Roblox commands the attention of America’s kids to the tune of 2.6 hours per day. And it does so with games that largely avoid the violence and dystopia of those $100 million blockbusters. Some of the most popular games on the Roblox platform are about adopting digital pets, building virtual communities, and running a pizza restaurant.

I’m in the world of Roblox, where block-like avatars transform themselves to explore a universe comprising millions of user-generated games. The platform boasts more than 100 million active daily users. Almost half are children under 13 and, in Australia, a 2024 study found that kids who used the site play for an average of 137 minutes a day.

About 80% of U.S. kids age 9 to 12 have played Roblox.