How to make a Roblox simulator
A simulator is a loop: do a simple thing, get a number, spend it to make the number grow faster, unlock somewhere new. The loop is short to build, so most of your time goes into making each next unlock worth reaching.
What it needs
Players click or collect, sell what they've got, buy upgrades, and unlock new areas with bigger numbers.
- One simple action. Click, swing, mine. It should feel good on its hundredth press.
- Upgrades. Each one has to make the number visibly faster.
- New areas. Plan them first: each one is a reward and a reason to keep going.
- Saved progress. From day one. A simulator that forgets you is over.
1Start on a map
Each new zone is a reward, so it should look like somewhere new. A finished map means your first weeks go into the game itself. Open it in Roblox Studio with File, then Open from File. Here's how, and there are free maps too.
Maps for a simulator
Ready to open in Roblox Studio.
2Add the scripts
These are free to copy and paste, each with where it goes:
- Roblox shop GUI scriptSpend what they've earned. Swap tools for your own upgrades.
- Roblox save data scriptProgress that's still there tomorrow.
- Roblox coin pickup scriptThings to collect around the map.
- Roblox developer product scriptCoin packs players can buy again and again.
For what's particular to your game, ask the script generator. Press one of these to start from it:
3Make it feel right
- Make the first five minutes generous. The number has to jump, so people feel the loop.
- Show the next goal all the time: "500 more coins to the next zone".
- Do it all on the server. If a client can say how many coins it has, someone will say a billion.
What goes wrong most often
- Adding features before saving works. Losing progress once loses that player.
- A wall of upgrades on day one. Reveal them as people can afford them.
4Test it and publish
- Press F5 to try it alone. To run several players at once, pick Server & Clients in the test menu and press Play. Then invite up to 10 friends to preview it, without any help from you.
- Got a model or a script from somewhere else? Run it through the free backdoor scanner first. Hidden code can take over your game.
- Choose File, then Publish. You'll need an icon and a thumbnail. It stays private until you release it, and releasing it takes an age check: here's how publishing works now.
5Earn from it
You keep 70% of the Robux players spend in your game. Start with one game pass or developer product. The tax calculator works out what to charge, and the DevEx calculator what it's worth in dollars.
Questions
How long does a simulator take to make?
A first version with one zone, one upgrade and saving can take a few days. Start there, and see whether people come back before building more.
How do simulators make money?
Developer products for coins and passes for perks, such as double coins or a bigger backpack. You keep 70% of the Robux spent in your game.
How do I stop cheating?
Keep the coins on the server, and only let a client ask to sell or buy, which the server checks. Never let a client say how much something is worth.
Other kinds of game
Maps
Simulator & tycoon maps
Each new zone is a reward, so it should look like somewhere new.
Browse mapsFree tool
Roblox script generator
Say what you need in plain words and get a working script, checked for backdoors.
Write a script