Simulator

A simulator is an experience genre on Roblox. Contrary to the name, while the genre does invoke replication of a real-life activity or object, it is reminiscent of the incremental genre, not the traditional simulation genre, thus not including experiences such as Dinosaur Simulator and Bird Simulator, as typical gameplay involves clicking, tapping, or holding repeatedly or going up to a certain object to obtain some type of in-game item to reach a maximum that a player can hold. These actions is also known as "grinding". The in-game item can then be converted into an in-game currency, which can be used to buy improved upgrades to either hold more items or to gain the in-game currency at a faster rate. In some instances, different skins can also be purchased, usually for aesthetic-only purposes, but can be also used as a boost as well.

The world in simulators is usually flat. Currency and/or materials will be scattered around the map for players to collect. Other worlds can be accessed by either achieving a certain level or by purchasing it with in-game currency or Robux.

Mechanics[]

Rebirthing[]

Rebirthing and high-ranking leaderboards are normally present in simulators to encourage a longer play-time from its audience. It can be normally found in either the settings or the screens of a user. Usually, when a player rebirths, their stats are reset, but their items are kept and the rate they increase their stats is increased. This mechanic is similar to New Game Plus mode in other video games.

PVP[]

Some simulators have a PvP aspect between players, which in some cases may be activated or deactivated based on user input at any time.

Pets[]

In some simulators, such as in Bubble Gum Simulator, pets can be purchased to gain additional perks, such as an added multiplier to obtain even more materials or currency. Pets can also be traded between other players, giving more value for higher-leveled and rarer pets.

Grinding[]

Some simulators also do not follow the traditional grinding formula that the word itself is associated with, such as Vehicle Simulator. Some simulators which do follow the trend may attempt to distinguish themselves from other 'generic' ones, such as Bee Swarm Simulator.

Criticism[]

Simulators are generally frowned upon on Roblox, as many are considered to be filled with expensive micro-transactions, causing them to be considered as "grindy" and unfun. They have also been criticized for the ease of traffic gain from developers, allowing them to quickly reach the front page in a short amount of time before falling off, usually failing to come back and break its former record(s). They have also drawn similarities to tycoons due to similar incremental gameplay; in comparison, tycoons involve semi-automated processes by which players slowly upgrade a plot of land, being more akin to the subgenre of idle experiences.