ARES-01 // Privacy
Privacy Policy
This policy explains what data the Terraform Tycoon game ("the game", "we", "us") collects, why, who helps us process it, how long we keep it and what you can do about it. The game is operated by Multimode Technologies, [Postal address], which is the controller of your personal data. Contact: support@terraformtycoon.app.
The short version
- You never create an account or give us your name, email or phone number to play.
- The game shows no ads, uses no advertising identifier (IDFA), does not track you across other companies' apps or websites, and never sells or shares your data for advertising.
- We use a random player ID to save your colony to the cloud, run leaderboards and deliver purchases exactly once.
- We collect gameplay analytics and crash reports to balance and fix the game.
- Apple handles all payments. We never see your card or bank details.
- You can ask us to delete your data at any time: support@terraformtycoon.app.
- What we collect
- How we use it
- Legal bases (EEA, UK)
- Who processes it
- What other players can see
- International transfers
- How long we keep it
- Your choices and rights
- Children
- Security
- Changes
- Contact
1. What we collect
| Data | Details | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Game identifiers | A random install key created on first launch and kept in your device's Keychain (our server stores only a one-way hash of it); a random player ID our server assigns; a random label for each device that uploads a cloud save; the random anonymous ID the PostHog SDK creates; your referral code. | The app and our server |
| Colony name | The name you choose for your colony (or a default such as "Colonist-1A2B3"). It is shown on leaderboards and colony visits. | You |
| Game data | Your cloud save (your colony, progress and the purchases applied to it), a snapshot of your colony that other players can visit, leaderboard scores, and referral progress (Hab level and daily-gift counts of players you invited or who invited you). | The app |
| Purchase records | Product, transaction IDs, price, currency and store country, date, sandbox or production, subscription status and renewals, refunds. No payment card or bank data: Apple processes payments. | The app, Apple via Superwall |
| Gameplay analytics | Events such as levels reached, tiles terraformed (counted in batches), buildings placed, screens and offers shown, purchases started or completed, session start and length. Each event carries the app version, device model, operating system version, language, time zone and your player ID. | The app (PostHog SDK) |
| Diagnostics | Crash reports and error messages, frame rate and launch time measurements. | The app (PostHog SDK) |
| Device identifier | The Identifier for Vendor (IDFV) that iOS gives the app, read by the Superwall SDK. It is not the advertising identifier. | The app (Superwall SDK) |
| Approximate location | Country, region and city estimated from your IP address. Superwall derives it automatically for its offer-screen rules, and PostHog for analytics [confirm whether PostHog GeoIP stays enabled]. We look at it only in aggregate, for example which countries play. We never use GPS or precise location. | Derived from your IP address |
| Server request data | When the app talks to our server, Cloudflare processes your IP address to deliver the request, apply rate limits and block abuse. Our own logs record the request ID, path, status, timing and player ID, not your IP address. | Your connection |
| Support messages | If you email us: your email address, what you write and anything you attach. | You |
We do not collect your name, phone number, postal address, contacts, photos, microphone, precise location, health data, browsing or search history, or the advertising identifier (IDFA). Your settings (sound, haptics, notifications) stay on your device. Notifications are scheduled locally on your device; we do not use push notification servers.
2. How we use it
- Run the game: sign you in anonymously, keep your cloud save, show leaderboards and colony visits, deliver live events and game updates.
- Deliver purchases: verify each App Store transaction, grant its contents exactly once (also after a reinstall), apply subscription perks, handle refunds, and help when a purchase goes missing.
- Choose which offers to show: the in-game shop and paywalls take your level, days played and total spend into account (for example, a new player is not shown expensive bundles). This uses only our own data and is never used for third-party advertising.
- Improve the game: find where players get stuck, balance the economy, test changes, and fix crashes and slow screens.
- Keep it fair and safe: detect impossible leaderboard scores, referral abuse, purchase fraud and offensive colony names.
- Support and legal duties: answer your messages, keep records required by law, and enforce our Terms of Use.
We do not make decisions about you that have legal or similarly significant effects based only on automated processing.
3. Legal bases (EEA, UK and similar laws)
- Contract: running the game, cloud save, leaderboards and delivering what you buy.
- Legitimate interests: analytics, crash reports, offer selection, fraud and cheat prevention, and security. You can object at any time (see your choices).
- Legal obligation: purchase and tax records, and answering lawful requests.
- Consent: notifications (iOS asks you first) and anything else where we ask you. [confirm with counsel whether EEA/UK analytics needs opt-in consent]
4. Who processes it
We use these service providers. They process data on our behalf under contracts that limit their use of it.
| Provider | What they do | Data they handle |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare, Inc. (USA, global network) | Hosts our game server, database and file storage (Workers, D1, R2) | Player ID, install key hash, colony name, cloud saves, snapshots, scores, referrals, purchase records, IP address in transit |
| PostHog, Inc. (USA, US cloud) | Product analytics, crash and error tracking, feature flags | Gameplay analytics, diagnostics, player ID, device details, IP address (for approximate location unless discarded) |
| Superwall, Inc. (USA) | Shows subscription and offer screens, reports App Store purchase and renewal events to our server | Player ID, IDFV, device details, IP-based approximate location, purchase and subscription events, paywall views |
| Apple Inc. | App Store distribution, payments, refunds, subscriptions (StoreKit) | Your Apple Account and payment data, under Apple's privacy policy. Apple shares transaction details with us, not your payment details. |
| 650 Industries, Inc. (Expo) (USA) | Delivers over-the-air game updates | IP address, platform, app and update version, a random update-client ID |
We may also disclose data if the law requires it, to protect players or our rights, or as part of a merger or sale of the game (the buyer would remain bound by this policy). We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
5. What other players can see
Your colony name, leaderboard scores and ranks, and your colony snapshot (when someone visits your colony) are public to other players. If you invite friends, you see their colony names and whether their invitation qualified, and they see yours. Leaderboards and colony visits also show your player ID, which is random and does not identify you. Do not put personal information in your colony name.
6. International transfers
Our providers process data in the United States and other countries where they operate. When data from the EEA, UK or Switzerland is transferred, we rely on the providers' Standard Contractual Clauses, the UK Addendum or the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, as applicable.
7. How long we keep it
| Data | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Game account, colony name, cloud save, snapshot, scores, referrals | While you play. Deleted on request, or after [24 months] without any sign-in. |
| Cloud save history | The 5 newest versions; older versions are overwritten automatically. |
| Purchase records | As long as needed for refunds, disputes, fraud prevention and accounting: [up to 7 years]. On deletion we unlink them from your colony data where the law allows. |
| Server logs | Up to 7 days. |
| Analytics and diagnostics (PostHog) | [12 months], then deleted or aggregated. |
| Superwall data | [Per Superwall retention settings; confirm] |
| Support emails | [2 years] after the conversation ends. |
8. Your choices and rights
In the game
- Analytics: turn off analytics in Settings [confirm the in-app analytics switch ships before release]. The game then stops sending analytics and crash reports.
- Notifications: turn them off in Settings or in iOS Settings.
- Colony name: change it in Settings → Save & account.
- Your colony: Settings → Save & account → Export save gives you a copy of your save.
Delete your data
Deleting the app removes the data stored on your device, but not your cloud data. To delete your cloud data, email support@terraformtycoon.app from the game's Settings → Support, and include your colony name and the app version shown in Settings → About. We may ask you to confirm the request from the game so that nobody can delete someone else's colony. We then delete your account, cloud saves, snapshot, scores and referral records, and ask PostHog and Superwall to delete your data. We keep only the purchase records we must keep by law (see retention).
Your rights
Depending on where you live (for example, under the GDPR, UK GDPR or California's CCPA/CPRA) you can ask to access your data, get a copy of it, correct or delete it, restrict or object to its use, and withdraw consent. We will not treat you differently for using these rights. We answer within one month (45 days under the CCPA) and may need to verify that the request comes from the player. You can also complain to your local data protection authority. [EU/UK representative, if required (GDPR Art. 27)]
California: in the last 12 months we collected the categories listed in section 1 (identifiers, commercial information, internet or other electronic network activity, approximate geolocation, and inferences such as the spending tier used to choose offers) for the purposes in section 2. We do not sell or share personal information and do not use sensitive personal information.
9. Children
The game is made for a general audience and is not directed at children under 13 (under 16 in some EEA countries). We do not knowingly collect personal information from them beyond the anonymous identifiers and gameplay data needed to run the game. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, for example by email, contact support@terraformtycoon.app and we will delete it. Parents can block or approve purchases with Apple's Screen Time and Ask to Buy.
10. Security
Data travels over HTTPS. Your install key never leaves your device except to sign in, and our server stores only a hash of it. Purchases are verified with Apple's signed transactions. Access to our systems is limited. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affects you, we will tell you and the authorities as the law requires.
11. Changes
We will update this page when our practices change and change the date at the top. For significant changes we will also tell you in the game.
12. Contact
Multimode Technologies, [Postal address]. Email: support@terraformtycoon.app.