If your kid plays Minecraft, sooner or later she's gonna discover Roblox. And vice versa. Why? These two sandbox-style games have a lot in common. Both let you design games, meet other players, and, of course, play for hours. They also each have supportive online communities that are always available for help. But Minecraft and Roblox are actually quite different when you get into the nitty-gritty. Here's how they stack up on five key elements:

THE CONTENDERS

Minecraft. Best for age 8+. An open-ended, exploration and creation-focused environment that lets players create items and buildings from scratch using materials they harvest from the world around them.

Roblox. Best for age 10+. A game-creation site where users design and upload their own games, as well as play other games in a multiplayer environment.

Price

Minecraft has a higher initial cost, but Roblox collects incremental fees that can add up. Minecraftcosts $26.95 for PC and Mac, and thereafter it's free (though higher-level playing can cost you).