If you're looking for games like Roblox for kids because you've heard the safety stories and want something else on the tablet, "is it safe?" is the wrong question. The useful questions are smaller: who can talk to my child, who checks what other players make, what's it trying to sell, and what does the official rating say? This list answers them for five games, from the one I'd hand a five-year-old up to the one I'd save for a teenager.
For the broader player-facing roundup, there's my list of free games like Roblox. This is the parent's version.
What Roblox's risks actually are, by Roblox's own account
Roblox's own Parental Controls Overview lists a real set of controls. Experiences carry a content maturity label (Minimal, Mild, Moderate or Restricted, and Restricted is locked to age-verified accounts). You also get a game allow/block list, spending and screen-time limits, and separate switches for game chat, direct chat (the /w whisper command), friends chat and party chat. Two age lines matter: kids under 9 need a parent's consent to turn on game chat, and kids under 13 need consent for direct and party chat.
Here's the catch, and it's Roblox saying it, not me: those settings "do not apply to chat features developed independently by developers." Any game built on Roblox can bolt on its own chat box that your controls don't reach. That's the gap every game below gets measured against. Roblox's default high-spend notices fire at $100, $250 and $500 a month, so set your own limit.
How I picked these five
Each one scratches part of the Roblox itch (building, playing with friends, other people's worlds) and spells out its own chat and spending rules. They're ranked by how young a kid I'd hand them to, not by fun.
1. Toca Boca World: no chat at all, for the youngest
This is the only pick here where nobody else can talk to your kid, full stop. The developer's App Store listing puts it bluntly: "a single-player kids' game, not chat and no strangers."
- Rating: 4+ on the Apple App Store, listed as "Made for Ages 6–8."
- Chat and strangers: none. It's single-player.
- Moderation: nobody to moderate. The listing says it's COPPA compliant, with "no third-party ads ever."
- Cost: free to download, then you buy locations and extras one at a time. As of October 2026 the packs run roughly $0.99 to $4.99 each. There's no subscription.
- Platforms: iOS, through the App Store.
The downside: no chat doesn't mean no spending pressure. Parents in the App Store reviews grumble that most of the good stuff sits behind paywalls, and some say resets wiped things they'd paid for. Make sure every purchase needs your yes.
2. Animal Jam: chat, but in a very small box
Animal Jam is where I'd go for a kid's first taste of playing alongside other people. WildWorks, the developer, calls it an "online playground and educational app for kids," and chat starts at its most locked-down setting.
- Rating: 9+ on the Apple App Store, listed as "Made for Ages 9–11." The listing flags infrequent cartoon violence, contests and weapons, and says it contains loot boxes, advertising, chat and user-generated content.
- Chat and strangers: yes, but chat starts on "Safe Chat": pre-set phrases, no free typing. "Safe Chat – Plus" (free typing, still filtered) only unlocks once you set up a Parent Account.
- Moderation: all chat on every setting goes through an automated safety filter, with 24/7 human moderators behind it. WildWorks admits the filter can still miss things.
- Cost: free to download. Inside, you'll find sapphire currency bundles and a paid monthly membership. Prices vary by country, so check the listing in your own App Store.
- Platforms: PC/browser, Android, iOS and Amazon Fire.
My take: hold it until 9, leave it on Safe Chat, and only move to Safe Chat – Plus once you've watched them play a while.
3. Minecraft (Bedrock): the best builder, if you control the multiplayer
If the part of Roblox your kid loves is building, Minecraft is the obvious answer. The risk comes in through multiplayer, and you control that gate.
- Rating: ESRB E10+ (Everyone 10+) for Fantasy Violence. That means monsters, crafted weapons to fight them and mild explosions. The rating also carries "Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB."
- Chat and strangers: it depends where they play. Realms, Minecraft's official private servers, are invite-only. Public servers, including the Featured Servers list, are where strangers turn up. On a child's Microsoft/Xbox account, multiplayer is controlled through Xbox/Microsoft family settings, not a switch inside Minecraft.
- Moderation: the E10+ covers the game itself, not what other players type on a server. Bedrock's online side is moderated through Xbox's services; Java has no such layer. Marketplace add-ons come from vetted partners or Mojang's own studios, and Mojang says "every new submission is reviewed for quality and suitability before it is made available to players."
- Cost: not free. It's a one-time purchase: as of October 2026 the PC bundle (Java and Bedrock together) is $29.99 Standard, $39.99 Deluxe or $49.99 Ultimate, and it's also on Game Pass. Realms and the Marketplace Pass/Realms Plus subscriptions cost monthly on top. The pricier bundles mostly add Minecoins and add-ons; Standard is plenty.
- Platforms: Bedrock runs on PC, Chromebook, iOS, Android, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Amazon Fire. Java is Windows, Mac and Linux only, with no cross-play.
For a 10-year-old I'd use Bedrock, solo or on a Realm with invites only for friends you know: the Roblox "build with my friends" feeling without strangers. If the family computer is a Chromebook, I've covered what Minecraft runs on Chromebooks. If school is where your kid first met the game, there's a separate rundown of how Minecraft Education Edition access works.
4. LEGO Fortnite: fine on its own, risky because of where it lives
LEGO Fortnite carries the same E10+ as Minecraft. The problem is where it lives: inside the same Fortnite app and account as Battle Royale. Parents keep telling the same story: their kid plays LEGO Fortnite, then wanders into Battle Royale.
- Rating: ESRB E10+ for Fantasy Violence, plus "Users Interact" and "In-Game Purchases." Fortnite Battle Royale, in the same app, is rated T for Teen (Lyrics, Suggestive Themes, Violence).
- Chat and strangers: any Epic account that says it's under 13 (or under your country's digital-consent age) automatically becomes a Cabined Account. Voice and text chat stay off until a parent completes consent through an emailed link.
- Moderation and parental controls: islands made by other creators get checked against Epic's rules and given an age rating before they go live. Once you've consented, Epic's Parental Controls let you allow chat and purchases one at a time, block anything rated above a level you pick, and get daily email reports of changes.
- Cost: Fortnite is free to download and LEGO Fortnite has no separate price. The spending runs on V-Bucks, which buy cosmetics and the Battle Pass. Real-money purchases stay off on a Cabined Account until you allow them.
- Platforms: wherever your kid has the Fortnite app. LEGO Fortnite lives inside it.
The fix is the age-rating ceiling. Set it to E10+ and LEGO Fortnite stays playable while Battle Royale doesn't. Skip it and you've handed a ten-year-old a T-rated game by accident.
5. Terraria: rated T, but nobody gets in uninvited
Terraria is last on purpose: its rating is the highest here. But there are no public lobbies at all, which is why it makes the cut.
- Rating: ESRB T for Teen, for Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes and Use of Alcohol, plus "Users Interact."
- Chat and strangers: there's no public lobby browser. Multiplayer is "Host & Play" (one player hosts, friends join by IP, LAN or Steam invite) or a dedicated server somebody runs. A stranger only gets in if someone hands them the address. Whoever hosts is the gatekeeper.
- Moderation: there's no official public space to moderate. Every world is run by whoever hosts it.
- Cost: a one-time purchase, not free. The price moves around during sales, so check the storefront.
- Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, PS Vita, Android, iOS and Amazon.
For a 13-year-old playing with friends they actually know, it's a great pick. For younger kids, weigh the T rating, not the multiplayer.
Roblox alternatives for kids at a glance
| Game | Official rating | Can strangers chat? | Spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toca Boca World | 4+ (App Store), "Made for Ages 6–8" | No, single-player | Free download, packs ~$0.99–$4.99 |
| Animal Jam | 9+ (App Store), "Made for Ages 9–11" | Yes, Safe Chat by default, filtered and moderated 24/7 | Free download; sapphire bundles and a monthly membership in-app |
| Minecraft (Bedrock) | ESRB E10+ | Only in multiplayer, gated by Xbox family settings; Realms are invite-only | One-time purchase ($29.99+ on PC); Realms monthly |
| LEGO Fortnite | ESRB E10+ (Battle Royale: T) | Off on under-13 Cabined Accounts until a parent allows it | Free; V-Bucks purchases off until a parent allows them |
| Terraria | ESRB T | Only people the host invites | One-time purchase |
Which one for which age
- Around 5: Toca Boca World: rated 4+, no chat, no strangers. Watch the purchases.
- 6 to 8: Toca Boca World is right in its "Made for Ages 6–8" range.
- 9 to 12: Animal Jam (9+) on Safe Chat for a first try at playing with others. From 10, Minecraft (E10+) solo or on an invite-only Realm, or LEGO Fortnite (E10+) with the age ceiling set to E10+.
- 13 and up: Terraria (T) with friends they know, hosted by one of them.
If your kid has caught the block-building bug, my roundup of the best free games like Minecraft has more to try. Whatever you pick, play alongside them the first week. One evening tells you more than any rating label.