Hey there! I’m Infinite_Visions, an experienced lua scripter and developer of Visions Games.
Recently, I have become quite obsessed with the idea, “What makes a top Roblox game?” This is a question nearly every developer considers at one point or another. However, I decided to dig a bit deeper, by going to the experts.
I asked several top developers, each with thousands of followers, hundreds of concurrent players, and thousands of group members the following questions:
- At what point did your game “catch”? - (when did it get big. What steps did you take, if any, to get it there?)
- Did your success require funding? - (i.e did you advertise to spread word, or what type of social media did you use to get it popular? Did it just take off on its own?)
- In your opinion, what are the KEY elements to any game, to keep players coming back?
- What do you have to suggest to new devs?
Throughout this tutorial, we will dive deeper into those key questions. By taking real advice and examples, we will dissect what a game might truly need to succeed, and run over a few key elements of success on the Roblox platform.
Disclaimer: While certain factors contribute to a game's success, there is no
final equation that can truly guarentee it. There are 100% opinions spread out
through this article: on the Roblox Platform, there is always a random element.
Special thanks to @loleris, @General_Punctuation, and @TypicalType for their contributions, examples, and answers.
Part 1:
At what point did your game “catch”? - (when did it get big. What steps did you take, if any, to get it there?)
This, of all the answers I received for this question, demonstrates the power of new technologies and good practices. Many top games (Think Adopt Me, Jailbreak, Brookhaven, Piggy, etc), put in the amount of time it takes to truly utilize what Roblox has to offer. This also demonstrates the element of luck, as @General_Punctuation pointed out.
Another element that cannot be forgotten is time. @General_Punctuation later stated
Success does not come instantly for most. @General_Punctuation spent 7+ years before he broke through. This can be seen time and time again - @guywithapoo joined in 2013, and spend 7 years before finally having a breakthrough in 2020, when KonekoKitten streamed his game Lag Test.
@ asimo3089 has been developing for 12 years, since 2009. Jailbreak came out in 2017, a 8 years later.
What can we see from this? Developing takes time. You have to put in effort,
and more effort, to succeed. Nothing happens instantly - it takes time to build up.
Compare it to a shotgun - the more bullets (games) you blast off, the more chances
You have to hit.
Part 2:
Did your success require funding? - (i.e did you advertise to spread word, or what type of social media did you use to get it popular? Did it just take off on its own?)
Funding is not essential, but it can 100% aid in success. For small developers, it is extremely rare for a game to blow up out of nowhere. To grow their community, they often pour thousands upon thousands of robux into advertising, with mixed results.
It is important to understand that advertising is a gamble. It will never guarentee plays, group members, or any of that. However, it can also be a powerful tool in bringing new players in.
As @loleris stated, it is important not to put everything into one game, at least not at first, as if it is a flop, you may be left with nothing for the next game. Test the waters when advertising - see what works, and what doesn’t. Always aim for improvement.
Part 3:
In your opinion, what are the KEY elements to any game, to keep players coming back?
Most games build off of a main genre. Take Roleplaying for example: Top games like Adopt Me, Jailbreak, and Brookhaven all are inside that genre. What does this have to do with keeping players? Frankly, they know it. They know what they have to do in each of them - the idea isn’t foreign to them. You don’t want your game to be a complete copy, but sharing certain elements helps the player feel more welcome. There is less of a learning curve, and thus, it is less hard for players to feel confident and happy inside of the games.
Goals are essential. Having clear goals, to work to, and find are neccessary. The player has to know what to do, and have something to work towards. Once again, take Adopt Me and Build A Boat For Treasure as examples. In each, you have clear goals - you have to upgrade your cars, houses, and pets, or reach the treasure chest at the end of a long voyage.
These goals are often hard, but not too far off to ward off players. They have to be close and relevant enough to get players excited, but not too close that they can be easily won. Players will return if they feel as though there is more to reach and gain.
However, goals alone will not keep players. Once the goals have been reached, the player will have nothing left to do, and leave. There need to be an element of randomness, a variable, to keep it exciting. Build a Boat has new stages - your boat will have to be challenged in different ways every time, forcing you to routinely improve it. There are always things you can do to upgrade it. Adopt me has a social aspect to it, making every time you join unique.
Going off what we said before, your game needs to be playable. With your challenges, they need to be relevant. Part of playability is keeping the player interested, and having them not rage out. This is especially key for any obby, as @General_Punctuation showed.
Part 4:
What do you have to suggest to new devs?
This is going further off of the shotgun theory. You have to keep on trying, bouncing with the blows. You have to not give up, and keep producing, until you find the niche that you need to boost your career.
Part 5:
Final Notes
Sadly, we cannot cover everything that contributes to success in this tutorial. There are so many elements that it would be impossible. Even with the best game out there, it may never take. It is always a risk, with luck, as @TypicalType showed:
Some practices can certainly help. Some best practices to follow, which may help aid in growing your game:
- With gamepasses, make sure they do not bring the player to victory instantly. This can frustrate the other players, making them leave out of “unfairness”.
- Utilizing daily rewards and other tactics can help give players an incentive to return to the game.
- Updates help create randomness within the game. Most top games release routine updates, to bring new aspects, fix bugs, and generally keep players intrigued.
- Focusing on what the game’s community wants can also be key. By listening to them, and incorporating what they want, you give them a greater appreciation and dedication to the game.
A last thing to note is that a game’s success depends on the type of game. For games like Obbies, Story Games, and things along those lines, once you have completed it, you generally do not return. They may experienced huge numbers of players, but then generally fade back. Never compare your success to someone else’s - often, you will be dissapointed. Always look for improvement and keep trying.
Summary:
Developing a good game takes time, patience, and effort. Your first game
won't often be the one that catches.
Funding is not key, but can boost your player count and aid in success.
Games that will last will need to be replayable. They need to keep players
coming back.
Luck and risk go hand in hand. When doing anything in developing, it is a
gamble. You may get extremely lucky, or the risk may not pay off.
There is no one path to success. Every path will look different, and have
different outcomes.
I hope this helped clarify something, or at least gave you a boost of confidence. Keep trying, and you will succeed. If you have any tips or points, feel free to reply in the comments, and I’d love to add them!
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Best of luck in developing,
