Quick answer: Roblox now sorts accounts into three tiers. Roblox Kids (5–8) gets the strictest defaults, chat off unless a parent turns it on, and no experiences with social hangout or free-form drawing. Roblox Select (9–15) gets "slightly more mature content" in Roblox's wording, with chat unlocking gradually under parental controls. Roblox (16+) is the full tier and requires a completed age check — after which a user can reach every rated experience except Restricted (18+). Until a user completes an age check they are placed by their self-declared age, and cannot reach chat or games outside that catalog.
The three tiers, side by side
Roblox Kids — ages 5 to 8
The strictest standard settings on the platform. Chat is off by default and a parent can turn it on. Experiences with social hangout features or free-form drawing are excluded from this catalog entirely, because both are channels through which arbitrary user content reaches a young child. In rating terms this tier covers Minimal and Mild experiences.
Roblox Select — ages 9 to 15
Roblox describes these accounts as granting "older kids and younger teens access to slightly more mature content." Chat unlocks gradually rather than all at once, and parental controls continue to apply. This tier reaches Moderate-rated experiences and below.
This is the tier that matters most to anyone building for children, because it is where most of Roblox's child audience actually browses.
Roblox — 16 and over
The full platform, and the only tier that requires an age check. Chat is on, social media links can be shared and viewed, and age-checked users can access all rated games except Restricted ones, which are 18+.
Roblox Moments is not available to Kids or Select accounts.
The part that surprises people: your typed age is not your tier
Writing an adult birth year on a profile does not place an account in the full tier. Roblox assigns a catalog from the self-declared age until an age check is completed, and states plainly that if a user wants to reach chat "or games beyond their assigned catalog, they will be asked to complete an age check."
An age check is done through ID verification or Facial Age Estimation, a quick camera scan. Users who have not completed one cannot chat on Roblox regardless of their stated age.
The practical consequence catches out adults as often as children. A long-dormant Roblox account belonging to a 35-year-old sits in the Select catalog until that person completes a check. Told "this game is 16+, go try it," they will find it does not open — and most will assume the link is broken rather than that they are the ones who are gated.
What each tier means if you are building something
Every newly published experience starts at "Ages 16+ and trusted friends" — the narrowest possible audience — and has to earn or buy its way into Kids and Select. So a children's game launches into the one tier its audience is not in.
Two routes out exist, and the second one contains a definition that trips up almost every developer who meets it. Both are covered in the 1,000 Robux publishing fee explained.
Common questions this raises
Can a parent override a tier for one game? Yes, and it is the fastest fix. Until the child turns 16 a linked parent can allow or block specific games through Parental Controls. See the parent's guide.
Does an age check change a child's tier? It is not the right tool for a child. The parental allowance grants one experience without altering the account at all.
Why did a launch reach thousands of people and record no visits? Because impressions are not access. One measured launch reached 5,039 people and the visit counter did not move — see why your friends cannot play your Roblox game.