Social gaming is the new craze in the video game industry, especially for kids and teens.
These games feature an ever-growing selection of activities. You can create art, build worlds, fight off aliens, chat with your friends as you play, or meet people from around the world.
Now, while there are plenty of social gaming titles on the market, the two biggest platforms out there are Rec Room and Roblox.
Both offer a virtual world in which users can meet and interact with other gamers, as well as a wide variety of environments and game modes. They’ve also proven to be safe for kids so parents don’t have to worry about whether they’re protected when playing.
However, they have some key differences that should be considered before deciding which one is right for you.
In this blog post, I’ll break down how Rec Room and Roblox stack up against each other. We’ll look at their features, pros and cons, and overall gameplay experience to help you figure out which platform is better.
Rec Room vs Roblox: Introduction
What is Rec Room?
Rec Room is a free-to-play social game that allows users to create their own avatars, explore, chat, play games, and interact with people from around the world.
It was created in April 2016 by Against Gravity, an indie game company based in Seattle. Since then, it has attracted more than 75 million players worldwide.
The game features a large variety of mini-games you can play with your friends, including disc golf, laser tag, solitaire, and more. You can also join different player-created rooms based on your interests, or build your own game to share with the Rec Room community.
Rec Room is also built with kids in mind. It’s been recognized by the Kidsafe program for its safety features.
For example, it doesn’t allow players under the age of 13 to sign up for a standard account. Instead, they get a Junior Account.
These accounts limit some chat features and gameplay options, such as building or joining rooms with scary or mature themes.
What is Roblox?
Roblox is also free-to-play, but it’s more of a sandbox where users can create their own games, worlds, and experiences using the Roblox Studio tool.
It was created by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel back in 2004, and today it’s one of the largest games of its kind, with over 200 million players worldwide.
Unlike Rec Room, Roblox doesn’t offer a virtual universe to explore and play games in with your avatar. Instead, the site boasts more than 40 million games, each created by a different player.
You can compete in sporting events, play arcade-style games such as shooters, enjoy racing games, or dive into role-playing and MMORPGs, among many other things.
Roblox also has parental control features, which allow parents to block certain words from being said in chat, control who can contact their child’s account and send them online messages, monitor their account, and more.
Rec Room vs Roblox: Sign Up
Rec Room
Rec Room isn’t quite as intuitive as it could be when it comes to signing up. You won’t see the sign-up option directly on their homepage, and if you’re not looking at the right page, you might miss it entirely.
To create an account:
- Navigate to Recroom.com
- Click the orange “Download” button, then install it on your device. Once you’ve done that, open the app.
- Next, you’ll need to create your avatar. You can choose from a wide variety of characteristics, including skin tone, eye color, body type, mouth shape, clothing, and more.
- Once you’re finished, hit “All Set”.
- After that, you’ll have to pick your username and password.
- Finally, click “Start Playing” and wait a few seconds as your avatar loads into the Rec Room universe!
Roblox
Unlike Rec Room, registering for Roblox is much simpler. You can sign up directly through the website in a few easy steps without having to download the platform.
To create an account:
- Navigate to Roblox.com.
- Fill out the form with your birth date, username, password, and gender. Then, click “Sign Up”.
- Next, you’ll have to go through a quick verification to confirm you’re not a robot.
- After that, you’ll be able to access your game dashboard and choose the game you want to play.
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Rec Room vs Roblox: Dashboard
Rec Room
Rec Room has an in-game dashboard that’s very straightforward and easy to navigate.
To access it, you’ll have to press the tab key (if you’re on a computer) and a large menu will pop up in the middle of your screen.
At the top, you’ll see a small picture of your avatar and three buttons: “Settings”, “Exit”, and “Invite”. Right below, you’ll find all of the main functions of the game.
You can access any of the options by clicking on their respective icons: “Play”, “Events”, “Create”, “This Room”, “People”, “Messages”, “Challenges”, “Backpack”, “Clubs”, “Store”, “Dorm Room”, and “Rec Center”.
These options are all pretty self-explanatory. You can check daily events and see what’s going on in the Rec Room community, browse through different rooms, explore new games, access the game’s store, chat with other users, or start creating your own game.
Roblox
Unlike Rec Room, with Roblox, you can access the dashboard from both the desktop and browser versions. It’s also easy to use and has a well-organized design, so it’s simple to find what you need.
The dashboard is where you can access your avatar, personalize your game, and chat with other players.
There’s a main menu at the top with four main tabs: “Discover”, “Avatar Shop”, “Create”, and “Robux”, along with a search bar that’s pretty useful if you want to find something quickly.
The first tab displays popular games and places to start playing right away.
Games will appear categorized by genre or style, like “Most Engaging”, “Free Private Servers”, or “Roleplay”. Once you’ve chosen which one you’re going to play, you’ll need to download Roblox’s app first.
If you click on “Avatar Shop” you’ll be able to buy gear for your avatar using Robux, which is earned by playing games or gifted to you by other players.
You can buy more Robux coins with real money in order to give yourself some advantages while playing.
Finally, you can click on the Create tab to start building your own game. It will take you directly to the Roblox Studio tool.
Rec Room vs Roblox: User Interface & Design
Rec Room
Rec Room’s user interface is simple and easy to navigate, with a bright and colorful design that makes it easy to find what you’re looking for.
In fact, one of the things that make Rec Room stand out from other online gaming platforms is its bold use of color throughout the app. From the main menu down through each individual game or world, there are vivid colors everywhere you look.
The graphics are very good as well, kind of like The Sims in 3D. They have an animated cartoon look to them, but they’re still really well-made.
In VR especially, some games can look really fake and cartoony, but Rec Room’s characters look nice, with lots of different body types and clothing options.
The only drawback is that sometimes it feels like everything takes a little too long to load, from opening a new game to starting up your avatar.
Roblox
Roblox’s user interface is also simple and easy to use, but it still manages to look sleek and modern without feeling too cluttered.
While the graphics can vary from game to game, overall they are fun and engaging, with bright and vivid colors. And, like Rec Room, all of Roblox’s graphics are built in 3D space.
This allows for some cool features like physics simulation, allowing objects to interact with each other based on their weight, size, etc.
It also has some great sound effects. They make each Roblox game more realistic, as they help set the mood and tone of each scene.
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Rec Room vs Roblox: Gameplay
Rec Room
Rec Room’s style of gameplay it’s a lot like the old Wii Sports games. It has a bunch of mini-games that you can play with your friends in a 3D environment, and you can also create your own rooms and invite your friends to join you for some fun.
The gameplay is really simple. Some of the mini-games include dodgeball, disc golf, and archery.
You can compete against other people on the site in various user-generated games categorized by theme: “Horror”, “PvP” (Player vs. Player), “Quest”, and “Art”. Or you can just hang out and socialize at Rec’s Recreation Center or clubs.
The voice chat feature lets you talk with other players in real-time, and there’s a chat box too. Plus, people can send you private messages that you’ll find in your Message inbox on your dashboard.
In addition, the controls are easy enough to use. However, they take some getting used to if you haven’t played before.
Roblox
The gameplay of Roblox is similar to Minecraft and other sandbox games. You can create your own virtual world and play in it, and unlike Rec Room, there aren’t any glitches or lags that I’ve noticed.
But the most interesting thing about the game is its versatility. There are several different types of games available, including first-person shooters, platformers, racing games, and more.
Some of these games allow you to play with your friends via voice chat or text chat, and others are single-player experiences where you compete against bots.
There are also large games made by the Roblox corporation itself. In some of them, you can win Robux, the company’s virtual currency, or earn trophies by completing various tasks.
Rec Room vs Roblox: Pricing
Rec Room
You can play Rec Room for free. However, if you want to enjoy customizations or access more features, you will have to spend real money to get the in-game currency (Tokens).
In its Token Shop, Rec Room offers a series of packages with different prices depending on the number of coins you want to get:
- 2,500 Tokens cost $4.99
- 5,500 Tokens cost $9.99
- 12,000 Tokens cost $19.99
- 35,000 Tokens cost $49.99
In addition, there’s a discounted membership that gives you access to deals on avatar gear, the option of making real money by selling your creations, and 1,500 tokens per week among other benefits.
These prices are subject to change, so check Rec Room’s store for the latest updates.
Roblox
Just like Rec Room, Roblox is completely free. But if you want to enjoy perks like custom content for your avatars, you’ll also have to buy some in-game currency (Robux).
Their prices per package are a bit more expensive:
- $4.99 for 400 Robux.
- $9.99 for 800 Robux
- $19.99 for 1,700 Robux
- $49.99 for 4,500 Robux
- $99.99 for 10,000 Robux
- $199.99 for 22,500 Robux
You can also choose to subscribe to a monthly plan, which will give you a larger number of Robux.
This option is only available if you choose one of the first three packages: for $4.99 you will get 450 Robux per month (50 more Robux than with the standard plan).
For $9.99 you will get 200 more Robux (1,000 per month) and for $19.99 you will get 2,200 per month (500 more Robux).
Check their website for up-to-date information on their latest prices.
Rec Room vs Roblox: Help Center
Rec Room
Rec Room has a very comprehensive Help Center. You can access guides to solve any technical problems, posts about creating content for the game, articles on managing your account, and some other miscellaneous information.
In addition, there are also guides for new users and a section of FAQs where you can find answers to the most common problems other players tend to have about the game and its functionality.
Roblox
Roblox also has a very thorough Help Center. There is a lot of information about managing your account and making the best out of your game experience.
You’ll find FAQs about billing, troubleshooting account issues, and game functionality. From how to restore your password and redeem gift codes to how to request a refund and set up advanced security features, there’s an answer to every possible question you may have.
On top of that, there are also guides to help those parents who want to know more about how to keep their kids safe while playing or how to monitor what they do.
In addition to this, Roblox also has a Dev forum where you can ask other users for help or share your experiences with the game. This Dev forum is a great place to get help with coding or scripting issues, as well as feedback on your game.
Rec Room vs Roblox: Customer Support
Rec Room
The options for contacting Rec Room’s customer support are limited. The only way to reach out to them is by submitting a ticket.
However, if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of your issue and get some advice on how to fix it or prevent it from happening again in the future, you can post your question in their Community Forum.
Roblox
Like Rec Room, you can submit a ticket to Roblox’s customer support by going to the Support form on their website. It’s fairly straightforward – you fill out the relevant information and then upload any pictures or screenshots related to your inquiry.
Now, the main thing to keep in mind is that Roblox’s customer support isn’t the same as their game developer support.
If you want to know more about building and scripting your own game, you can visit their DevForum and post your questions there. And if you’re having trouble with something about a particular game, you should reach out to the game maker directly.
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Rec Room vs Roblox: Mobile application
Rec Room
Rec Room is available both in the App Store and Google Play Store, so you can download it on any device that supports either platform.
However, the Android version doesn’t currently support controller use – you have to use your phone screen for the controls.
So if you’re looking to get some serious gaming done on your phone or tablet, this isn’t the best choice for you.
Roblox
Roblox can be played on both Android and iOS devices, and it is free to download on both platforms.
The Roblox mobile app is designed to work with a Bluetooth controller so that players can get the full gaming experience while they’re on the go. If you don’t have a controller, you can still use the app because there are plenty of games that don’t require one – these games are often referred to as “touch-friendly.”
Rec Room vs Roblox: VR Support
Rec Room
Rec Room is available on almost every VR platform there is: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, Playstation VR (PSVR), etc.
Roblox
Unlike Rec Room, Roblox only supports Oculus Rift and HTC Vive on Windows computers.
Rec Room vs Roblox: Pros & Cons
Rec Room
Pros
- It’s free to play.
- It has an intuitive and easy-to-navigate user interface.
- It’s easy to play, and there are tutorials that can help you get used to the specific controllers of your device.
- It’s Kidsafe recognized.
- It allows you to easily create your own games and socialize with other users.
- It has both a text and a voice chat feature.
- There are many different game modes
- It has a comprehensive Help Center.
- It supports most VR devices.
- It allows you to customize your avatar’s appearance by choosing from hundreds of hats, shirts, pants, shoes, backpacks, and more.
Cons
- Sometimes, the game experience isn’t fully responsive.
- It doesn’t have many options to contact customer support.
- Its mobile version for Android doesn’t support controllers.
Roblox
Pros
- It’s free to play.
- Its user interface is simple and intuitive.
- It’s easy to play – each game has tutorials.
- It has solid parental control features that allow parents to limit certain game capabilities and monitor their kids’ game experience.
- It has a dedicated tool to build and script new games, with plenty of documentation on how to do it.
- It allows you to communicate with other users in real-time through voice and text chat.
- It has a collection of over 40 million games in many different genres.
- It has an extensive Help Center.
- It’s available for Android and iOS devices.
- Its mobile application supports Bluetooth controllers.
Cons
- It only supports two VR platforms for Windows PCs.
- Its customization options for avatars are limited.
Similarities & Differences
| Rec Room | Roblox | |
| Free to Play | ✔ | ✔ |
| Intuitive User Interface | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mobile Application | ✔ Doesn’t support controllers | ✔ |
| Smooth Gameplay | ✔ | ✔ |
| Help Center | ✔ | ✔ |
| Game Building | ✔ | ✔ |
| Parental Control | ✔ | ✔ |
| VR support | ✔ | ✔ Only Oculus and HTC for Windows computers. |
| Game Dashboard | ✔ Only in-game | ✔ |
Conclusion – Rec Room vs Roblox: Which is Better?
Which one is better really depends on what kind of game you are looking for!
If you are looking for a way to connect with other people and make friends, then Rec Room is your best bet. The game has a huge community of players who are willing to help out newbies, and there are lots of ways to play together — from paintball to dodgeball to quest mode.
But if you are looking for more than just social interaction, then Roblox is a better option for you. Roblox has a more wide range of games and its Studio tool allows you to build complete 3D worlds.
