How to Actually Get Players to Play Your Roblox Game (Even If You’re Just Starting Out)
You completed your Roblox game! What a tremendous victory! But now you find yourself with a player count of… zero. This is pretty irritating. After all this time—days or weeks—you’ve poured into building something you can really call your own.
The bright side? You aren’t alone in this. It’s something that just about every developer goes through at some point. And the brighter side? You can do something about it. Getting players isn’t about chance—it’s about learning how to show off, sell, and refine your game so that it actually gets seen and the people who see it actually want to stick around.
Let us dissect how to accomplish that exact task.
Why Isn’t Your Game Getting Any Players?
Let’s be real—there are a lot of games in Roblox. Even the great ones can struggle to get noticed and can confound players when it comes to just how to play them and where they are supposed to be going once they hit that play button. Players ought to be greeted by the sight of a well-organized game, in a world that isn’t confusing, and almost in an inviting manner—right? You might well be thinking at this moment, “But my game is good enough to cut through all of that noise!” And maybe it is! But you don’t know it; I don’t know it; audiences at large don’t know it unless and until they get to see it and play it. And to see and play it, they really have to want to.
This means concentrating not only on the mechanics of the game but also on making the game easy to find, ensuring that players want to keep playing, and paying attention to the tiny details that make them not want to leave.
Choose a Name That People Can Actually Find
One of the simplest methods to increase your game’s visibility? Provide it with a superior title.
Too many developers choose something basic like “Fun Adventure” or “Epic Obby.” The issue? Hundreds of other games have analogous titles, and none of them grab attention in search results.
Don’t just think like a developer—think like a player. What would they look for? One developer mentioned in the course of the transcript that they named their game Longest Obby Ever. That name is not only super-searchable, but it also feels exciting and helps the game pop in a list of similar games.
And the best part? That one change (naming) almost single-handedly helped the game get noticed—with zero ads.
Don’t think too much about it. Make your title distinct, unambiguous, and one of a kind.
Make the First 30 Seconds Count!
Picture this: a player joins your game, and is placed into a blank room with no clear direction, and simply… leaves.
This is more common than you think.
A good mindset to have is: if a 9-year-old doesn’t know what do do within seconds, they’ll leave without a second thought. So what can you do?
Make the spawn area exciting, and easy to navigate. Use clear arrows, signs or starter messages/prompts to guide new players!
Add something fun, or surprising—right away—like a reward, badge, or simple quest/challenge.
A developer added a basic “Welcome!” badge that players got just for joining. It wasn’t complicated, but it made players feel good, and gave them a reason to explore.
Ads Aren’t Magic (Unless Your Game’s Ready)
It’s tempting to think, “If I just spend 5,000 Robux on ads, my game will blow up.”
Reality check: ads only help if your game already works. If players leave after 10 seconds, then you’ve just paid to have more players do that exact thing. Leave.
Another developer shared that they spent zero on ads for one of their games, and it still reached 1,000+ players-just from good naming and retention. For another game, they spent around 3,000 Robux—but only after making sure players stayed for more than a few minutes.
So if your game isn’t retaining players yet? Hold off on ads. Focus on tweaking and testing first, fine tuning your masterful creation.
Add Easter Eggs, Secrets, and Weird Stuff
Players love surprises. And for Roblox players, the weirder or funnier, the better.
A developer in the HiddenDevs discord server mentioned how there was a random speed coil bug that let players yeet themselves across the map. They left it in. And you know what? Players loved it. Kids would laugh and play for over 10 minutes just launching themselves around.
You don’t need to over-design this stuff. Sometimes an unexpected detail or goofy feature becomes the thing players admire most about your experience.
Hidden rooms, secret achievements, weird badges – these things help your game feel alive.
Learn from Other Games (and Players)
If your game isn’t getting traction, don’t take it personally—just take notes.
Search for similar games. Play them. Ask yourself:
- How do they guide new players?
- What’s their UI like?
- What makes them sticky?
Then look at your own game. Are players confused? Are they leaving fast? One dev learned this just by watching their cousins play. If the kids left in 30 seconds, they knew something had to change.
Also, if a player sends you feedback – listen. That’s gold.
Updates Matter More Than You Think
Roblox’s algorithm loves games that retain players and update regularly.
Think of your game as a living thing. Keep feeding it. Add tiny updates weekly if you can. Players notice. So does the algorithm. Roblox rewards consistently updating experiences with more attention and time in the spotlight.
We can see with this chart for popular Roblox game “Grow A Garden“, where for the release of an update, the concurrent player count spikes to over 6M players!
Final Thoughts
Getting players isn’t about being famous or spending tons of Robux. It’s about:
- Making your game easy to find
- Guiding players clearly
- Surprising them with something fun
- And most importantly, learning from what works
Even if your first launch is a flop (many are!), that doesn’t mean the game can’t grow. Stay curious. Keep testing. And don’t be afraid to get weird with it—those quirks might be what make your game shine.
FAQs
Q: How long should I wait before promoting my game with ads?
A: Wait until you’ve tested retention. If most players leave after 30 seconds, fix that first. Ads should boost success—not highlight problems.
Q: What’s a “good” player retention time?
A: Aim for players to stay at least 3–5 minutes. That shows they’re engaged. Over time, try to boost it higher with updates and surprises.
Q: Can you grow a game with $0 spent?
A: Absolutely. Many developers do it with a smart title, good early experience, and word-of-mouth, and even social media! Ads help—but they’re not required.
Q: What if no one’s playing my game?
A: Don’t give up. Ask friends to test it. Watch how new players move. Adjust based on what you see. Growth takes iteration.
Q: How can I tell if my game is fun?
A: Let people who aren’t developers play it. Especially kids, if they’re your target audience. Their reactions are honest—and super helpful.
