Jailbreak (Roblox)

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Wikipedia

Jailbreak
Game logo showing text saying "JAILBREAK".
Game logo, c. 2018.
DeveloperBadimo
EngineRoblox
Platform
Various
ReleaseApril 21, 2017
GenreAction-adventure
ModeMultiplayer

Jailbreak is an open-world action adventure video game created by asimo3089 and Alex Balfanz (known online as badcc) and produced by the independent game developer group, Badimo, released on the gaming and game development platform, Roblox on April 21, 2017. In the game, players can decide whether to become a police officer or criminal, with each team designed for players to have different objectives to complete. Users can purchase weapons, vehicles and various items from in-game currency; some weapons can include additional exclusive skins. In the first two years of the game’s debut, Jailbreak was three of the only games on Roblox to have amassed 1 billion visits, including that it was the first game around its release to receive 1 billion visits in the shortest amount of time, reaching the record in c. 14 months.[1] Jailbreak has surpassed over 7 billion visits on Roblox as of November 2025, achieving 2 billion visits within two years, making it one of the most successful games on Roblox. Jailbreak has also continued to do partnerships with various amount of companies since April 2021.

Gameplay

Jailbreak is an open-world action adventure video game.[1] The gameplay follows around the player given two options, criminal and police, each option has objectives for players to complete. If a player chooses police they will be granted weapons and equipment to incriminate, defend themselves against criminals, and prevent prisoners attempting to leave the facility from various locations around the area. Players can purchase vehicles, weapons, and other equipment from in-game currency.[2] Players can obtain tactical gear, weapons and other equipment and vehicles specialized for the officer and criminal roles by utilizing Roblox's virtual currency, Robux.[3] If a player chooses criminal, they will be teleported to a prison, where they can escape and receive the criminal status. Criminals are allowed to carry firearms and explosives for defense against law enforcement and to complete heists in locations.[2]

History

Prior to Jailbreak's release in April 2017, Balfanz and his high school classmates had been working together on several games on Roblox, some of the games developed had been granted revenue worth $1,000, one of the games launched in 2016 was VOLT, a driving video game parody of the science fiction multimedia franchise, Tron.[1]

Around Q4 2016, Jailbreak was fully completed after four months of non-stop game development and quality assurance testing, and was later released on April 21, 2017.[2] When Jailbreak first debuted, it introduced a number of tweets and new players, some players expressed support for the game and suggested features to be added inside the game.[1] The game was gradually growing in popularity, achieving 1 billion in the shortest period of time, reaching the visit count after 14 months of release, and also gaining a significant amount of active concurrent players, 60,000 and 90,000 on a daily basis, and 150,000 players at its peak concurrent player count. The achievement had more concurrent players than Roblox's Easter egg hunt events. The game had earned over $1,000,000 in revenue during the first quarter of its debut, which was enough to pay Balfanz's college tuition of $300,000.[1][4][5][6]

Partnerships

On April 13, 2021, Jailbreak collaborated with NERF to create NERF Blasters manufactured to resemble the game's weapons.[7] On November 5, 2021 and 2023, NASCAR had collaborated with Jailbreak to include a limited time event featuring two racing cars and a racing track that were available until November 14, 2021 and a 75th birthday anniversary-exclusive car skin that was available for a limited-time in 2023.[8][9][10] On October 21, 2025, it was announced that since c. 2024, Wind Sun Sky Entertainment, a Canadian entertainment studio, was in production of an upcoming animated film adaptation of the Roblox game Jailbreak that would debut in movie theaters; an animated series and several special episodes were also planned in advance.[11][12]

Reception

Jailbreak has had a large margin of positive feedback and reviews from critics. Entertainment Focus writer Barry Stevens claimed that the gameplay, "plays a huge factor in a successful Roblox game." and included game mechanics and objectives that, "engage the player, whether you’re in a social game or a first-person shooter".[2] Business Insider writer Matt Weinberger positively wrote about the game's popularity and growth since the release, calling it an "overnight success".[13] VentureBeat writer Dean Takahashi compared the game as a Grand Theft Auto clone by saying, "It’s like Grand Theft Auto with blocky characters".[14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jr., Tom Huddleston (2019-09-23). "This 21-year-old is paying for college (and more) off an amateur video game he made in high school". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2023-12-02. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Stevens, Barry (2020-06-18). "The most popular games on Roblox episode 2, Jailbreak". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  3. ↑ Stevens, Barry (2020-06-18). "The most popular games on Roblox episode 2, Jailbreak". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  4. ↑ "Roblox, the game platform teaching young kids to code". Archived from the original on 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  5. ↑ "Where Has Your Tween Been During the Pandemic? On This Gaming Site (Published 2020)". 2020-08-16. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  6. ↑ Weinberger, Matt. "A video game you've never heard of has turned three teens into multimillionaires — and it's just getting started". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  7. ↑ Lee, Alexander (2021-11-18). "How Roblox's virtual brand activations are building a robust creator economy". Digiday. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  8. ↑ Report, Staff (2023-03-10). "NASCAR launches immersive gaming experience 'NASCAR Speed Hub' on Roblox". Official Site Of NASCAR. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  9. ↑ Lee, Alexander (2021-11-18). "How Roblox's virtual brand activations are building a robust creator economy". Digiday. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  10. ↑ Report, Staff (2021-11-03). "NASCAR debuts customized virtual race car in Jailbreak on Roblox". Official Site Of NASCAR. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  11. ↑ Tuchow, Ryan. "Wind Sun Sky to adapt Roblox hit Jailbreak into an animated feature". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  12. ↑ Anastasio, Cecilia D' (November 5, 2025). "Roblox Games 'Grow a Garden, 'Jailbreak' Clinch Movie Deals". Bloomberg News.
  13. ↑ Weinberger, Matt. "A video game you've never heard of has turned three teens into multimillionaires — and it's just getting started". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  14. ↑ "The DeanBeat: Roblox's kid developers make enough 'robux' to pay for college". VentureBeat. 2017-07-21. Archived from the original on 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2025-11-16.