Roblox age ratings, explained for parents
From Roblox maturity ratings to the new parental controls the platform has just introduced, we've created a guide to Roblox age ratings to help you keep your child safe while they play
An estimated 50 million people play Roblox every day around the world, and there's a pretty big chance one of those players is your child. With millions of games and a massive online community on the platform, it's no surprise that many parents want to learn more about its age suitability, content ratings, and how to keep their children safe while playing.
Building on our recent Roblox parents' guide, we wanted to break down exactly how Roblox age ratings work and offer a few tips for how you can keep the Roblox player in your family safe on the platform.
Does Roblox have an age limit?
Roblox does not have a single, fixed age limit, as it isn't strictly speaking a single game. Instead, it functions as a platform hosting millions of user-generated games, each with its own individual 'maturity rating'.
For this reason, the Roblox platform itself is not rated like a traditional game.
Each Roblox experience has what the platform calls a 'maturity rating', including mild, minimal, moderate and restricted. Think of these as Roblox's equivalent to the standard PEGI ratings you might be familiar with. Some experiences also include certain content warnings alongside their maturity rating to help you decide if it is suitable for your child.
What about the Roblox PEGI rating?
If you're anything like me, you can hear the old-school 'PEGI' voice in your head from all those early 2000s game trailers. This refers to Pan European Game Information, the group responsible for checking content in interactive entertainment and giving games age ratings.
As we mentioned, Roblox isn't a traditional game, meaning PEGI hasn't given it a traditional rating. Instead, they have rated it 'Parental Guidance Recommended', adding that, "This rating was awarded because it contains a broad and unpredictable range of user-generated content, which may contain elements that are unsuitable for younger children."
It is worth pointing out that different platforms have their own age ratings for Roblox. For example, Apple rates Roblox as a 12+ on iOS, while PlayStation marks it as 'Teen' based on the North American ESRB rating.
How to make Roblox safe for kids
Roblox have recently overhauled its parental controls to give you more control over the content your child can experience on the platform and who they can communicate with while they play.
- Experience Blocking: This tool enables parents to block access to specific games even if they fall within their child's general content maturity settings. You are able to set a maturity level for your child's profile to ensure that they can only access content at the maturity rating you have deemed appropriate. This new function gives you even more control over the types of content your child can view and experience on the platform beyond the individual ratings assigned to games by Roblox themselves.
- Friend Management: The recent parental control update also brought the ability to block specific people from your child's friends list. This means that if you spot someone you don't recognise or feel unsure about, you can immediately prevent them from sending your child messages. You are also able to report any suspicious behaviour directly to Roblox.
- Screen Time: Parents are now able to see the top 20 games their child has played over the past week, alongside the time spent in each experience. This allows you to monitor their habits and decide if any games should be restricted. It also supports you in deciding what daily time limits to set for the game.
- Spending Limits: Roblox runs on Robux, the in-game currency used to purchase cosmetic items like skins. You can set spending limits within Roblox to restrict how much money your child can spend on Robux. There are also vouchers available for Roblox, which make for an additional way to help manage your child's in-game spending.
In order to use these tools, you’ll first need to create your own Roblox account and then link your account with your child’s. This requires a one-time verification using ID or a credit card. Once linked, you will be able to access all parental controls – including the new features – via the Roblox app or website.
There are also strict default settings for younger players, which include blocking children under 13 from sending private messages as well as default maturity level restrictions depending on your child's age.
The Roblox Safety Centre has a wealth of information designed to help parents understand the platform and the tools available to keep their child safe while they play. They're also leveraging new technology like AI to help detect inappropriate content in real time. Roblox is a blank canvas for your child's creativity, and by taking advantage of these new parental controls, you can help ensure their experience is both fun and safe.
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