Roblox is putting a stop to games that encourage players to doomscroll.
Roblox has introduced a new policy banning certain doomscrolling-style experiences from Roblox Kids and Select. Games designed around a "continuous feed of content without natural stopping points".
Under the new rules, games can be removed if they combine short-form media feeds with autoplay, infinite scrolling, or autoscroll features that reward players for continuing to watch.
Roblox reasoned that these types of games are "not appropriate for younger users." Many have welcomed these changes, as they believe doomscrolling games are addictive and, ultimately, harmful to players.
Roblox Is Banning Doomscrolling Games
This new policy follows controversy surrounding Roblox games such as Steal an Egg, which incorporated short-form video consumption into its gameplay. Players can then be rewarded with items by continuously watching videos. The game has garnered over 400 million visits despite only launching in late July.
The new rules are effective immediately, meaning developers whose games feature these banned mechanics will need to redesign them or risk having their games permanently removed from Roblox Kids and Select. Specifically, the platform will ban games if they combine all of the following:
- A media feed: short-form videos, images, or story-style posts.
- A feed that autoplays, loops, or scrolls on its own.
- A reward, or implied reward, for continued watching.
Importantly, Roblox says an infinite scroll or autoplay feature on its own isn't enough to violate the policy.
Roblox Continues To Try And Improve Its Image
As a whole, this move is part of Roblox's broader effort to improve safety and create a more suitable environment for children and teenagers.
Roblox has gradually introduced several other safety measures over the past few years as it continues to face scrutiny over how it protects younger users. The platform recently rolled out age-based accounts, including Roblox Kids for children ages 5–8 and Roblox Select for users ages 9–15. These offer players different content and parental controls depending on their age.
The platform has also tightened its chat restrictions, requiring users to complete an age check before accessing chat and limiting communication between different age groups.
Originally launched in 2006, Roblox remains one of the world's biggest online gaming platforms today. It offers players a huge range of user-created experiences to explore, play, and create.