Privacy policy

This policy describes what Puzzled! collects, why, and what you can do about it. It is written to be read rather than to be technically unassailable, and it describes what the software actually does.

The short version

No account is needed to play. No name, email address or password is asked for. Nothing you do is sold or shared with advertisers as a profile. The nickname you choose and the puzzles you play are stored so that multiplayer works at all.

What is stored, and where

In your own browser

Three small values are kept in your browser's local storage and never leave the device except as described below: your chosen nickname, your table colour and texture, and your sound and music volume settings. Clearing your browser data removes them.

In the game database

The database is Google Firebase Realtime Database, hosted in the European Union (europe-west1). It holds:

• An anonymous identifier. Your browser is given a random ID by Firebase Anonymous Authentication. It is not linked to a name or an email address and it is what makes it possible to say "this piece is being held by someone else".
• Games in progress. The position of every piece, the room code, the picture chosen, the timer, and the nickname and colour of each player. This is the game itself.
• Scores, if the scoreboard is switched on for that game.
• Puzzles you create, if you upload a picture: the image, its dimensions, and the anonymous ID of whoever uploaded it.

Player presence records are deleted automatically when you close the tab. Game boards persist so that a puzzle can be returned to.

If you create an account

Signing in is optional and only needed for membership. If you do, Firebase Authentication stores your email address, and — if you sign in with Google — the name and profile picture Google provides. Your existing anonymous ID is upgraded rather than replaced, so nothing you have already made is lost.

If you buy a membership

Payments are handled entirely by our payment provider, who is the merchant of record. Card details never reach this site and are never seen by us. We receive confirmation that a subscription is active, and store only that fact against your account ID. The provider holds the billing information under its own privacy policy.

Other companies involved

• Vercel hosts the site and keeps standard server logs, including IP addresses, for security and diagnostics.
• Google Firebase provides authentication, the database and file storage.
• Pexels serves the photographs. Because images load directly from their servers, Pexels can see your IP address, as it would for any image on any website.
• Google AdSense serves adverts to visitors who are not members. Advertising cookies are only set if you consent to them — see the cookie page.

Children

This site is suitable for all ages but is not directed at children under 13, and no account may be created by one. No age is collected, so this is stated rather than enforced.

Your rights

If you are in the UK or the European Economic Area you have the right to see the data held about you, to correct it, to have it deleted, and to object to how it is used. Email playpuzzled@proton.me and it will be dealt with. Because play is anonymous by default, you may need to supply a room code or account email so the right records can be found.

You also have the right to complain to your national data protection authority.

Changes

If this policy changes materially, the date below will change and the change will be noted on the site. Continuing to play after that means accepting the revised version.