Coding for Roblox is a great way to learn new skills while building in a popular game you already know and enjoy playing. Using the powerful Lua scripting language you can create and play platformers, racers, and more. So today we'll share a fun Roblox tutorial for beginners including how to make a game. Plus, we've included some extra Roblox game ideas to try too!
For live expert guidance scripting in Roblox Studio, join our award-winning online Beginner Roblox Game Coding class, designed by experts from Google, Stanford, and MIT.
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Follow this Roblox tutorial for how to make a game
With this Roblox tutorial for making games, we'll walk you through how to make objects, how to use properties to complete your parts, how to save time with Roblox commands, and even provide a quick an introduction to scripting.
1. Install Roblox Studio
Up first, install Roblox Studio. Go to the Roblox website and log into your account. Upon logging into Roblox, visit any of your experiences. Click the three black boxes in the upper-right corner, and select Edit. (Or download Roblox Studio here.) A pop-up window will appear informing you that Roblox Studio is installing. Then it will automatically open.
Note: A secondary pop-up window may appear asking you to select a program. Select Roblox and confirm.
Then open it up and pick your template.
2. Familiarize yourself with your tools
The Explorer panel is used to show everything in your game world. The Explorer shows the hierarchy of any "Instances" that are within your game. To open the Explorer, click the View tab in your toolbar at the top of your screen, then click on Explorer. Things like your parts and scripts will be here.
The Properties box has everything you need to change what your objects look like and how they act. When you select an object in the project or in the Explorer menu, information on the object will show up in the Properties menu. To open it, on the top of the window, click the View tab, and on the left hand side there is a button called Properties. Click that, and the property menu will open on the right side the window.
The Toolbox has a selection of models, images, meshes, audio, and videos made by Roblox or Roblox community members. The Toolbox also includes all those that you've published or those published by groups you belong to. So you can use it to find and add models and objects created by other people.
3. Create your parts
The Part object is a physical object. It will move and interact with other Parts. It can have bonds formed with other Parts, so that the two Parts stay in the same relative position.
To begin placing things in the world, go to the world menu at the top and select Part. Similar to building with LEGOs, parts are the basic building blocks for creating models in your world. Pick blocks, spheres, wedges, and cylinders. Choose any block you like.
Then use the Scale tool to change the size. Just hold Control or Command while you increase the size of your block, to keep it evenly growing in both directions. You can use the "Rotate" tool to change the angle. The Move tool allows you to move your object around the X, Y, and Z axises.
To duplicate your part, just click Control + D.
Here's a tutorial on how to make an obby game in Roblox, which explains a bit more about parts.
4. Adjust it with properties
Change the color of your part with the properties panel on the right. You can also set the transparency and reflectiveness of the object. And you can set the surface texture. If a part isn't anchored, it will be impacted by gravity and fall down, instead of staying floating in the air. If you switch on the CanCollide feature, players will collide with the part. Otherwise they can run right through it.
5. Use others' objects
To use a model someone else has already created, just search for it in the Toolbox panel on the left in the Marketplace tab. Your Inventory is all the models you've saved. The third tab is the most recent models you've used. The fourth tab is all your creations you'd built and saved. Anything you place into the game can be found in the Explorer, under the Workspace tab. To remove an object from your world, just click on it under Workspace and click the delete button.
6. Add spawn points
To place spawn points, go to the Model menu. To hide them, set their transparency to 1 and delete the decal on them. And to make sure characters can walk through your spawn points, uncheck CanCollide.
7. Roblox scripting with Lua
Let's make this Lava blocks escape game. To make lava bricks, that kill the player when they touch them, we need to do some scripting. With scripting you can add custom functionality to parts and models. To add a script to a model or part, hover over it in the Workspace tab and click the + sign next to it. Then click Script to write a script that will kill your player when they touch the block.
Functions are reusable groups of code that perform actions. In this case, the function is triggered whenever the player touches the block. The Parent is the block itself. The Humanoid checks to ensure whatever touched the block is a character. If it is, it executes the rest of the code.
To get out of the script and still keep the script in, click on the tab at the top that shows the name of your game.
8. Finalize your Roblox game
Make a basic platforming section and add lava bricks at the end (you can use the Move tool at the top for this). Then create a landing platform for the player, to act as the finishing point. To test your level, go to the "Test" menu at the top left, and click Play. This will spawn you in from the points you've set.
9. Publish and play your Roblox game
Now you're ready to publish your game on Roblox! When you like the game you've created, just click on the Publish button on the right to share it with others for free, and play it with your friends. That brings up a new menu. Click on "Create New Game." From there, name it, give it a description, set the genre, and specify which devices it works on. To set who can play your game, click on "Game Settings" in the top toolbar. Then click "Permissions" and set your game to Friends, Public, or Private.
Roblox coding commands
Here are a few Roblox coding commands that can save you some time:
- Undo actions: Control + Z
- Redo actions you've undone: Control + Y
- Rotate the parts you have selected: Control + R
- Focus on the camera on the object you've selected: F
- Group objects together: Control + G
Explore fun Roblox game ideas to make
Here are a few more Roblox game tutorials to try.
Enjoy this fun Roblox tutorial for how to make a game
Now you know how to make a game with Roblox coding. Up next, learn how to build multiplayer games so you can invite your friends to play their games together! Join a live online class to get all your questions answered and learn from a curriculum designed by experts from Google, Stanford, and MIT. Start with Beginner Roblox Game Coding (Grades 3-8) before progressing to Coding with Roblox Studio in Lua (Grades 6-12). There's even a free Roblox coding class to get started with, so there's no risk in trying.
