Create a Roblox Game on Mobile – Step-by-Step Guide
Interested in creating your own games on Roblox Studio but unsure where to start, especially on mobile?
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of accessing Roblox Studio on mobile, choosing game templates, designing your game with objects and models, adding interactivity with scripts, testing your game, and ultimately publishing it on Roblox.
Plus, we’ll share some tips and tricks to help you make a successful game on Roblox Mobile. Let’s get started!
Contents
Key Takeaways:
What is Roblox Studio?
Roblox Studio is a game creation platform that lets developers create, edit, share, and play games developed on the Roblox platform. Roblox Studio is free for both Mac and Windows and can be used on a mobile device or tablet, although it is not as convenient as on the computer. Developers start by selecting a game template or a baseplate and customizing their own map. They can use the integrated editor and tools to control user interface, character models, and terrain structure of the game. A wider range of assets such as game levels, character models, and physical objects can be downloaded and imported from the Roblox library or blender. For advanced developers, it is possible to write scripts in the Lua programming language for custom games, incorporating more complex gaming dynamics.
How to Access Roblox Studio on Mobile?
To access Roblox Studio on mobile, users must open a web browser on their device and type in Roblox’s official website. Once they have the browser type in the official website address, they can log in to the website and open Roblox Studio from the Create section of the Roblox website. It should be noted that Roblox Studio on mobile is in beta.
To better facilitate the process for users, here is a step-by-step guide on how to access Roblox Studio for mobile:
Step 1: Open your web browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Safari).
Step 2: Type in Roblox.com in the search bar.
Step 3: Login to your Roblox account. If you don’t have one, create a Roblox account.
Step 4: Once you have logged into your Roblox account, select the Create option. This will take you to Roblox Studio.
The user interface for Roblox Studio on computer browsers and mobile browsers is similar, with the primary difference on mobile being that more elements of the various windows are hidden by default until the user swipes to reveal them. The studio workspace is still the largest single element of the UI, accessible with toolbars for easy placement/selection of objects and shortcuts for navigating between edit, run, and script views.
Creating a New Game in Roblox Studio
To create a new game in Roblox Studio, simply click on the `File` menu in the top left corner and select `New`, or select `Empty Baseplate`. A `baseplate` is simply a large surface that forms the floor, walls, and ceilings of a game area. Players put the baseplate on an empty map so they do not have to add additional walls or floors. After creating a new game, developers enjoying gaming with Roblox Studio to continue working on a game they have previously started can click on `File` > `Open from computer`. They can also see a list of games contained in their Roblox library by clicking on `File` > `Open from Roblox`.
The Sims
series and
SimCity
are games created by partnering with Maxis and published by Electronic Arts that have a similar concept to Roblox in the sense that they advise the player to start a new game so that the map is reset so they can start building from basics again. And
Garrison: Archangel
is a fighting game with some forms of `Diddy Kong Racing`, which requires a basic map of each new round version.
What are the Different Types of Games You Can Make?
The different types of games you can make on Roblox include a wide variety of genres such as obstacle courses (known as obby games), sports games, simulation games, racing games, fighting games, and adventure games. Almost anything that you can find on a proprietary gaming platform, from horror games to calming cafes, can be found and created on Roblox.
A quick look at the popular games on the Roblox website shows some of the top contenders. Titles like Adopt Me, Funki 350, Super Golf, Bed Wars, MeepCity, Tower of Hell, All Star Tower Defense, and Brookhaven are all widely popular games on Roblox, each garnering millions of visits each month from thousands of players.
Back to Types of Games
How to Choose a Game Template?
Choose a game template in Roblox Mobile by selecting one already made on Roblox Studio or asking developers for a template from the Roblox website or marketplace. When creating your game, you can choose between a starter template or baseplate where you create everything from complete scratch. Starter templates have a variety of existing elements in them that can be customized or deleted. Examples of starter templates include Racing, Survival, or Scuba.
Baseplates start with as little as a single piece of terrain floating in infinite whitespace. You can include a baseplate within the starter template games, if you like. The Pros of using a game template on Roblox Mobile are that it gets you up and playing quicker. The Cons are that the game might not allow the sort of play dynamic you want, or might have too much or too little already built into it, and that it is probably not a standout game.
Designing Your Game
Designing your game involves designing UI elements, creating meshes, and designing game levels. In Roblox Studio, you can find a wide variety of meshes, plugins, and graphic elements in the Toolbox. On mobile, you can design UI elements, meshes, and terrain elements, but at the time of writing you cannot use plugins in Roblox Studio or download external Builder insert models and plugins.
How to Add Objects and Models?
To add objects and models to your Roblox game on mobile, tap the + on the sidebar. From there you can choose from the following options, depending on what you would like to add:
- Models. You can pick from models made by other users that you have saved favorited or those that are part of your inventory. You can add any model in this category via purchase.
- Start. Tap this if you’d like to build a start pad for your players to begin from if you are creating an obstacle course or a realm that your players will progress through. If you’re creating a sandbox style game, you likely won’t need to use this option since the players simply begin in your environment.
- Part. If you have already built an object or model and are reusing it, you can use this option to generate a unique part of the model that then can be saved and added to your inventory for later use. This part can be scaled in size and rotated to fit into your game.
- Wedges. Tap this option in order to create a wedge of terrain in your game. Wedges are designed to fit together as staircases and can fit as ramps for users to move up or down terrain.
- Studs. The function of the stud is to anchor parts into the world. This creates a physical part to interact with. Studs can be invisible or for decorative purposes. Click on any model of the map to display its properties and set transparency to 1 to hide the stud from playing users.
- Touch Pads. If you are doing a first-person game and want complete control, add touch pads to your game. This will display a directional pad to players which can move their characters right, left, and up as well as forward and backward.
- Skybox. A visual cue for players to show where they are in the world. Setting an image as a skybox can serve as a background for your map.
For models, players will either need to purchase an item or claim an asset from their inventory to use it in their game. Once these assets are acquired, the player can choose to rotate them to fit in with the rest of their game, and modify their size if they are inappropriate for the current map’s scale.
How to Use Scripts to Add Interactivity?
Scripts are used in Roblox projects to create interactivity and connection with the UX design. These scripts are advanced algorithms that are written with the goal of making the object’s properties in the virtual world interact with the user’s input.
The language for writing these scripts is Roblox’s own custom version of Lua, which provides Roblox developers an easy way to create smooth interactivity for their games. For beginners and younger developers, attaching scripts written by other players is an easy way to extend functionality. Scripts are attached to an object to tell it what to do when interacted with, such as change color, move location, emit light, or release active collisions.
There are a few simple steps to use scripts to add interactivity in Roblox projects. When you drop a part into the workspace, on the right there will be an option in the properties menu for Attach New Script:
1. Click on that and you can either create a script directly in Roblox or paste an existing script into this window.
2. Once you have attached a script, you can then set an event for the script to trigger or use one of Roblox’s predefined triggers.
How to Customize Your Game with Colors and Textures?
You customize your game with colors and textures in Roblox on mobile via the Color3, Decal, and Textures properties of objects in Build Mode. You can find these parameters in Build Mode by selecting the object you wish to customize and then tapping on the Configure Object button. Edit the parameters of your game objects and parts to look and interact with them in the premium style you desire.
Testing and Publishing Your Game
To publish your game, first ensure all scripts and models do not need to be fixed or any loose ends that should be polished before the final build. Next, click the three dots next to File and select Build Settings. Find the version settings with the most recent timestamp and click Upload to Roblox. If you built and uploaded your Roblox game correctly, you will see this response in the Roblox console: PlaySet was successfully published. If any errors pop up, they will appear as red text in the console.
How to Test Your Game on Mobile?
To test your game on Roblox mobile, you need to use Roblox player available on Android and iOS devices. After finishing your game on the Roblox studio on a PC, save and publish it. You then need to open the game on the Roblox mobile app and search for it in the games directory according to your preference by redefining the search parameters. Once you find it, press play.
Technical limitations include not being able to test the game without it being published, though player behavior is more likely to be the same on mobile. This is resolved by using placeholders and making sure UI and game controls are mobile-optimized so you can easily test it on actual mobile devices.
How to Publish Your Game on Roblox?
You can also publish your game on mobile, by following the steps to publish your game on Roblox in the browser. After you have created your add-on or game, the final step is to make it available to other users by choosing either public access or private access to your game. This means if you choose private access, you will have to invite specific users to test your game. Public access, on the other hand, makes your game available to all Roblox users globally who can try and play your game.
Tips and Tricks for Making a Successful Game on Roblox Mobile
Tips and Tricks for Making a Successful Game on Roblox Mobile include addressing the challenges found in adding, moving, and scripting on Roblox Mobile, and in advertising that your Roblox game is mobile friendly. The development of a Roblox game on mobile does not need to have advanced mechanics and tools as long as the game is designed for mobile from the beginning, has good gameplay, and offers a good effort to match the quality of desktop games. After designing the Roblox game, it must be sent to the Roblox Personal Servers (RDC Server) for mobile testing. Almost all aspects of a Roblox game will work on mobile as they do on desktop. Very few limitations exist and developers can replicate almost any issue in a desktop game in a mobile game. Creators should delay major Roblox updates and upgrade to the paid plans to get resources such as Up To 25 New Ad Creatives, CPI Prediction, and CPI Recommendation. They enable the creator to expand the game’s reach to mobile players. According to an article by browser-based mobile game platform GameZop, successful games on mobile utilize Wool Order (e.g. Monopoly), Mini Launch Countdown (e.g. PUBG), and Feature-Driven Roadmap (e.g. Among Us) marketing strategies which cater to the mobile audience.
Keep it Simple
These are some ways to keep it simple while building something for a mobile Roblox game like Parkour or a Team-Deathmatch Firing Squad game game. These have as their primary features build tools, character movement and platforming, or easy combat mechanics. The games can be movement- or reaction-based, with little need to manually control your speed, direction, or does not require shooting or climbing long distances.
Simple-time management has to be a key feature of the game. This includes short rounds lasting 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Simple objects. When working within the in-game studio, use as few interactive components as possible. You can add the complexity of adding interactive elements after the levels themselves are completed and looking good.
Use High-Quality Assets
High-quality assets or game features can make your game in Roblox highly appealing and attractive to players, and contribute to their feelings of immersion and interest. High-quality assets do not necessarily mean expensive or heavily-detailed models and environments, rather they refer to creating a polished, consistent, and intentional design that runs through all parts of the games such as UI elements, game paths, and blocks.
High-quality assets, however, refer to high-quality assets within Roblox’s asset store. Within the store, you can conveniently download free assets created by scores of talented developers, or you can spend currency to purchase assets that possess higher-level aesthetic value.
You can search within Roblox’s asset store for categories such as Particle Systems, Localized Content, High Poly Models, High-Quality Textures, PBR Materials, Game Passes, and developer services. Each asset quality produces its own unique aesthetic appeal.
For example, using Particle Systems gives a tactile feel of the game for players. They are perfect for creating announcements, celebrations, or effects that require information such as smoke, fire, rust, ocean waves, steam, impacts, mist, and much more. Meanwhile, Dynamite Game’s mobile game Speed Race F4 is an example of creative and high-quality asset use.
Engage with the Roblox Community
Part of knowing how to make a game in Roblox is engaging with the community of developers. Roblox Developer Forum: People interact with one another on the developer’s forum where there is a community of Roblox creators who share insights, help one another with company, and answer questions from new users.
You can ask for feedback on any issues you are facing there. The Roblox developer forums also offer tutorials, discussions, a marketplace to showcase your portfolio of games, groups, a support page where you can find answers to various questions and contact the admins or support for any game-related issues.
A friendly person named R001t known as the “one-man Roblox dev team started posting Roblox tutorial videos on YouTube. He started it because he couldn’t find any good tutorials on YouTube to make Roblox games on his phone. His tutorials cover all aspects from beginner to advanced and are to the point and free.
You can get advice on tested tools for Roblox game development on Twitter. Many developers have public accounts, so if you ask strings like “What do you guys use for DB CRUD ops? or any other Roblox development-related question, you will likely get feedback and insight.
Update and Improve Your Game Regularly
After creating your game, you should not delete it but rather improve it with new updates. Upgrades and updates will allow your game to be better played on newer devices. You can add new features, improve graphics, and fix bugs. Bring in innovation and device your game in line with evolving trends. Listening to your game’s player community is important. If they recommend changes, evaluate and implement. Regular, incremental updates will keep players engaged and ensure they return frequently.
