VIDEO: This Commack 3rd Grader Isn’t Just Playing Roblox — He’s Getting Paid

COMMACK, NY — A Commack third grader is turning screen time into something far more than play, building his own Roblox game from scratch and already beginning to earn money from it — all before finishing elementary school.

Zach Key, 8, created a game called Wolf House after his parents asked him to think differently about how he was using the platform. Like many kids his age, Zach spent hours playing Roblox, but instead of simply limiting his time, his parents encouraged him to explore the creative side of it.

“He started making a map, but he couldn’t connect the dots,” his father and software engineer Ken Key said. “I’m like, wait, this makes perfect sense — just do this, this — and from there, he just kept going.”

What followed was a hands-on learning process that blended curiosity, technology, and a surprising level of independence for a child his age. Using Roblox Studio and experimenting with artificial intelligence, Zach began designing his own game environment, mechanics and features.

“I use AI and Roblox Studio,” Zach said when asked how he approaches coding.

The result is Wolf House, a continuously evolving game where players battle waves of wolves, level up and unlock items through an in-game currency system. Players start at level one and progress by defeating enemies, with increasing difficulty as more wolves appear.

“You start at one… then you kill wolves to get to the next level,” Zach said.

The game includes features often seen in more advanced titles, including customizable weapons, rarity systems, in-game purchases and an admin panel that allows Zach to control gameplay elements like animations and player permissions. He has also created his own visual assets, including promotional images and game cover art, sometimes independently of his father’s help.

“He made this himself. I wasn’t even involved in this one,” Ken said, describing one of Zach’s recent designs.

While Ken provides guidance — particularly with more advanced coding concepts — he estimates the process has become increasingly balanced.

“It’s 50/50— I set up the advanced part of it, and then he can pretty much go off on his own,” he said.

That independence has translated into something few would expect from an 8-year-old: income.

After months of development and growing engagement from players, Roblox recognized Zach as a creator on the platform, allowing him to begin earning payouts based on activity in his game.

“Every month we see an email… thank you for being a creator,” Ken said. “It was enough where we were like, this is real.”

The family said Zach’s first payout was significant enough to save a portion of it, marking a turning point in how they viewed his work.

“We couldn’t believe it — our son is actually making money from this,” Ken added.

The game itself took shape over roughly two months, beginning with experimentation and testing among Zach’s friends before gradually expanding to a wider audience. Today, players log in regularly — sometimes even while Zach is asleep.

“He wakes up the next day and says, ‘Dad, five people were in my game last night,’” Ken said.

Beyond the technical achievement, the experience has reshaped how the family approaches gaming, turning what many parents see as passive screen time into something productive and educational.

“Play with your kids, don’t just limit them,” Ken said. “How do you protect them if you’re not involved? There’s a lot of educational value — you just have to guide it.”

That philosophy has become central in the Key household, where both parents remain actively involved in their children’s digital and real-world lives.

“I’m just thankful that we have enough energy to do it,” said Zach’s mother, Dominique Key. “I feel like if we were a little bit older, maybe we wouldn’t understand.”

The approach has helped turn their home into a space where technology and community intersect — something they hope continues as their children grow older.

“We want this to be a safe space for them,” she said.

For Zach, the experience has already shaped how he sees his future. His father said nearly everything he does reflects a clear goal, and while many children dream about building games, Zach is already doing it — one line of code and one player at a time.

“Everything from him is, ‘I’m going to be a software engineer,’” Ken said.