Notes

Minecraft Vs. Roblox: how these Games Stack up for Kids

Minecraft and Roblox are extremely popular games that resemble sandboxes. Both allow you to design games, meet other players and, of course, play for hours. They also each have supportive online communities that are available for help. But Minecraft and Roblox are very different when it comes to the nitty-gritty. Here's how they compare on five essential factors.



THE CONTENDERS



Minecraft. It is recommended for players aged 8+. It is an open, exploratory and creative environment that allows players to create items and buildings from scratch with materials they gather from the world.



Roblox. It is recommended for users aged 13+ A game-creation website where users design and upload their own games, and also play other games in a multiplayer environment.



Price



Minecraft's starting price is $26.95 for Mac and PC, whereas Roblox offers a "freemium/premium” model.



Roblox allows you to play games and create the games you want to play for free, but you have to subscribe to do the really fun stuff like personalizing your avatar, buy and trade weapons, as well as develop additional games. Roblox's in-game currency, Robux, a la carte however, it's best to sign to the entry-level membership ($5.95 per month for Builders Club) which removes advertisements, lets you manage more games, and allows you to purchase daily Robux.



Easy of Use



Both are difficult, but that's the point of the game's uniqueness. Minecraft has no instruction, however it offers three levels of difficulty. It is possible to learn how to play Minecraft through exploration, experimentation and watching YouTube videos and reading other fan-created content (there is plenty of it online).



Roblox has two modes of playing that is creating and playing. Playing other people's games offers plenty of options however it can be frustrating since the games are created by users. For children who are keen on creating their own games, Roblox offers a lot of tutorials, a wiki, and a helpful player community.



Social Aspects



This is the biggest game-changing feature. Both games allow multiplayer play however, Minecraft is better suited to playing by yourself. Roblox, on the other hand, is a social game right from the moment you sign up -- friending and chatting are major components of the game. (Review our social media guidelines for children in elementary school.) Both Minecraft and Roblox involve lots of user-generated content, with gamers of all ages including adults and teensplaying and competing. Your child can be exposed to explicit language, violent imagery, and sexually suggestive images via any content created by users. You can limit some of this by using Roblox's built-in controls. Roblox allows you to disable chat and block people. Minecraft lets you "ignoreother players, but does not limit what you can say.



Safety



Both games have experienced instances of inappropriate predatory behavior during multiplayer and chat mode. In response, Roblox has beefed up its child safety program to include more moderators from humans, parental controls, and other features to keep out offenders. You can play Minecraft alone or with a limited number of friends. Contact with strangers is restricted. But if your kid wants to play on a public server choose one that is kid-friendly.



Kid-Friendliness



Roblox and Minecraft have huge online followings. This means that kids have access to more content, such as YouTube videos or wikis, as well as Reddit forums, which can expose them to more mature topics when they search for information about the games. Also, Roblox lets users embed advertisements into their games, meaning that kids are likely to encounter in-game advertising. Violence can be an issue in both games, but while Roblox's user-uploaded games tend to be more of the shooter/explosion/disaster variety, Minecraft's leans more toward hand-to-hand combat, even though it's depicted in a cartoonish way.



Creativity and Learning



Yes and no! Both games can teach basic computer coding skills (Minecraft uses an adaptation of Minecraft Java, and Roblox uses the Lua programming language) however, Minecraft has the edge in the sense of being educationally friendly. Both games promote math skills, thinking, problem-solving, reasoning and collaboration. Because of the digital content you can create as well as the interaction with other users both games are becoming more popular in after-school programs, computer camps and teacher's lesson plans.



Our advice? Given the Wild West nature of both of these games, consider being with your child while he or she learns to play. You can also check out the associated forums on the internet and videos to determine which game is best for your child's age and experience as well as their interests.
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