Roblox Studio Leaderstats Script

Starting a project and needing a roblox studio leaderstats script is pretty much a rite of passage for any dev. You know exactly what I'm talking about—that little leaderboard in the top-right corner of the screen that shows off how many coins you've hoarded or what level you've reached. Without it, your game feels a bit empty, right? It's the easiest way to give your players that hit of dopamine when they see their stats go up.

If you're just getting your feet wet in Luau (Roblox's version of Lua), the leaderstats system might seem a bit cryptic, but it's actually one of the most straightforward things to set up. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to add currency, XP, or even kill counts in a matter of seconds.

Why the "leaderstats" Folder Name Matters

Before we jump into the code, there is one super important thing you have to know. Roblox looks for a folder named exactly "leaderstats"—all lowercase. If you capitalize the "L" or call it "MyStats," the engine won't recognize it as the special folder meant for the UI. It'll still exist in the game's memory, but that handy leaderboard in the corner of the screen simply won't show up.

It's one of those tiny mistakes that can leave you scratching your head for an hour, so let's just get that out of the way now!

Writing Your First Leaderstats Script

To get this working, you don't want to put your script inside a part or a tool. You want it to run as soon as the server starts, so the best place for it is in ServerScriptService.

Go ahead and create a new Script (not a LocalScript!) in ServerScriptService and let's get to work. Here is a basic version of what your script should look like:

```lua game.Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(function(player) local folder = Instance.new("Folder") folder.Name = "leaderstats" folder.Parent = player

local coins = Instance.new("IntValue") coins.Name = "Coins" coins.Value = 0 coins.Parent = folder

end) ```

Breaking Down What's Happening

It's easy to just copy and paste, but knowing why this works helps you troubleshoot later.

  1. The Event: game.Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(function(player) is basically the game saying, "Hey, every time a new human joins the server, run this specific block of code for them." The player variable inside the parentheses represents the person who just joined.
  2. The Folder: We create a new folder via code. This is where the "leaderstats" name is crucial. By setting the folder.Parent to the player, we're tucking that folder inside their player object.
  3. The Value: We use IntValue because we're counting whole numbers (0, 1, 2, 100). If you wanted something like "Cash" that has decimals, you'd use a NumberValue instead.
  4. The Connection: Once you name the value "Coins" (or "Gold" or "Points"), that text is exactly what will show up as the header on the leaderboard.

Adding More Than One Stat

What if you want a leveling system and a currency system at the same time? It's as easy as repeating the process for the value. You don't need a second folder; you just add another object to the same "leaderstats" folder.

lua local xp = Instance.new("IntValue") xp.Name = "XP" xp.Value = 0 xp.Parent = folder

Just drop that right under the coins section in your script, and boom—now you've got two columns on your leaderboard. You can add as many as you want, though eventually, they'll start getting cut off if you go too crazy with it.

Making the Numbers Actually Change

Having a leaderboard that stays at zero is pretty boring. You need a way for players to earn those points. There are a million ways to do this, but a classic one is a "Click to earn" system or a "Touch a part" system.

Let's say you have a gold brick in your game. When a player touches it, you want them to get 10 coins. You'd put a script inside that brick like this:

```lua local part = script.Parent

part.Touched:Connect(function(hit) local character = hit.Parent local player = game.Players:GetPlayerFromCharacter(character)

if player then player.leaderstats.Coins.Value = player.leaderstats.Coins.Value + 10 part:Destroy() -- The coin disappears after you grab it end

end) ```

Notice how we navigate to player.leaderstats.Coins.Value. That's the path the game uses to find that specific number we created earlier. If you renamed your currency "Gold," you'd change it to .Gold.Value.

Dealing with Data (Saving Your Stats)

Here is the part where most beginners get stuck. If you use the script I wrote above and then leave the game, your coins will be gone when you come back. Roblox doesn't save data by default. To do that, you have to use something called DataStoreService.

Saving data is a bit more complex, but here's the gist of it: you need to "Save" the value when the player leaves the game and "Load" the value when they join.

Quick Tip: Before testing any data saving, you must go into your Game Settings in Roblox Studio, click "Security," and toggle on "Allow HTTP Requests" and "Enable Studio Access to API Services." If you don't do this, the script won't be allowed to talk to the Roblox servers to save your data.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even pro developers mess up their roblox studio leaderstats script from time to time. If your leaderboard isn't showing up, check these three things first:

  • The Script Type: Make sure you aren't using a LocalScript. LocalScripts run on the player's computer, but leaderstats need to be handled by the server so everyone can see the scores.
  • The Parent: If you create the folder but forget to set folder.Parent = player, the folder just floats around in the void and never gets attached to the player.
  • The Wait: Sometimes, if you have a lot of scripts running, the player might join before the script is ready. However, using the PlayerAdded event usually handles this perfectly.

Personalizing the Leaderboard

One cool thing you might not know is that you can use StringValue instead of IntValue. If you want a player to have a "Rank" like "Rookie" or "Legend," you can create a StringValue, name it "Rank," and set the value to a piece of text. It'll show up on the leaderboard just like the numbers do!

This is great for roleplaying games where you want to show someone's job or faction right next to their name.

Wrapping It Up

Setting up a roblox studio leaderstats script is really about mastering that first connection between the player joining and the folder being created. Once you've got that down, the sky's the limit. You can link these stats to shops, UI elements, or even use them to unlock new areas of your map.

Don't get discouraged if the DataStore part feels a bit overwhelming at first—everyone finds it tricky. Just start with the basic leaderboard, get your coins moving, and the rest will start to make sense as you go. Roblox is all about experimenting, so go ahead and try adding weird stats just to see how they look. Happy scripting!