Roblox is making game development more accessible with the launch of Build, a new AI-powered tool that allows users to generate playable games by simply describing their ideas in natural language.
The feature, integrated directly into the Roblox mobile app, aims to lower the barrier to game development by enabling anyone, from beginners to experienced creators, to turn text prompts into interactive experiences without writing code.
The announcement marks another major step in Roblox's broader AI strategy as the company looks to empower its growing creator community while expanding mobile-first game development.
The new Build feature allows users to instruct "Build me a fantasy adventure game in the magical forest," and then Roblox automatically builds a rudimentary game that can be played. In contrast to developing a complete game, the AI system gives a starting point with all the gameplay elements, visual, and audio elements incorporated into it.
According to Roblox, the AI tool uses both the company’s own AI models and open-source AI models that are specially trained for building 3D games.
In contrast to Roblox Studio, which has always required desktop or laptop computers, Build has been created with smartphones and tablets in mind. The company believes this will make game creation much easier, particularly for those who use their mobile devices to play Roblox games.
The games created using Build can then be moved to Roblox Studio, where more complex editing is possible and allows skilled game developers to improve on the AI games further. Roblox intends to add more AI helpers to assist in testing and analysis, among other things.
Roblox has begun rolling out Build via a public alpha release, beginning with verified users in New Zealand and expanding to more geographical areas over the next few months. A free tier of Build will be made available to all eligible creators, with advanced features being planned for premium tiers in the future.
According to Roblox, its current discovery system will favor games that are engaging and of high quality, ensuring that there is no dominance of low-effort games created by AI systems.
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The addition of Build marks Roblox’s entry into a rapidly emerging space for game development through AI assistance, where several technology companies are researching and developing tools that convert textual inputs into games. The tool will enable millions of people who have great ideas but lack the knowledge or skills in programming and designing to develop games.
The adoption of the tool will likely result in discussions regarding the quality of games, moderation, and the increasing use of generative AI for content creation.