Reader Mail: Is Murder Mystery 2 in Roblox OK For My 9-Year-Old

01/05/2023

We answer questions for parents every day and pick the best of these to share on the site. Today's question comes from a parent of a child who enjoys Roblox:

"My 9-year-old son likes to play Murder Mystery in Roblox with his friends. Should I be concerned about them talking about murder?"

To answer this we spent some time looking at the Murder Mystery 2 game in Roblox. Checking with the VSC Rating Board, Roblox is rated Parental Guidance Recommended. "This rating was awarded because it contains a broad and unpredictable range of user-generated content, which may contain elements that are unsuitable for younger children."

The VSC go on to state that "Parents should be aware that most of the content in Roblox is user-generated and therefore constantly changing and evolving. By its nature, some of the content that is added to the platform may be unsuitable for younger children."

The Murder Mystery 2 Roblox game is one of the more popular experiences on the platform. It's a modern version of the wink murder parlour game. Only here you don't sit in a circle, but run around a Roblox map.

One player is the murderer and one is the sheriff. Everyone else is innocent and trying to survive. What ensues is a frantic game of hide and seek where the murderer goes after players with their knife while the sheriff chases them down with their gun.

There is no graphic depiction of violence, as indicated by the age rating. Players fall over when they have been killed and lay prone on the floor. The visuals are not realistic and clearly a fantasy cartoon.

The best way to decide if the game is suitable for your child is to try it yourself beforehand or play it with them. The Murder Mystery 2 page on Family Gaming Database offers a video that shows you what the tense gameplay is like.

In-Game Purchases

As stated by the VSC Rating Board, t"his game offers players the opportunity to purchase in-game currency, which some parents or carers may want to be aware of. Parents, carers or other responsible adults should check to see what is being offered before making any purchase on behalf of a child. It should be noted that the game can still be played without the need to purchase such items."

In Murder Mystery 2 the main items you gain are knives. There are hundreds of different knives to collect which has resulted in a detailed hierarchy. Players can trade these items in the game, as well as use external sites to check items and set up trades. This aspect of the game is important for parents to understand, particularly if children ask to join trading communities on social media.

Alternatives

If you would like to find an alternative to the Murder Mystery 2 game there are lots of options:

Andrew Robertson

Andy Robertson is the editor of AskAboutGames and has written for national press and broadcast about video games and families for over 15 years. He has just published the Taming Gaming book with its Family Video Game Database.