If you're looking to make your game stand out, a roblox custom chat bubble script is one of those small changes that makes a massive difference in how your world feels. Let's be honest, the default white-and-gray bubbles are fine for a generic experience, but they don't exactly scream "personality." Whether you're building a high-intensity fighting game or a cozy roleplay hangout, you want your players' speech to match the aesthetic you've worked so hard to create.
Setting this up isn't as intimidating as it might seem. Roblox has actually made it a lot easier recently with the update to the TextChatService. Back in the day, we had to mess around with some pretty clunky legacy code, but now things are much more streamlined.
Why bother with custom bubbles anyway?
You might think, "It's just a chat bubble, who cares?" But think about the games you love. When a developer takes the time to tweak the UI, it shows they care about the details. A custom script lets you change the background color, the font, the transparency, and even how long the text stays on the screen.
Imagine a horror game where the chat bubbles are slightly shaky or a dark, deep crimson. Or a candy-themed simulator where everything is bright pink with rounded corners. It grounds the player in your specific universe. Plus, if you have special ranks like "VIP" or "Admin," you can use a roblox custom chat bubble script to give those players a unique look that everyone else can see immediately.
Getting started with TextChatService
First things first, you need to make sure your game is actually using the modern chat system. Most new games do by default, but it's worth checking. In the Explorer window, look for TextChatService. If the ChatVersion property is set to TextChatService, you're good to go.
The cool thing about the new system is that it uses a specific object called BubbleChatConfiguration. You can find this as a child of TextChatService. Before you even write a single line of code, you can actually play around with these settings in the Properties window to see what's possible. You can change the BackgroundColor3, the CornerRadius, and even the VerticalStudsOffset (which is basically how high the bubble floats above the player's head).
Writing the actual script
While the manual properties are great for global changes, you'll need a roblox custom chat bubble script if you want things to be dynamic. For example, maybe you want the bubble color to match the player's team color, or you want certain NPCs to have a different style.
You'll want to put your script in StarterPlayerScripts. Usually, a LocalScript is the way to go here because chat UI is handled on the client side. Here is the general logic: you want to tap into the OnBubbleAdded callback. This is a function that triggers every single time a new chat bubble pops into existence.
When that function runs, it gives you a BubbleChatMessageProperties object. This is your playground. Inside that object, you can define exactly how that specific bubble should look. You can set the font to something like "Bangers" for a comic book feel or "Michroma" for something sci-fi.
Making it dynamic and reactive
The real fun starts when the script does more than just set a static color. Let's say you want a player's bubble to turn red if they are low on health. Because you're writing a script, you can just check the player's character, find their Humanoid, and look at the health percentage.
Or, think about proximity. You could technically write a script that makes chat bubbles smaller or more transparent the further away you are from the person speaking. It adds a bit of "audio" realism to a visual medium. These are the kinds of details that make players go, "Oh, that's neat," even if they don't consciously realize why the game feels more polished.
Handling NPCs with style
NPCs (Non-Player Characters) are often the biggest beneficiaries of a roblox custom chat bubble script. When a quest-giver speaks, you don't want them to look exactly like every other player. You want them to look important.
By using the OnBubbleAdded event, you can check the Adornee of the bubble. The Adornee is basically the part the bubble is attached to. If that part belongs to an NPC, you can tell your script to apply a unique theme—maybe a gold border or a fancy serif font. This helps players distinguish between "random player chatter" and "important game information."
Dealing with fonts and readability
One trap a lot of developers fall into is getting a bit too crazy with the fonts. It's tempting to pick the most stylized font available, but if people can't read what's being said, they're just going to get frustrated.
When you're tweaking your roblox custom chat bubble script, always keep readability in mind. High contrast is your friend. Dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background is a safe bet. If you're going for a transparent bubble, make sure the text has a nice stroke or shadow so it doesn't get lost against a busy game background.
Common hiccups to avoid
One thing that trips people up is forgetting that chat bubbles can overlap. If you make your bubbles too large or give them too much padding, the screen can get cluttered really fast in a crowded server. In your script, you can actually limit the maximum width of the bubbles so they don't take up half the screen when someone decides to paste a wall of text.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the TextChatService is still being updated by Roblox. Sometimes, they change how certain properties behave. It's always a good idea to keep your script clean and well-commented so that if something breaks after a Roblox engine update, you can jump back in and fix it without having to relearn your own code.
Testing your script
Don't just write the script and publish the game. Open up the Play Test mode in Roblox Studio and start typing. Check how the bubbles look from different angles. Walk far away from your character and see if the labels stay positioned correctly.
If you've set up your roblox custom chat bubble script to handle different player ranks, you might need to mock up some fake data or have a friend join you in a private test server to make sure the logic actually triggers. There's nothing more embarrassing than a "VIP" tag that shows up for everyone because of a misplaced "if" statement.
Wrapping it up
At the end of the day, a roblox custom chat bubble script is a relatively simple way to inject a ton of character into your project. It's one of those "set it and forget it" features that continues to provide value throughout the life of your game.
By moving away from the default settings and taking control of the TextChatService, you're telling your players that your game isn't just another cookie-cutter experience. It's a world you've built with intention. So, dive into the properties, experiment with those hex codes, and find a style that truly fits the vibe of your game. Your players might not explicitly thank you for the nice font and the rounded corners, but they'll definitely feel the difference in the overall quality.