The Best Games, Creators, and Studios, Chosen by the Community
That’s a wrap on RDC 2026, and what a way to close it out.
Every year, the Roblox Innovation Awards (RIAs) give us a chance to celebrate the developers, artists, studios, and creators who keep surprising us, raising the bar, and showing us things we didn’t know were possible on Roblox.
And this year was no exception.
What I love most about this list is how different all of these winners are. There isn’t one definition of a great Roblox game anymore, and that’s the point. From tactical shooters and terrifying forests to word games, football, fashion, audio, and one particularly suspicious medical facility, the boundaries of what can be built on Roblox keep moving because this community keeps moving them.
Roblox has been around for two decades now, and it shows in the breadth of ingenuity creators bring to the table. For those who missed the RIAs live, we also announced a special event to celebrate Roblox’s 20-year anniversary, beginning on September 17—The Hunt: Roblox 20. But more on that later.
Here are the winners of the 2026 Roblox Innovation Awards. Congratulations to the winners, and a huge shoutout to everyone who shipped something, took a creative risk, or tried something new this year.
Best Shooter
A polished, competitive FPS built around intense 1v1 duels to 5v5 battles. RIVALS is easy to jump into and very hard to put down.
Best Use of Audio
In DOORS, sound isn’t just atmosphere—it’s part of how players understand the world, anticipate what’s coming, and occasionally realize they’re in serious trouble.
Best Plugin
A creator-built toolbox designed to make the process of building UGC easier. This is exactly the kind of thing we love seeing developers build for other developers.
Best Puzzle Game
A wonderfully simple idea with surprisingly stressful consequences: Keep the word chain alive, think fast, and don’t be the one who runs out of answers.
Best Innovation in a Branded Game
Partnership:Steal a Brainrot x GOAT (Sony Pictures)
A collision of one of Roblox’s biggest cultural phenomena with a major entertainment property in a way that feels native to the experience rather than bolted onto it.
Best Party & Casual Game
Let’s chill … or maybe not? Fast, accessible, and delightfully chaotic, this is the kind of game where “one more round” can quickly turn into 10.
Best Innovation in Tech
An ambitious tactical shooter pushing on what high-fidelity combat can look and feel like on Roblox, from helmet cams and optics to sophisticated squad-based gameplay.
Best Sports Game
Football? Soccer? Who cares! FIFA Super Soccer brings the game’s energy, competition, and global appeal to Roblox.
Best Action Game
Fast combat, big abilities, destructive chaos, and exactly the right amount of shenanigans.
Best UGC Creator
A creator whose distinctive work continues to show just how much personality and imagination can fit into an avatar.
Best Innovation in Creative Direction
From the creepy hospital setting to the decidedly abnormal patients, Animal Hospital’s creative identity captures players’ attention almost immediately.
Best Survival Game
Studio: Grandma’s Favourite Games
Build a camp, gather re game and stop whatever is watching from the forest over 99 very long nights
Best Strategy Game
Start with a small country, build its economy, raise an army, and decide whether diplomacy or total domination is the better path to victory.
Best RPG
Piggy goes open world with exploration, characters, base building, and player choices that shape a journey through an infected world.
Best Classic Game
Game:Natural Disaster Survival
Survive the flood, dodge the meteors, and stare in awe at the ones who make it through. Some Roblox lessons are timeless.
Best Video Star
Video Star:Laughability (YouTube)
Being a star has its perks. Thanks for the stories, humor, and unique creator-driven PoV!
Best New Game
The night shift at this animal hospital gets weird fast. Animal Hospital is a wonderfully unsettling mix of treating patients, spotting anomalies, and trying to survive until morning.
People’s Choice
Apparently the community agrees: Questionable veterinary practices make for a pretty great Roblox game.
Best Studio
A studio that continues to combine craft, polish, and a deep understanding of what makes players want to come back for one more game. Developers of games like Treasure Quest, Super Golf, and, of course, RIVALS, named this year’s Best Shooter. Also some pretty cool d00ds.
The Builderman Award
And the final award goes to Animal Hospital, where working the night shift gets weird … fast.
Join Us Next Year
Have a favorite that didn’t win? Good news: We get to do this again next year at the 2027 Roblox Innovation Awards, so support the games you believe in and vote for the top games of 2027.
Until then, make sure to check out the games and creators on this list and show them some love. Join us to celebrate 20 years of Roblox in The Hunt: Roblox 20, beginning September 17—and, as always, keep building.
