How Roblox Became the Playground for All Generations

“Roblox is a platform for all ages where no matter how old people are, they can connect with friends and discover a wide range of relevant, engaging, and age-appropriate experiences.” Manuel Bronstein, Roblox CPO, June 2023

Although younger generations are more engaged in gaming than their older counterparts, gaming transcends generational boundaries and holds universal appeal. As younger generations grow up with gaming and new technologies make it more accessible, participation rates among older generations are expected to rise in the future.

Roblox is Not Just for Kids

Roblox dominates the attention economy, particularly notable for the amount of time players spend on the platform daily. In Q4 2023, Roblox achieved 15.5 billion hours of engagement, a 21% increase year-over-year (YoY), with an average of 2.4 hours spent per daily active user (DAU).

A detailed analysis of engagement by age reveals an interesting trend. Players over 13 years old accounted for 9.3 billion hours, a 10% increase YoY, averaging 2.5 hours per DAU. Meanwhile, players under 13 years old contributed 5.9 billion hours, a 28% increase YoY, averaging 2.2 hours per DAU. This indicates that players over 13 years old spend more time on the platform on average (2.5 hours) compared to their younger counterparts (2.2 hours). This supports Roblox’s claim that its fastest-growing and most engaged demographic segment is users aged 17-24.

This trend may be attributed to the aging of Roblox’s active audience and the platform’s evolution from simple, blocky games to a social hub featuring beautiful, immersive gaming experiences that attract an older audience.

Roblox Experiences for 17 and Older

Roblox strategically aims to position itself as a platform that appeals to a broader audience beyond young children. This expansion not only increases the platform’s reach but also taps into older audiences who typically have greater spending power, significantly impacting the platform’s bottom line.

In Q3 2023, Roblox introduced an update allowing users to create experiences for those “17 and older” adding to its existing age guidelines of “9 and older” and “13 and older.” These new experiences feature more mature themes and storylines, including graphic violence, non-sexual expressions of love and affection, references to alcohol use, and vulgar language. In a blog post titled “Introducing Experiences for People 17 and Older,” Roblox described this update as a way to simulate real-life dynamics in a virtual space.

“We want Roblox to simulate and even go beyond what’s possible in the real world. For example, when a family attends a sporting event, there’s something at the stadium for everyone to do. But some of these areas may be off-limits for young people. As they get older, though, they’ll be able to access those areas, and we want to replicate that dynamic on Roblox.”

The first studio to leverage this update was Diepolder Entertainment, which in two days developed and launched “Drinks on Tap,” a socializing experience via voice chat in a virtual bar where users can enjoy virtual drinks. Since release, the game has reached over 9 million users and an impressive average playtime of 23.77 minutes.

“Experiences for People 17 and Older” opened doors for brands and IPs aimed at older audiences to enter Roblox. In October 2023, the iconic horror franchise Saw promoted the release of its new movie “Saw X” with a Roblox activation for players over 17. In “Saw X: Survive the Obby,” users faced a series of virtual obstacle courses, playing Jigsaw’s games, solving his puzzles, and escaping his traps. Successful participants could earn spots on the leaderboard and unlock limited edition themed fashion and accessory items for their avatars.