We live in good times. It used to be that breaking into game development was something reserved for the lucky and well-connected (and, of course, smart). Today, the market has been democratized, thanks largely to more user-friendly and accessible tools, and it’s spawning more games from a larger swath of the population. There are plenty of platform choices when it comes to indie game development, but it’s only on ROBLOX where you’ll find a huge player base, a powerful game development environment, and opportunities to earn money all centralized in one place.

Focus on playing and building — we’ll host!

Whether you make a game that 20 people, or 20 million play, server costs are on us. We’ve created a massive cloud of global game servers that you can leverage to distribute your content worldwide. Think of our website like a YouTube for video games. With the right product quality and a theme that captures the interest of our millions of gamers, you could amass a million play sessions — or much more. We also handle multiplayer connectivity, which means you can focus all your effort on building and developing a great game – not the logistics.

Exposure

With over 50 million registered accounts and a peak concurrency of over 160,000 simultaneous players, saying we have an audience would be the understatement of the century. Every day, millions of people are digging through the ROBLOX games list to find the latest and greatest game. We’ve implemented several key features in the last year (such as voting) in order to surface high-quality experiences. You can rest assured that any game you publish has an opportunity to get noticed. And if it does, you’ll be sure to get feedback on your game.

If you build a game and want to give it an extra push, you can leverage our user advertising system to get it in front of potential players and upload a video trailer. You can also implement badges, which function like achievements or trophies, and sell access to special content and abilities — all of which keep players coming back for more. There are plenty of marketing options.

Developer community

Creating a ROBLOX account means so much more than customizing your avatar and playing games — for a developer, it means joining a community of like-minded individuals who are enthusiastic about ROBLOX games. We have public forums that are bustling with activity. If you’re in the middle of creating a game and have questions about building or writing an efficient Lua script, post it and look for help from fellow game developers. We’ve also launched a private forum for developers who have already proven to be successful. You could be the next invitee.

Some of the best and most played ROBLOX games are a collaborative effort. Once you know what you’re good at, you’ll be able to find others who are the yin to your yang. You’d be amazed how quickly you can find a like-minded developer who is willing to get behind your vision and help you achieve your goals.

DevEx: more incentive than ever to build

Using our Developer Exchange program, ROBLOX developers can convert their virtual earnings to real-world cash. The idea behind DevEx is simple: if you contribute a popular title to our thriving ecosystem of games, you deserve to be rewarded for your work. Hundreds of our top developers have been earning cash each month that goes towards a bevy of costs — educational endeavors, new computers, a new car, NERF guns (yes, really) — the list is seemingly never-ending. Since we implemented DevEx in October, ROBLOX developers have collectively earned almost $60,000. We’re happy to pay — not just for the work our top developers have done, but to encourage them to continue to dream up new and innovative ROBLOX titles that could potentially earn them even more cash.

A pair of case studies

These are all key reasons ROBLOX is the best place to dive into indie game development. We asked a couple of successful developers how they feel about making games on ROBLOX and what keeps them going. Rukiryo, the builder of games like BLEACH RPG, shares his thoughts:

DevEx came at a perfect time. I’ve just been accepted into University and knew that means I would have to save up, meaning I’d need to get a job. I had always figured this would mean spending less time on ROBLOX and more time working. Thanks to DevEx, I can make money doing what I already know and love. I love making ROBLOX games and will continue to make them for a long time. – Rukiryo

Long-time fan favorite Gusmanak, creator of Apocalypse Rising, shares his thoughts as well:

Looking at the first version of Apoc Rising and comparing it to today’s version acts as proof of all I’ve learned. I’ve formed an interesting relationship with ROBLOX as a developer. It’s our job to update our games to please our players. It’s ROBLOX’s job to update their platform to please developers.

I would consider myself an indie game developer, because my beliefs in how games should be built are unique to me. I’ve developed a keen sense of what does and doesn’t belong in games — what’s worth adding, and what isn’t. The Apocalypse Rising team has been very influenced and motivated by the changes ROBLOX has implemented in the last year. DevEx has paid for our $1,500 expense for Unity Pro, which we’ve been using to develop another project. This truly feels like “The Year of the Developer”, and I can’t wait to see the many updates that ROBLOX has in store for us this year. – Gusmanak

Start your career in a booming industry

Simply put, ROBLOX is the best place to launch a career in the gaming industry, and we’re continuing to look at ways to supplement your ROBLOX-ucational endeavors with rewards that will keep you developing killer titles.

ROBLOX will never be finished — that’s one of the perks of developing games with our platform. Even features we’ve implemented in the last year — like dynamic lighting and part streaming — have either radically changed the way existing games are played, or laid out the groundwork to brand new and engaging titles. We uphold a never-ending promise to provide with you all the tools you need to build anything you can imagine. Become a ROBLOX game developer, and see what you can do.