Why BAD Roblox Games are SO POPULAR

Summary

The video script delves into the 'slop' games phenomenon on Roblox, critiquing their shallow gameplay and reliance on trends. It examines the platform's discoverability algorithm, which favors these games for their high engagement rates, driven by simple mechanics that capitalize on human psychology. The script also highlights the impact of Roblox's premium payouts on game design, incentivizing developers to create games that keep players logged in, often at the expense of quality and innovation. The critique extends to the nomination of one such game for a Roblox award, questioning the platform's values and the future of engaging, well-designed games on the platform.

Takeaways

• 😀 Roblox's discoverability algorithm favors 'slop' games, which are low-effort and trend-exploitative, similar to YouTube content farms.
• 🤔 The term 'slop games' is used to describe games that are poorly made and designed to capitalize on trends without a focus on gameplay longevity or enjoyment.
• 🎮 The video discusses the negative impact of 'slop games' on Roblox's ecosystem, suggesting they are detrimental to the platform's overall health.
• 🔄 Since the introduction of Roblox Premium and its payout system, game developers have been incentivized to create games that keep players engaged for longer periods to earn more.
• 💰 The monetization strategy of 'slop games' primarily focuses on earning premium payouts rather than selling in-game items or passes.
• 📈 Simulator games on Roblox are highlighted as being particularly effective at generating premium payouts due to their simple and addictive gameplay loops.
• 👎 The video criticizes 'Souls RNG' as an example of a game that epitomizes the exploitative nature of premium payouts, with its gameplay revolving around a slot machine mechanic.
• 🙄 There is a concern that games like 'Souls RNG', which encourage AFK (away from keyboard) play, are being rewarded with high player counts and premium payouts.
• 🏆 'Souls RNG' being nominated for a Roblox award highlights the irony and potential misalignment with what constitutes innovation and quality in game design.
• 🚀 The video advocates for promoting games with engaging gameplay and unique mechanics over those that simply exploit engagement for monetary gain.
• 👍 The creator expresses satisfaction in helping to bring attention to games that offer a better player experience, even if it's just to a small audience.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script about Roblox games?

The main issue discussed is the prevalence of 'slop' games on Roblox, which are characterized as low-effort, trend-exploiting games that are favored by Roblox's discoverability algorithm, leading to a negative impact on the platform's overall quality.

What is the term 'slop' used to describe in the context of Roblox games?

The term 'slop' is used to describe games on Roblox that are seen as sloppy, rushed, and lazy, with little effort put into their longevity or enjoyment, often capitalizing on trends without offering substantial gameplay.

Why do slop games consistently appear on the front page of Roblox?

Slop games appear on the front page of Roblox because they are designed to maximize player engagement and time spent in the game, which in turn increases premium payouts for the developers, benefiting both the developers and Roblox as a company.

What is the role of Roblox's discoverability algorithm in promoting slop games?

The discoverability algorithm on Roblox is designed to push games that keep players engaged for longer periods to the front page, which inadvertently favors slop games that are optimized for this purpose.

How does the monetization feature 'premium payouts' influence game design on Roblox?

Premium payouts incentivize developers to create games that keep players, especially those with a Roblox premium account, engaged for longer periods, as developers earn more based on the playtime of premium account holders.

What is the significance of the game 'Pet Simulator 99' in the context of this discussion?

'Pet Simulator 99' is mentioned as an example of a game that has successfully exploited the premium payouts system, using questionable means to generate revenue and inspiring other developers to follow suit.

What is the difference between 'simulator' games and other types of games on Roblox according to the script?

Simulator games are described as having simple and easy progression, which capitalizes on the human brain's natural desire for progress, making them highly effective at keeping players engaged and generating premium payouts.

Why does the script mention 'Beeswarm Simulator' as a positive example?

'Beeswarm Simulator' is highlighted as a positive example because, despite being a simulator game, it offers interesting map progression, quests, and unlockables, showing that it has been developed with more care and attention to detail than most simulator games.

What is the main criticism of 'Souls RNG' as presented in the script?

The main criticism of 'Souls RNG' is that it is a game designed purely to capitalize on premium payouts, with no substantial gameplay, and relies on players being AFK to generate revenue, which is seen as exploitative and detrimental to the platform.

What is the script's stance on the nomination of 'Souls RNG' for best new game at The Innovation Awards?

The script views the nomination of 'Souls RNG' as ironic and problematic, as it represents a game that has innovated in exploiting the platform's monetization system rather than offering a quality gaming experience.

What alternative types of games does the script suggest deserve more attention on Roblox?

The script suggests that games with fun gameplay, unique mechanics, and passion put into their development, such as 'Fighting and Pressure' and 'Block Tailes', deserve more attention as they offer a better gaming experience.

Outlines

00:00

🌈 The Psychology of Slop Games on Roblox

This paragraph delves into the prevalence of 'slop games' on Roblox, which are characterized by their simplistic and trend-exploitative nature. The speaker criticizes the discoverability algorithm on Roblox, which seems to favor these games, often found on the front page. The video aims to explore why these games are so popular and suggests that they are a result of developers trying to mimic the financial success of games like 'Pet Simulator 99', which uses questionable revenue generation tactics. The speaker also highlights the issue of simulator games on Roblox, which are often uninspired and lack depth, using 'Beeswarm Simulator' as an example of a well-crafted game in the genre.

05:01

🎰 The Impact of Premium Payouts on Game Design

The second paragraph examines the influence of Roblox's monetization feature, 'premium payouts', on game design. Since the introduction of this feature in 2019, developers have been incentivized to create games that keep players engaged for longer periods, as it directly impacts their earnings. The speaker argues that 'slop games', particularly simulators, are designed to exploit this system by offering simple progression that keeps players, especially those with a Roblox premium account, logged in and playing for extended periods. The paragraph also discusses the financial aspects of Roblox's revenue sharing and the use of 'devex' for developers to convert their earnings into real-world money, which involves a significant cut taken by Roblox.

10:02

🏆 The Controversy Surrounding 'Souls RNG' and Roblox's Innovation Awards

In the final paragraph, the speaker addresses the controversial nomination of 'Souls RNG' for the 'Best New Game' at the Roblox Innovation Awards. 'Souls RNG' is described as a game that epitomizes the exploitative design for premium payouts, with its gameplay revolving around a slot machine mechanism that encourages players to log in and leave the game running, thereby generating revenue for the developer. The speaker contrasts this with games that offer engaging and unique gameplay experiences, advocating for more attention to be given to such titles. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the state of Roblox's front page, where games that prioritize engagement and revenue over quality and innovation continue to dominate.

Keywords

💡Roblox

Roblox is an online platform and game creation system that allows users to design their own games and play a wide variety of different types of games created by other users. In the context of the video, Roblox is the main subject where the creator discusses the discoverability algorithm and the trend of 'slop' games on its platform.

💡Discoverability Algorithm

This refers to the system that Roblox uses to determine which games are shown to users as they browse the platform. The video suggests that this algorithm tends to favor certain types of games, specifically 'slop' games, which are often on the front page of Roblox.

💡Slop Games

In the video, 'slop' games are described as being of low quality, rushed, and designed to capitalize on trends with little effort put into their longevity or enjoyment. They are a central point of critique, as they are often favored by the Roblox algorithm and thus frequently appear on the front page.

💡Pet Simulator 99

Pet Simulator 99 is mentioned as an example of a game that has been highly successful on Roblox, but the video creator criticizes it for using 'sketchy' means of generating revenue. It serves as an example of how some games prioritize monetization over gameplay quality.

💡Simulator Games

Simulator games on Roblox are a genre that the video creator finds uninspired and repetitive. They are likened to 'YouTube content farms' and are criticized for their simple gameplay mechanics that can be easily replicated across multiple games.

💡Beeswarm Simulator

Beeswarm Simulator is highlighted as a positive example of a simulator game that has interesting map progression, quests, and unlockables. It stands out from other simulators due to the effort put into its details and gameplay loop.

💡Premium Payouts

Premium Payouts is a monetization feature on Roblox that rewards developers based on the playtime of premium account holders in their games. The video explains how this system has influenced the design of games to focus on keeping players engaged for longer periods to earn more.

💡DevEx (Developer Exchange)

DevEx is the system through which developers can exchange their Robux for real-world currency. The video mentions that it involves a significant revenue share taken by Roblox and a 'tight' exchange rate, which impacts how developers approach monetization.

💡Souls RNG

Souls RNG is a specific game on Roblox that the video creator uses as an example of a game designed purely to capitalize on premium payouts. It is criticized for having no real gameplay, being essentially a slot machine that players can leave running while AFK.

💡Innovation Awards

The Innovation Awards are mentioned as an event where Souls RNG was nominated for 'Best New Game.' The video creator finds this ironic, as they argue that the game's main innovation is in its method of passively generating revenue rather than offering a novel or engaging gaming experience.

💡AFK (Away From Keyboard)

AFK refers to players who are logged into a game but not actively playing it. The video discusses how games like Souls RNG can maintain high player counts due to players leaving the game running while they are away from their keyboards, which benefits the developers through premium payouts.

Highlights

Roblox's discoverability algorithm often promotes 'slop' games, which are characterized by bright colors, pop culture references, and low-effort design.

Slop games are consistently on the front page of Roblox due to their ability to capitalize on trends and attract a younger audience.

The video discusses the psychology behind the popularity of slop games and their impact on Roblox's algorithm.

Pet Simulator 99 is cited as an example of a game that uses questionable revenue generation methods, influencing other developers.

The speaker criticizes simulator games on Roblox for their lack of originality and uninspired gameplay.

Beeswarm Simulator is praised for its engaging gameplay and attention to detail, setting it apart from other simulators.

Slop games are described as sloppy, rushed, and lazy, designed to capitalize on trends without consideration for game longevity.

The video explains how Roblox's monetization feature, premium payouts, has influenced game design to focus on keeping players engaged for longer periods.

Simulator games are particularly effective at generating premium payouts due to their simple and addictive progression mechanics.

The video compares Roblox's algorithm to YouTube's, emphasizing the importance of engagement and watch time for visibility.

Soul's RNG is presented as an extreme example of a game designed purely to exploit premium payouts through minimal gameplay.

The speaker argues that games like Souls RNG, which encourage AFK (away from keyboard) play, are detrimental to the Roblox platform.

The video criticizes the nomination of Souls RNG for best new game at The Innovation Awards, questioning the definition of innovation in game design.

The speaker advocates for promoting games with actual gameplay and passion, rather than those that rely on engagement farming.

The video concludes by expressing concern over the dominance of slop games on the Roblox front page and the niche status of engaging, well-designed games.

The speaker does not hate the slop games but is disappointed in the current state of game promotion and monetization on Roblox.

Transcripts

when you open roblox.com and look

through the catalog of games you are

most likely going to be fed A random

assortment of ey meltingly bright colors

pop culture references and skibbidy

toilet why well similar to YouTube

Roblox has a discoverability algorithm

and from my personal anecdotal

experience as well as hardcore numerical

evidence it's been shown time and time

again that Roblox favors what those of

us over the age of 13 like to call slop

games this video is going to explain the

psychology of slop games why are they

consistently on the front page of Roblox

and what are some potential ways to stop

this from happening because as stated in

my pet simulator 99 video lots of

developers are taking inspiration from

how that game makes buckets of money and

applying it to their own if you saw that

video you'll realize that this is a bad

thing because pet simulator 99 uses very

sketchy means of generating Revenue but

because it works so well young

developers think that this is the only

way to make their game a success right

but there's a layer underneath the front

page of Blox that when it is peeled back

reveals a much darker Sinister method of

serving us Roblox games on a silver

platter so let's dive in together and

figure out why if you've been watching

this channel for a while you'll know

that I don't particularly like a

specific genre of Roblox game called

simulators in my opinion they're almost

impressively uninspired to the point

where you can take gameplay from one

simulator and just copy and paste it to

every other simulator and call it a day

there're the YouTube content Farm of

Roblox in my opinion and they really do

not keep me engaged at all now that

doesn't mean all simulators are bad I

love beeswarm simulator not just because

it isn't pay to win but because it

actually has interesting map progression

decent quests and really cool

Unlockables on it clearly put a lot of

time into the small details in this game

because despite it still being

technically a simulator a game where you

walk and collect pollen to make honey

it's still got a more cohesive gameplay

Loop than like 99% of simulators these

days there's a lot of mechanics in place

that make this very simple concept a

little more complex and as a somewhat

older Roblox player I appreciate that

but I call slop games as such because

that's exactly what they are sloppy

rushed lazy attempting to capitalize off

of a trend and putting next to no effort

into the longevity or enjoyment of their

game in my video about the classic I

actually flashed a screenshot of a game

called Gat simulator well guess what

that's actually a real game but if you

look for it now they've since changed

that name now is gat simulator actually

an insanely based meta commentary on the

current geopolitical state of the world

while also trying to expose the shadow

government for pulling the strings on

the greater society that we live in yes

but my main point is that games like

this aren't healthy for Roblox as a

whole so if that's the case why do these

lazy low-effort Roblox quote unquote

experiences have so many players why

does Roblox continue to to push these

games to the front page and before you

say kids are dumb and will play anything

it's actually a lot more nuanced than

that I mean that is part of it but it's

not the only part okay whatever we're

moving on to explain this as simply as

possible I'm going to directly use

YouTube as an example here on YouTube a

video's whole success is determined by

the sum of its parts how many people

actually click on the thumbnail how long

do people watch the video do they

interact with the end screen and other

things like this are extremely important

for YouTube in determining whether or

not to show your video to more people

I've seen things you people wouldn't

believe YouTube's primary goal is to

keep you on YouTube and videos that do

this successfully will always beat out

videos that don't but we all know what

will help this video to get shown to

more people subscribing to my channel Mr

Beast thinks it's going to take an

entire freaking year to reach 50,000

Subs but I know we can get there before

then it's completely free and it really

helps videos like this one get shown to

more people so if you've been enjoying

this video so far what are you waiting

for click that subscribe button and

become a part of the action now back to

the video Roblox is exactly the same way

as YouTube Just with slightly different

metrics since around 2019 Roblox has had

this monetization feature called premium

payouts a way of paying developers in

Roo without ever actually selling

anything premium payouts work like this

the longer someone with a Roblox premium

account membership plays your game the

more premium payouts you receive this

has drastically changed the way gameplay

Loops are made on Roblox the only way

you can make money on Roblox before this

was to either sell ugc items like shirts

and pants and pants oh my God not again

dude but since Builder Club was nuked

into Oblivion and was replaced with

Roblox premium premium payouts have been

an extremely effective way to make a bag

on Roblox but premium payouts follow the

same 25% Revenue share that the rest of

Roblox has if we factor in devx so

Roblox is making 75% of that premium

payout and the developer is only making

25% this is standard across all of

Roblox if you want to actually turn your

Roo into real world money you have to

use devx which means not only suffering

the 30% cut that Roblox takes from all

of your Roo sales but also the extremely

tight devx rate that has been a hotly

contested subject for many years so in

order to make as much money as humanly

possible from your Roblox game you have

to focus Fus on farming those premium

payouts because game passes alone

certainly aren't enough no matter how

expensive they may get slop games

prioritize premium payouts more than

basically anything else they're designed

to keep you playing or at the very least

logged in inside of their game and which

genre of game on Roblox is the best at

doing this simulators and the reasoning

is actually very simple simulators have

the most simple and easy progression out

of any Roblox game they are as fellow

YouTuber yako called them dopamine

obliterating Idol games that Bank off of

the human brain's natural desire to

progress this is why these slop games do

so well they make an absolute insane

amount of money for not just the

developers who make them but Roblox as a

company and like how YouTube wants

people to stay on YouTube Roblox wants

players to stay on Roblox even if that

means promoting some sloppy Roblox games

that do nothing but capitalize off

Trends but there's one thing that I

haven't discussed yet one game that I've

avoided talking about ever since it was

released one game that straight up took

my breath away the very first time I saw

it and not in a good

way doew it for the vine you know how it

is what are they loading how is there

even 4700 Assets in this game I feel

like there's like six Assets in this

game dear God I got to turn

the yeah there we go that's better Souls

RNG the main reason I haven't gone near

near this game other than in passing is

because I primarily make videos about

video games on Roblox not whatever this

is Souls RNG is the defining example of

games that are purely made to capitalize

on premium payouts there aren't that

many game passes in this game in fact

it's got way less than a game like pet

simulator 99 but this game is so evil in

its design that it makes pet simulator

99 look like a AAA Classic this whole

whole game is a single slot machine

that's it like okay pets him for all of

its flaws had progression it had

gameplay Souls RNG is literally just

this spinning a wheel over and over and

over again hoping that you unlock a rare

Aura an aura that unlike pet simulator

doesn't actually do anything other than

look cool now a big defense of this game

that I see is oh well it's all free all

the spins are free There's No gambling

because it's all free and that may be

true but think about what Souls RNG is

really doing here I'll let you in on a

little secret most of the people playing

this game are AFK yep that's it because

like of course they are what gam playay

is even here to keep me engaged how does

a game get a consistent player count in

the high 80,000 range with literally no

gameplay well it's because Souls RNG

makes such an incredible amount of money

off premium payouts alone if you have

ROBLOX premium and you AFK and souls RNG

you're giving the developer a lot of

money there's so many people who play

this game with hundreds of thousands of

roles and that takes a very long time

and most of them just leave to go do

something else while the game plays

itself and Roblox really likes that

typically I wouldn't care I don't play

Souls RNG and the content I make would

never even go near it but the reason I'm

telling you all of this is because this

game got nominated for best new game at

The Innovation Awards and I mean okay

fair enough you got me Roblox if we take

the word Innovation literally Souls RNG

would certainly fit that bill because I

don't think I've ever seen a video game

literally play itself the way I've seen

Souls RNG do it it's a sick irony that

even Roblox themselves know that the

best way to succeed is a developer on

their platform is to do what the YouTube

content Farms do and farm engagement

that's why you see every front page game

includes some kind of incentive for you

to buy premium whether that be cosmetic

items free currency or a unique role

they want you to have premium because

they want those sweet sweet premium

pounds this is why I try to platform

games like fighting and pressure and

block tailes these are actual video

games with fun gameplay and an

incredible amount of passion put into

them they're games that deserve more

attention because they're actually worth

playing sinking your free time into

video games is supposed to be fun not a

fuzzy brain melting sloppy experience

and if my videos help get these games

even 10 more players than they had

before then I'm happy hopefully you can

start to understand what makes these

games a problem believe it or not I

don't actually hate any of these games

these developers are trying to make a

bag just like the rest of us but it's

just a little sad that engaging games

with fun gameplay and Unique Mechanics

remain Niche while AFK slot machines

continue to thrive on the Roblox front

page thanks for watching and I'll see

you all next time peace

[Music]