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Build your own worlds from building blocks, slip into imaginative roles and complete exciting missions – the online gaming platform Robloxer is very popular with young people. Roblox combines elements of gaming, social media and creative design. As it contains both chat functions and problematic content and some people earn money with their games, an age rating of 16 and above has been in place since January 2025.

In brief

Age rating: USK from 16 years // Reason: Depictions of violence, content for different age groups, increased purchase incentives
Notes on use: chats, in-game purchases (+ random objects)
Educational age recommendation: from 16 years(NRW game guide)
Users can create their own games, use the games of others and interact with each other
is available for Windows, macOS, Xbox One, Meta Quest, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as well as an app for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems.
mostly free of charge

What is Roblox?

Roblox is an online gaming platform and game development system that allows users to create their own games and play the games of others. The two words Robots and Blocks together make up the name of the Roblox gaming platform. Here you can create and play virtual worlds in Lego style, which is particularly popular with young people. Roblox is a mixture of game world and social network and is reminiscent of Minecraft.

Roblox is available on many different devices and as an app. Playing with a virtual reality headset is also supported. This cross-platform availability ensures that players can easily play together on different devices.

After registering on roblox.com, players receive a pre-made game character (avatar) that they can customize as they wish. Standard clothing or other cosmetic features, such as a first hairstyle, are free of charge. Some extra accessories cost money in the form of their own currency Robux. Functions such as creating and playing games are available free of charge.

What fascinates children and young people about it?

Many young people love the game because they can easily develop their own games. Registered users can use the “Roblox Studio” building tool to create their own games and share them with others. Simple structures as well as complex worlds of experience can be created. In the Roblox community, young people can let off steam creatively and communicate with each other.

Roblox is particularly popular with young game developers, as they can create and publish their own games there. If a game is played frequently by other users and money is invested, there is a chance that the developers – your child, for example – will also earn a share.

Even young people who don’t want to get into game development themselves are fascinated by the countless games on offer.

What is problematic about the offer?

In January 2025, the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body(USK) raised the age rating for Roblox from 12 to 16 years. There were several key reasons for this decision:

Violence and problematic content: Some user-created games on the platform contain scenes that depict extreme violence and are unsuitable for younger players.
Content for different age groups: Roblox is a platform with very different content – comparable to YouTube or Twitch. Accordingly, the range extends from games suitable for children to titles that are not age-appropriate for younger children.
Increased purchase incentives: Roblox offers numerous in-game purchases, which can be a strong incentive to spend money, especially for children and young people.

In addition, the platform allows users to communicate via text and voice chats. There are therefore risks such as cyberbullying, cybergrooming and hate speech. Furthermore, some games contain elements that are similar to gambling, such as the purchase of random virtual items(loot boxes).

In addition, the USK criticized the lack of effective precautionary measures on the part of platform operators, such as insufficiently secured children’s accounts and the lack of age labels in accordance with German standards. Due to these aspects, the USK age rating was adjusted to ensure the protection of minors and provide parents with better guidance.

In addition, Roblox is repeatedly accused of not sufficiently moderating both the content and communication between users and of not taking consistent enough action against violations of the community guidelines. For example, children and young people can come across discriminatory and extremist content in the games.

What the provider says

The provider Roblox Corporation emphasizes on its platform that it takes security and data protection very seriously. There is a reporting system for inappropriate chat messages and a chat filter. After registration, an account is automatically created in “data protection mode” for users under the age of 13. Younger players will then not have access to the social media functions, for example. Some games are also only released from a certain age. Moderators check whether uploaded image and video material meets the requirements for youth-friendly content. Inappropriate content is actively filtered and deleted.

Roblox introduced several new features in early 2026 to make communication safer for young players. One of these is age verification: users can confirm their age either with an ID or via a voluntary, AI-supported age assessment using a video selfie. Certain communication functions are only activated after this classification. Roblox divides accounts into age groups so that children and young people can interact with their peers as much as possible: Under 9, 9 – 12, 13 – 15, 16 – 17, 18 – 20 and over 21. Content, chats and functions are then assigned according to age. Many interaction options remain restricted in order to limit contact between adults and minors and reduce communication risks. The AI-supported age verification on Roblox is handled by the company Persona. Roblox states that user data is deleted after 30 days. Incorrect estimates can be corrected retrospectively via parental supervision or ID verification. Roblox provides information about age verification on its website.

For older teenagers, there is also the concept of “trusted connections“. This allows 13 to 17-year-olds to mark certain contacts as trustworthy. They can chat with these contacts with almost no restrictions. However, contacts across age boundaries – especially between young people and adults – are still subject to strict rules. Children under the age of 13 cannot create “trusted connections”. More information can be found on the Roblox website.

Roblox offers various safety features that allow you to keep a better eye on your child’s play, e.g. screen time, chats or purchases. Parental control has been expanded in 2026. Parents can now see,

who your child is connected to via “Familiar Connections”
how long it plays
which experiences it uses and
what money is spent on.

Roblox can also issue warnings in the event of unusually high expenditure. These functions supplement the existing parental control settings and are intended to create more transparency. Parents can find out more about parental controls and parental controls on the Roblox website.

What parents should bear in mind

Please note that Roblox is now labeled USK 16. In principle, the state does not use age ratings to dictate what media content parents can allow their children to watch at home, but rather as a guide. Nevertheless, you should make sure that you only provide your child with games that are suitable and approved for their age. You can find out more about upgrading in this parent check-in article.

Would you like to make Roblox accessible to your child?

Register and create a profile together with your child and discover the Roblox world of games together.
In any case, create a parent account and link it to your child’s account. Also take a look at the in-game purchases you have made.
Set the account so that your child is shown games that are as age-appropriate as possible. To do this, enter the actual age of your child – regardless of the age estimate – via the parental supervision.
Pay attention to how much time your child spends playing games and set clear rules together for the use of games in the family.
Talk to your child about their play experiences. Let them show you what your child plays. Ask them why they like certain games and who they play with.
Despite the limitation of contacts with older users, Roblox is not free of security risks. Advise your child not to disclose any private data via the platform. Educate your child about communication risks online and encourage them to block and report suspicious or unpleasant contacts.