Roblox has long been celebrated as a hub for creativity and gaming, but it has faced a significant hurdle: coordinating play sessions with friends was often cumbersome. Players who wanted to join the same game server had to rely on third-party platforms like Discord for communication and carefully plan to land on the same instance. This process was far from seamless, making it difficult for friends to enjoy experiences together.

On Monday, Roblox announced the launch of its new Party feature, designed to eliminate these obstacles. With Party, friends can gather, select a game, and seamlessly enter the same server together. Additionally, players aged 13 and older can chat with one another while playing, enhancing the collaborative experience.

Garima Sinha, Roblox’s Vice President of Product, shared insights about Party during an interview with Mashable. She emphasized that the feature represents a “huge step” toward reimagining social connectivity within the platform.

“It’s a seamless way for people to connect, coordinate, and co-experience with their friends, all within Roblox,” Sinha explained.

How Party Works

The Party feature, now available globally on desktop, iOS, and Android, allows players to effortlessly coordinate and play together. Friends can join the same game instance with just a few clicks, and if someone needs to step away briefly, they can easily rejoin the group. Additionally, Party allows groups to travel together across different Roblox games and experiences, streamlining the multiplayer experience.

Data from Roblox underscores the importance of playing with friends: sessions involving friends last 1.9 times longer than solo sessions. By simplifying the process of coordinating gameplay, Party aims to enhance user engagement across the platform’s nearly 90 million daily users.

A Boost for Developers

Party is not only a win for players but also for developers. Early next year, Roblox plans to launch a Party-specific Application Programming Interface (API). This will enable developers to create tailored experiences for groups. For instance, developers could offer exclusive perks for parties, such as special powers or access to hidden areas within a game. These custom features aim to make the Party experience even more appealing for users while providing developers with new opportunities to innovate.

Safety and Moderation

Roblox has taken significant steps to address safety concerns with Party. The feature is restricted to players who are already friends, reducing the risks associated with random interactions. This measure aims to keep younger and more vulnerable users safe from potential predators, a longstanding concern when players turn to external platforms like Discord.

Players under the age of 13 cannot chat within a Party, though Roblox is exploring ways to safely introduce communication for younger users in the future. Parents also have robust control over the feature, including the ability to disable Party entirely through Roblox’s updated parental controls.

For players aged 13 and older, text chat is currently available in Party, with plans to introduce voice chat in the future. All communication within Party is moderated to ensure a safe environment.

Additionally, if a Party chooses a game with a maturity level exceeding an individual player’s settings — controlled by a minor’s parent — the player will need permission to update their maturity settings before joining.

Customization and Control

Party offers users a variety of customization and control options. Players can block users, edit their friend lists, leave Party chats, or disable the feature entirely if they prefer. These tools empower users to tailor their multiplayer experience to their comfort level.

Sinha emphasized that Party was designed with user safety and convenience in mind. By keeping all interactions within Roblox, the company aims to provide a structured and secure environment for players to connect.

“This will give them a really structured, contained way of playing on Roblox,” Sinha explained.

A Game-Changer for Social Play

The introduction of the Party feature is a milestone for Roblox, simplifying multiplayer coordination and enhancing the social experience for its vast user base. By integrating this functionality directly into the platform, Roblox ensures that players can enjoy shared adventures without leaving the safety of its ecosystem.

With Party, Roblox continues to evolve as a leader in social gaming, offering users new ways to connect, collaborate, and create memories together.