We chatted with @Dev0mar, a veteran Roblox player and developer who’s programmed for Freeze Tag 
, Recycling Simulator 
, and Chipotle Boorito Maze 
. He’s had a range of experience working alone, leading studios, and collaborating with brands. His love of learning through video games as a kid has influenced his passion for making educational experiences on Roblox, which he continues today.
When and how did you get started on Roblox?
I joined the platform in 2008, around the time that my dad moved our family from Libya to the United States for his PhD in Agriculture. I heard about Roblox through friends and started playing building and army games. As I became more intrigued with the platform, I discovered Studio and tried my hand at creating my own demo projects. I soon fell in love with programming and creating games. I attended a few semesters of college but then became successful enough on Roblox to commit full-time. Now it’s my career and I love it!
What did you make when you first started out on Roblox?
I made quite a few demo projects when I first started out. For example, my friends and I did a challenge where we tried creating a game based off of a theme. I created a “Truss Wars” game, where guns shoot out TrussParts for people to play with.
I also made a game where you’re a boat that drives around in a lake. It actually had a bug where the boats never stopped turning, so it basically became like a Beyblade 
.
How did you get involved in programming for Freeze Tag?
A friend of mine reached out to me about an opportunity to program for a Roblox Halloween Event game that @ConnorVIII was leading. The event went so well that I continued working with Connor to completely re-code the game and relaunch it as Freeze Tag. At the same time, we continued working on other events like the Roblox Winter Games around 2016-2017. That was a blast. Working on that game, I grew as a programmer through integrating APIs and eventually learned new techniques that allowed me to make my code simpler and easier to read.
And then after you created your own experience?
Yes, after working with Connor, I wanted to try making my own. I immediately started on Recycling Simulator and commissioned developers that I found in the community. Recycling seemed like a fun thing to gamify and help kids learn how to recycle in real life. This was my first legitimate game that I took from zero to completion, and learned a lot in terms of what makes games fun and retains players. Recycling Simulator reached about 2M visits and was also featured in the “Learn & Explore” Sort.
Educational games are something I’m really passionate about. As a kid in school, what kept me engaged were the math and typing games. With my own games, I try to recreate what players do in everyday life (ie. recycling) into a game so it feels easier to learn and less like a chore.
You mentioned you also work with brands – can you tell us about any projects?
Most I can’t talk about, but I did work with a studio called Melon on their Chipotle Boorito Maze in partnership with Chipotle for Halloween.
And I’m currently working on a few education games with brands as well. One is a history game that involves a treasure map and the other is a mix of a restaurant and clean energy (any guesses? 
).
What else are you up to now?
I’m the Roblox team lead for Maker Camp, a studio that started out on other platforms creating educational maps for brands and schools. They’ve recently joined Roblox, so now I get to guide them through that journey.
Alongside this, I’m working with another dev creating a zombie horror survival game using real-time strategy. We’re hoping to release a beta as soon as possible!
Any tips for programmers on Roblox?
When I first started, I used the Roblox Script Editor and I’ve stuck with it — I feel really comfortable using it. I also use a tool called Rojo which allows developers to program with external tools like Visual Studio Code and Git. There’s a bit of a debate about using external tooling or Roblox’s internal editor. Whatever tool you’re most comfortable with, just stick with that. And whatever helps you make something as fast as possible, do it. Don’t overthink it.
As you grow as a programmer, you can easily fall into decision paralysis about which tool to use or what the most efficient way to make something is. My advice would be to do the first thing that comes to mind - just start making things. And if it doesn’t work out, then try your next technique or idea!
I’ve also incorporated AI in my day-to-day work to speed up my tasks, from researching to coding, and can see AI helping programmers work more efficiently as it advances. Code Assist has been really interesting for me to play around with, and I’m looking forward to seeing it be as good as, if not better than, competing AI assistants. In the future, I also want to learn how to create my own programming tools using AI.
Favorite experience (outside of your own)?
I play a lot of games with my two younger brothers as a way to connect. We recently discovered a new game called Clone Kingdom Tycoon. In the game, you have your own castle and troops and fight other players to stay king of the map. It’s super fun!
Thank you so much @Dev0mar for taking the time to share your story with the community! You can follow Dev0mar on Roblox and Twitter. Looking to learn from DevOmar? Check out his events on the Roblox Creator Events page.
