Social media personalities Dixie and Charli D’Amelio are expanding their animated franchise Squeaky & Roy to Roblox.
The Roblox game Dress Up BFF was developed with tech and entertainment firm Invisible Universe, whose backers include Serena Williams. Tech studio Exclusible also helped create the game.
Squeaky & Roy, which was inspired by the D’Amelios’ childhood toys, has become popular across the internet launching in 2021, thanks in large part to the sisters’ tens of millions of social followers. On YouTube alone, the property has channels in six languages and nearly one billion cumulative views.
On Roblox, the property will be more interactive, with players taking part in what a press release called “a softer, funnier, and less serious take on the wildly popular dress-up game genre.” A number of media and entertainment companies have created brand extensions on Roblox in recent years, as gaming and interactivity have started to draw traditional audiences away from pay-TV, movies and other legacy platforms. Roblox earlier this month said its platform draws 111.8 million daily active users.
Dress Up BFF launched in beta on Roblox last month, racking up more than 1 million unique visitors in its first couple of weeks. Players spent a total of 10 million-plus minutes with the game, ranking it near the leading of the all-time engagement list on Roblox, according to Invisible Universe.
The game features daily “quests,” seasonal updates and magical tools, with players creating their desired looks using makeup, outfits, hair styles, and accessories. Either Squeaky or Roy can then be styled, joining the player on the virtual catwalk. Players at that point rate each other and earn stars based on how well they are deemed to have matched the assigned theme.
As with many Roblox games or the similarly constituted Fortnite universe, the monetization model for Dress Up BFF revolves around paid add-ons and accessories (“skins” in the case of Fortnite). While the game is free to play, features like a VIP pass granting access to an exclusive room of premium items require payment. Exclusive cosmetics, animations, and magical effects to expand players’ wardrobe as well as “quality of life” upgrades carry a separate charge.
“It’s been so fun watching fans fall in love with Squeaky & Roy,” Dixie D’Amelio said in a statement. On Roblox, she added, “we’re hoping it becomes the cutest game on the platform.”
Invisible Universe co-founder and CEO Tricia Biggio said the initial objective of Squeaky & Roy was to “create an animated franchise that could live anywhere our audience is,” making the Roblox expansion “a natural next step.”
About the Author
