Building their own worlds with blocks, stepping into imaginative roles, and completing exciting missions—the online gaming platform Roblox is hugely popular among teenagers. Roblox combines gaming, social media, and creative design. Since it includes both chat features and potentially problematic content, and some users earn money through their games, an age rating of 16 and older has been in effect since January 2025.
Roblox is an online gaming platform where users can create their own games and play games made by others. The name is a combination of the English words “robots” and “blocks.” Virtual worlds are created in a style reminiscent of building blocks. Roblox is a mix of a gaming world and a social network and is similar to 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.
Roblox automatically filters games and experiences by age group. This is based on “content labels,” which assign each game to a specific age group. Depending on the age associated with the account, some content may not be displayed, or it may be accessible only with parental consent.
After registering on roblox.com, players receive a pre-made character (known as an avatar) that they can customize as they wish. Standard clothing and other cosmetic features, such as a default hairstyle, are free. Some extra accessories cost money in the form of Robux, the platform’s own currency. Features such as creating games and playing them are available free of charge.
Many teens love the game because it lets them easily create their own games. Registered users can use the “Roblox Studio” building tool to create their own games and share them with others. They can design everything from simple structures to complex worlds full of experiences. In the Roblox community, teens can let their creativity run wild and communicate with one another.
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 available.
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:
In addition, the platform allows users to communicate via text and voice chats. This creates risks such as cyberbullying, cybergrooming, and hate speech. Furthermore, some games contain elements similar to gambling, such as the purchase of random virtual items (loot boxes).
The recommendation algorithm may display problematic content or games with strong incentives to buy more frequently. Some games also rely on daily rewards or limited-time promotions to encourage frequent returns.
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 has repeatedly been accused by various expert organizations and media outlets of failing to adequately moderate both the content and the communication among users, and of not taking consistent enough action against violations of its community guidelines. For example, children and adolescents may encounter discriminatory and extremist content in the games.
Roblox Corporation emphasizes on its platform that it takes security and privacy very seriously. There is a reporting system for inappropriate chat messages and a chat filter. After registration, users under the age of 13 are automatically assigned an account in “Privacy Mode.” Younger players then do not have access to social media features, 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 new safety features in early 2026. These include age verification via ID or a voluntary video selfie. Certain communication features are unlocked only after this verification process is complete. To ensure that children and teens interact primarily with peers, Roblox divides accounts into age groups: Roblox Kids (up to age 8), Roblox Select (ages 9–15), and Roblox (ages 16 and up). Content, chats, and features are then tailored to be age-appropriate. Many interaction options remain restricted to limit contact between adults and minors and reduce communication risks. The AI-powered 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 retroactively via parental supervision or ID verification. Roblox provides information about age verification on its website.
Roblox also uses content labels to automatically assign games to age groups. This is intended to ensure that younger users see only age-appropriate content. Parents can set additional restrictions or approve content through parental controls.
For older teens, there’s also the“Trusted Connections”feature. This allows 13- to 17-year-olds to mark certain contacts as trusted. They can chat with these contacts with almost no restrictions. However, interactions across age groups—especially between teens and adults—are still subject to strict rules. Children under 13 cannot create “Trusted Connections.” More information is available on the Roblox website.
Roblox offers various
Roblox can also send alerts in the event of unusually high spending. Roblox provides information on parental supervision and parental controls on its website.
Please note that Roblox is now rated USK 16. In general, theUSK age ratings are not regulations dictating what media content parents may allow their children to access at home; rather, they are intended as a guide. Nevertheless, you should make sure to provide your child only with games that are appropriate for their age and have been rated accordingly. You can find more information about the age rating upgrade in this Parents’ Check-In article.
Would you like to make Roblox accessible to your child?
You can also find all the important steps for parental controls at Roblox on medien-kindersicher.de.
