Grow a Garden, the popular Roblox game launched two months ago, has not only broken player records but also spawned a thriving trade in virtual crops and livestock—potentially violating the platform’s policies.
According to RoMonitor Stats, the game peaked at 8.7 million concurrent players on Saturday, May 24, a number comparable to Switzerland’s entire population.
A Simple Game with Unexpected Appeal
Accessible on nearly any device, Grow a Garden lets users plant seeds, tend crops, and raise animals to beautify their digital gardens. Its passive mechanics—plants keep growing even when players are offline—encourage repeated engagement. Some seeds even hide exclusive variants, like the coveted rainbow carrot.
“The thrill of discovering something unexpected in their garden is especially appealing to younger players,” explains David Taylor, an analyst at Naavik.
Roblox’s Business Model and the Game’s Rise
Founded in 2004 but skyrocketing during the pandemic, Roblox operates on a unique model: external developers create games using its tools, and the company shares revenue from in-game purchases. In 2023, the platform reported $3.6 billion in earnings.
Grow a Garden was originally coded in just three days by a teenager, as reported by Game File. Later, New Zealand-based Splitting Point Studios acquired the rights, though the creator still owns roughly 50% of it.
The Underground Economy of Seeds and Pets
The game monetizes through the sale of seeds, eggs, and other items, purchasable with Sheckles (in-game currency) or Robux (Roblox’s currency). Players can trade their harvests for better resources, but many have taken this system further:
- On platforms like Eldorado.gg, virtual items sell for anywhere from $0.05 to $200 (e.g., a polar bear).
- According to its CEO, Vladas Jurkevičius, users spend millions weekly on these items, some of which are extremely rare or obtained by chance.
- Forums like Discord and marketplaces like eBay are flooded with listings for virtual dragonflies ($12.50 each) or digital mangoes, traded outside Roblox’s official ecosystem.
“It’s a natural market—there are those with surplus and those willing to pay for it,” argues Jurkevičius.
A Global Phenomenon with Legal Risks
Analysts at TD Cowen note that Grow a Garden accounts for up to 30% of all activity on Roblox, an unprecedented level. Its popularity is especially high outside the U.S., but its success comes with controversy:
- Roblox’s terms of service prohibit third-party trading of Robux or in-game items.
- Despite this, the sheer volume of online listings suggests the existence of digital farms, where teams mass-produce virtual goods for resale.
This isn’t an isolated case: from Chinese prisoners farming gold in World of Warcraft to the Axie Infinity craze in the Philippines, gray markets for digital assets have existed for years. Even a *Counter-Strike 2* weapon sold for over $1 million at auction.
Roblox has not responded to requests for comment, but the debate is clear: Should this trade be regulated, or is it an inherent part of the metaverse? For now, millions keep farming—and selling—their virtual agricultural dreams.
By: Nestor Castillo, FOrAllTechNews Director
Image Credit: Roblox universe / CC BY 4.0 / Attribution 4.0 International