out with friends. Those are the things that make millions of players love Roblox games.

Q6: What about safety concerns? Can Roblox be made safe for younger players? What controls are there on how content is used?

There’s a big effort around this point. Everyone; players, parents, brands and of course us as developers, we all want to have a great time on Roblox and for it to be a safe and inclusive place for everyone.

We talk with Roblox about safety and I can say they are dedicated to providing a safe environment for all players. And as a games studio we’re working to make sure our games are as safe as possible. We can do that because Roblox has some great safety features.

For example, parents can set up restricted accounts for younger children, limiting chat and only allowing access to age-appropriate games and a predefined set of safe chat messages.

Most of the people here at fish in a bottle are parents as well as games developers, so we really focus on this. As a developer we can turn off or limit features like chat in our Roblox games.

I think Roblox perhaps does more than any other platform to create a safe environment. For me, I think trying to educate and involve parents is key.

In summary

In a nutshell, Roblox is a game-changer for brands looking to create fun and engaging experiences.

Our job as Roblox games developers is to give players the best experience and, in doing so, brands the opportunity to connect with them in meaningful and positive ways.