Roblox wants kids to vibe-code their own video games

• Roblox announced Build, its AI-powered, in-phone-app tool.
• Users can explain the intended vibe of a game, the company said, and AI will build the architecture.
• The tool could unleash more creators onto the massive build-your-own gaming platform.

Roblox wants you to make your next video game from your phone.

On Thursday, the gaming platform company introduced Build, its AI-powered tool that can turn a written prompt into a basic playable game. The tool is housed inside the Roblox mobile app.

The update pushes vibe coding — the practice of describing software in plain language and letting AI generate much of the underlying code — deeper into the video game industry. Other tech companies have built similar tools, like Google's Genie 3 and Microsoft's WHAM.

Build could also give younger players a way to make and play their own games without buying expensive new video game releases or learning traditional software development tools.

"A creator can type 'Let's make a cozy adventure game set in a dense forest with environmental obstacles,'" the company said in a statement. "Build will then automatically generate a starting point for the creator to iterate on, playtest, and share with friends or publish to Roblox."

Since its 2006 release, Roblox has defined itself as a platform more than a single game. There are millions of games made by its users, built in Roblox Studio.

Build moves a simplified version of that process into the same mobile app people already use to play Roblox.

The company plans to begin testing the feature in New Zealand on July 28. It will initially be available to age-verified users aged 9 or older — published, verified games will be available to age-checked users aged 16 or older.

A basic version will be free, while Roblox plans paid options with more advanced capabilities.