Financial is one of the five themes I score in every Level Check review. In a lot of the games I play, it ends up as the biggest concern, even in games with no violence and nothing scary at all. This guide explains how spending on Roblox works and the patterns I see again and again. I'll also cover what you can do about it.
How Robux works
Robux is Roblox's own currency. It's bought with real money, through a one-off purchase or a subscription, and then spent inside games. Most games also have their own in-game currency, like coins, gems, crystals or tickets, that you earn by playing. Many of them let you buy that currency with Robux too.
That double step matters. Once real money becomes Robux, and Robux becomes "gems", it gets harder for a child, and sometimes an adult, to feel what something actually costs.
Children often receive Robux as gifts, such as gift cards for birthdays. Once it's on the account, how it's spent is down to your child, the games they play and the settings you choose.
The main ways games ask for Robux
Game passes. One-off purchases that stay with your account in that game, like VIP areas, faster movement, extra storage or double currency. I'm generally comfortable with these when they're clearly labelled and permanent. In Clean the Library, for example, the shop explains exactly what each pass does and asks you to confirm.
Developer products, or consumables. Things you use up, like a revive, a level skip, a boost for 30 minutes or a pack of currency. These are where spending can quietly add up, because they're designed to be bought again. In +1 Speed Keyboard Escape, most of the purchases were useless after a single use.
Cosmetics. Skins, emotes, outfits and effects. These are usually harmless, but in some games emotes are sold as a way to taunt other players, as in Jujutsu Shenanigans.
The patterns I flag most often
Mystery boxes and luck boosts
Lots of popular games are built around "summoning", "spinning" or opening eggs or crates where you don't know what you'll get. Anime Expeditions is built entirely around it, and Evomon and Murder Mystery 2 include it too. Some games show the odds, which is better, but it's still a gamble. When the free currency runs out, the game offers Robux for more rolls, or for "luck" boosts that improve your chances.
I'm open about my view here: I don't think gambling-style mechanics belong in games open to young children. They can build habits that are hard to break, especially in children with an addictive streak.
Paywalls
A paywall is a point where you can't realistically progress without paying. It's rarely labelled as one. In some obby and incremental games, each level has a requirement you can only meet by grinding for a very long time or buying an upgrade. In 99 Nights in the Forest, I felt real pressure from other players to buy revives with Robux when nobody had found any bandages.
Pay-to-win
When paid items give a real advantage over other players, like armour, shields or superpowers, children who don't pay start losing to children who do. That feeds frustration and pressure to spend. Entrenched sells armour and shield passes you can't earn by playing.
Misleading buttons and prompts
Watch out for buttons labelled "free gift" that actually send you out of the game to join a group. Look out too for NPCs placed on treadmills to look like busy players, which ask for Robux when you step on them. Pop-ups that cover the screen every time you move, or that offer "watch an advert to continue", come up a lot too. None of these are illegal or hidden, but they're designed to catch children off guard.
Boredom by design
Some games are deliberately slow, with long waits, repetitive tasks and tiny progress, so that paying to speed things up starts to feel like the only fun option. I call that out when I see it, as in Clean all the Leaves.
Countdown pressure
During seasonal events, many games add limited-time items, currencies or pets with a timer. The fear of missing out is a powerful nudge, especially for children. I don't list specific events on this site because they change constantly, but the pattern repeats all year.
What good looks like
Not every game is a cash grab, and I'm keen to give credit where it's due. The games I rate well on financial tend to:
- keep purchases behind a clearly labelled shop rather than all over the screen
- explain what each item does and ask you to confirm before buying
- let you earn almost everything by playing
- avoid mystery boxes, or at least show clear odds
- sell permanent passes rather than endless consumables.
Block Tales has nothing to buy at all. Bear Alpha keeps its shop small, cheap and earnable.
What you can do
- Set a monthly spending limit in Roblox parental controls. Zero is fine, but a small fixed amount teaches budgeting. See my parental controls guide.
- Turn on notifications for every purchase, so nothing surprises you.
- Agree rules together, such as "we don't buy mystery boxes" or "we wait a day before buying anything".
- Talk about the tricks. Children are surprisingly good at spotting manipulation once someone points it out. Ask them why they think the game made that button flash.
- Plan for 13. Roblox's spending limits stop applying at 13, so the habits you build before then matter.
- Check the financial section of any game in the Game Directory before your child starts playing.
Spending isn't automatically bad. Plenty of children enjoy saving up for something they really want. The aim is to make sure your child is choosing to spend, rather than being steered into it.