Why Roblox’s New Discovery Algorithm Favors Games That Bring Friends Together

Every week we publish exclusive research about how brands are activating on the Roblox platform.

By Stephen Dypiangco

A Big Shift in Roblox Discovery

Roblox just rolled out a significant update. The platform's new Recommended For You algorithm is now live globally, and it's designed to give players more personalized game suggestions on their Home page.

But the real headline isn’t just improved recommendations — it’s how Roblox is reshaping discovery around social play and meaningful time spent with friends. If you’re a creator, this change isn’t just technical. It fundamentally shifts how you should think about growing and retaining your audience.

The Algorithm’s Core: Five Key Signals

Roblox’s new discovery system is powered by five key signals, all of which measure how players engage with your experience. Here's a quick breakdown:

Signal	What It Measures
Qualified Play-Through Rate (qPTR)	The percentage of people who play your game after seeing it recommended, and how long they stay.
7-Day Playtime per User	How much total time a player spends in your game over a week (up to 60 minutes per day).
7-Day Play Days per User	How many different days a player visits your experience in the last week.
7-Day Spend Days per User	How many unique days a player spends Robux in your game over the last week.
7-Day Robux Spend per User	The total amount of Robux spent per player in the last seven days.

These are all familiar metrics tied to acquisition, engagement, and monetization. But Roblox added one more — and it changes everything.

The New Signal That Matters: Intentional Co-Play

The most significant addition to the algorithm is a brand-new signal: 7-Day Intentional Co-Play Days per User.

This metric measures how often players intentionally join your experience with friends — through direct invites, joining friends' sessions, or private servers. It doesn’t count random matchmaking or algorithm-driven pairing. Roblox is now rewarding experiences that make people say:

"Hey, let's hop on Roblox and play together."

Why Co-Play Matters

In Roblox’s own words:

“Users with higher frequency of play, spend, and interaction with friends have a higher likelihood of long-term retention.”

Roblox wants players to hang out, not just play. They want the platform to feel like a social hub — not a solo gaming app. When people log on to be with friends, they spend more time, come back more often, and are more likely to spend money.

Roblox's Vision: From Solo Play to Social Hangouts

This algorithm update is a clear signal of how Roblox sees its future. The platform has evolved from simply a game directory to a gaming social network.

Over 90% of traffic on Roblox starts on the Home page. The Home page is now powered by signals that prioritize social engagement, not just solo play.

That means the fastest-growing experiences in the coming months will likely be:

Games where friends can jump in and play together easily
Games that encourage group communication and collaboration
Games that are better when played with people you know

This is a strategic bet by Roblox:

Solo play keeps you busy
Co-play keeps you coming back

How Developers Can Optimize for the New Algorithm

1. Make It Easy to Invite Friends

Roblox specifically recommends building Invite Prompts and Private Server Options into your game flow. The more frictionless it is for players to bring their friends, the stronger your co-play signal will be.

Actionable Tip: Add a one-click “Invite Your Friend” button in your lobby or post-match screen.

2. Create Game Modes That Reward Group Play

Think about whether your experience encourages players to:

Team up to complete objectives
Explore together
Trade items or resources
Chat and hang out without pressure to win

Competitive solo modes may get initial clicks. Social, casual, or cooperative modes will drive long-term retention.

3. Monitor Your Co-Play Signal in Creator Analytics

Alongside the algorithm update, Roblox launched a Home Recommendations Analytics Tab inside Creator Dashboard. You can now track how your experience performs on every algorithm signal — including Intentional Co-Play Days.

This gives you real data on whether your experience is socially sticky.

4. Don’t Ignore the Other Signals

Co-play is important, but the algorithm still looks at your overall Qualified Play-Through Rate, Play Days, Playtime, and Spend Signals. The algorithm is designed to reward all-around healthy, fun, and engaging games.

Think of co-play as the multiplier. If your game already has decent retention, co-play will amplify it.

Real-World Data: Why Social Engagement Wins

According to Roblox's internal data:

“Users who play more frequently, spend more often, and intentionally co-play with friends have higher long-term retention.”

This is not surprising when you zoom out. Across the entire gaming industry:

In 2023, over 70% of Gen Z gamers said they game to stay connected with friends (Newzoo, 2023).
Roblox’s own data shows that friend activity drives re-engagement more than algorithmic discovery.

When your experience becomes a place where people hang out, you win twice:

The algorithm recommends you more.
Players organically bring their friends back.

How the Algorithm Balances Discovery

A common concern with algorithms is whether they favor big games over small ones.Roblox addressed this head-on:

“These recommendation signals are calculated as averages per user, not total values. Smaller experiences with highly engaged users are not disadvantaged.”

Therefore, a small game with a tight, engaged community can outperform a massive game with low retention.

The First 60 Minutes Rule: Sustainable Play, Not Addiction

One more nuance in the algorithm: Roblox limits recommendation benefits to the first 60 minutes of daily playtime per user, per experience.

This is an important safeguard. Roblox is signaling that:

They want players to engage meaningfully, not endlessly.
Retention metrics shouldn’t be gamed by endless grind loops.
Sustainable fun beats exploitative engagement.

How to Read Your Home Recommendations Analytics

The new Creator Dashboard tab gives you three key insights:

1. Impressions and Play Trends

You can now see how many times your experience is being recommended and how many users actually play it.

Example: If your impressions drop on March 3rd, you can look back to see if your qPTR dipped a few days earlier.

2. Benchmark Comparisons

The dashboard also shows whether your game’s metrics are above or below benchmark compared to similar experiences.

Important: Benchmarks don’t affect the algorithm — they are just a reference to help you improve.

3. Similar Experiences List

At the bottom of the dashboard, Roblox now shows other experiences that your players also enjoy.This is a powerful competitive research tool. You can study what’s working for others in your genre.

How This Update Changes Discovery Strategy

The old growth playbook for Roblox developers was simple:

Optimize thumbnails
Maximize qPTR
Hope for Home page placement

The new playbook is different. You now need to think like a community builder, not just a game developer.

To win in this new system, focus on:

Friend-friendly design
Session quality over quantity
Building habit loops around social interaction

The Social Flywheel

This algorithm update is not just a technical tweak. It’s a reflection of Roblox’s long-term strategy:

Roblox doesn’t want to be a solo gaming platform. It wants to be the place where you hang out with friends online.

Games where players intentionally co-play with friends drive higher retention, more playtime, and more spend.

For creators, this is an opportunity to lean into the social layer of Roblox. If your game becomes a place where people want to bring their friends, the algorithm will reward you — and your audience will keep coming back.