What you need to start building in Roblox
You can start building a game in Roblox with nothing but a free account and the Roblox Studio software, which runs on Windows and Mac. You do not need to buy anything upfront or own special hardware — a standard laptop from the last five years will run Studio well enough to learn. The barrier to entry is genuinely low: read Studio, open it, and you have a blank game world ready to edit.
Roblox Studio is the editor where you design your game's world, place objects, write code, and test everything before publishing. It comes built into the Roblox launcher — when you install Roblox on your computer, you get both the player (where you play other people's games) and Studio (where you build your own). You launch Studio from the Roblox website by clicking "Create" at the top, then choosing a template or starting blank.
The games you build run on Roblox's servers, not your own computer. That means you do not have to manage hosting, pay for server space, or worry about keeping your game online — Roblox handles all of that. You keep the game files on your computer in Studio, and when you publish, Roblox stores them and runs them for anyone who wants to play.
Key Takeaways
- Roblox Studio is free software that runs on Windows and Mac, and you can start building without owning expensive hardware or paying any fees.
- You write game code in Lua, a programming language that Roblox uses; learning the basics takes a few weeks if you have never coded before.
- Studio comes with templates for common game types — obstacle courses, role-playing games, shooters — so you can start with a working example instead of a blank canvas.
- Your game runs on Roblox's servers once you publish it, so you do not have to set up or pay for hosting yourself.
- You can earn money from your game through Roblox's revenue-sharing program, though most new games earn nothing for months or years.
Understanding Lua and where to learn it
Roblox games are written in Lua, a programming language designed to be simpler than languages like Python or C++. If you have never written code before, Lua is a reasonable first language — the syntax is closer to English than most programming languages, and you can see your changes happen in real time as you test your game.
You do not need to learn Lua before opening Studio. Most people learn by doing: they place an object in their game world, attach a script to it, and write a few lines of code to make it do something. When the code breaks, they read the error message, search for what went wrong, and fix it. This trial-and-error approach works because Roblox Studio shows you mistakes when ready when you test your game.
Roblox publishes free tutorials on its developer site that walk you through writing your first script, making a door open when a player touches it, or spawning enemies. The official Roblox documentation is searchable and includes examples for almost every function you might need. YouTube has thousands of tutorials made by other builders, though quality varies widely — some are outdated or teach habits that will slow you down later.
How to start with a template instead of a blank world
When you create a new game in Studio, you can choose from templates instead of starting with an empty space. Templates include a basic obstacle course, a role-playing game with NPCs and dialogue, a team-based shooter, and several others. Each template comes with working code, placed objects, and a game loop you can modify.
Using a template cuts weeks off your first project because you can see how experienced builders structure their code and organize their game world. You can play the template game as-is, then open the scripts and change small things — make the obstacles taller, add more enemies, change the colors. As you change things and test them, you learn how each piece connects to the others.
The downside of templates is that they can hide how much work goes into even a straightforward game. A template obstacle course looks finished, but it took someone hours to build the collision detection, the checkpoint system, and the respawn logic. Starting with a template teaches you faster, but you should expect to spend weeks modifying it before you have something that feels like your own game.
Building your game world and placing objects
In Studio, you build your game world by placing objects called parts — cubes, spheres, cylinders, and other shapes that you can resize, rotate, and color. You drag parts from the toolbox into your world, then adjust their size and position until they look right. A straightforward obstacle course is just a series of platforms, ramps, and walls made from parts.
You can also import 3D models that other people have built and shared on the Roblox catalog. If you want a tree in your game, you can search the catalog, find a tree model someone else created, and insert it into your world. This saves you from having to model everything yourself, though it means your game will look like other games that use the same models.
As you place objects, you can group them together so they move as one unit. You can also set properties on each object — whether it should be solid or see-through, whether it should hurt the player if they touch it, whether it should fall due to gravity. These properties are set in the Properties panel on the right side of Studio, and you do not need to write code to change most of them.
Writing scripts to make your game do things
Scripts are where you write Lua code to control what happens in your game. You might write a script that makes a door open when a player presses a button, or a script that spawns a new enemy every 30 seconds, or a script that tracks the player's score. Each script is attached to an object in your world, and it runs when the game is playing.
There are two types of scripts in Roblox: server scripts run on Roblox's servers and control things that affect all players, while local scripts run on each player's computer and control things that only that player sees. If you want to make sure all players see the same thing happen at the same time, you use a server script. If you want to respond to one player's keyboard input, you use a local script. This distinction matters for games with multiple players, but for single-player games you can usually ignore it.
When you write a script, you use Roblox's API — a set of functions and objects that let you control your game. For example, game.Workspace.Part.Position = Vector3.new(0, 5, 0) moves a part to a new location. The Roblox documentation lists every function available, with examples showing how to use each one. Most of your time building will be spent reading the documentation, copying examples, and modifying them to do what you want.
Testing your game before you publish it
Studio has a built-in test mode where you can play your game and see how it feels. You press the Play button at the top of Studio, and your game world appears in a window where you can move around, interact with objects, and test whether your scripts work. When you find a bug — a door that does not open, a platform that is too slippery, a script that crashes — you stop the test, fix the code or adjust the object, and test again.
Testing is where you learn whether your game is actually fun. A puzzle that seemed clever when you designed it might be confusing when you play it. A jump that looked straightforward might be impossible. A script that works in theory might break when two players interact with it at the same time. The only way to find these problems is to play your game repeatedly and change things based on what you discover.
You can also invite other people to test your game before you publish it by giving them a link to a private version. Roblox lets you create unpublished games that only you and people you invite can access. This is useful because other people will find bugs and confusing parts of your game that you missed because you know how it is supposed to work.
Publishing your game and understanding how people find it
When you are ready to let other people play your game, you publish it from Studio. Publishing is one click — you give your game a name and description, choose whether it is public or private, and Roblox uploads it to its servers. Your game then appears on your profile and in Roblox's search results if someone searches for keywords from your title or description.
Most new games get very few players because Roblox's search algorithm prioritizes games that already have players. A game with 100 concurrent players will show up higher in search results than a game with 10, which means the popular games get more popular and new games stay invisible. This is not unfair — it is how most platforms work — but it means you should not expect your first game to get discovered unless you promote it yourself.
You can promote your game by sharing the link on social media, Discord servers, or forums where people interested in games hang out. You can also update your game regularly with new features or fixes, which can help it climb the search rankings over time. Some builders spend months on a game that gets no players, then add one feature that catches on and suddenly the game has thousands of players.
Earning money from your game through Roblox
Roblox has a program called the Developer Exchange that lets you convert in-game currency into real money. Players spend Robux (Roblox's currency) on items in your game — cosmetics, power-ups, or access to special areas — and you earn a percentage of that spending. Roblox takes a cut, and the rest goes into your account as Robux that you can exchange for dollars.
The catch is that you need a minimum balance of Robux before you can exchange them, and most new games earn nothing for months or years. You also have to be at least 13 years old and have a verified account to use the Developer Exchange. The money you earn depends entirely on whether players want to buy things in your game, which depends on whether your game is fun and whether you market it well.
Do not build a game expecting to make money. Build a game because you want to learn how games work, or because you want to share something with your friends, or because you enjoy the process of building. If your game becomes popular and people spend money on it, that is a bonus — but it is not something you can count on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know how to code before I start building in Roblox?
No. You can learn Lua while you build your first game by following tutorials and modifying templates. Most people pick up the basics in a few weeks of regular practice. If you have coded before in any language, you will learn Roblox's version of Lua faster.
Can I build a game on my phone or tablet?
No. Roblox Studio only runs on Windows and Mac computers. You can play Roblox games on phones and tablets, but you cannot build in Studio on those devices. You need a computer with a keyboard and mouse to edit your game.
What happens if I delete my game after I publish it?
You can unpublish your game at any time, which removes it from search results and prevents new players from finding it. Players who already have the link can still access it, but it will not appear in Roblox's catalog. You can also delete the game entirely, which removes it from your account and Roblox's servers.
How long does it take to build a straightforward game?
A basic obstacle course or straightforward role-playing game takes a few weeks if you work on it regularly and follow tutorials. A polished game that feels complete takes months or longer. The time depends on how much you already know about coding and game design, and how much detail you want to add.
Can I make a game with my friends in Roblox Studio?
Roblox Studio does not have built-in collaboration tools, so you cannot edit the same game at the same time as someone else. You can work on different parts of a game and share files, but you have to take turns editing. Some teams use version control software like Git to manage who is working on what, but that requires technical knowledge beyond basic game building.