Roblox has about 1,500 members of staff and then 2,500 contractors who are doing nothing but moderation. Which is pretty bonkers!" Of course, these experts are aided by a suite of automated tools.

But Roblox’s user-generated content developers have resorted to a 2D approach or the ‘blocky’ look favored by Minecraft. The tools work on iOS, Android, or the PC.

A social network of virtual pocket worlds with a daily user base roughly the size of Spain’s population, Roblox is ubiquitous among kids 13 and under and mostly mystifying to adults, who can’t ...