Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Spaceshift: Ancient Chronicles. This Privacy Policy explains how we, MPEI ("we," "us," or "our"), collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you visit our website and play our game.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about our data practices. This policy complies with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection laws.

By using our website or playing Spaceshift: Ancient Chronicles, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data is:

For any questions regarding data protection or to exercise your rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 12 below.

3. Personal Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Email Address: Collected when you subscribe to our newsletter or create an account to play the game. We use this to send you updates, newsletters, and account-related communications.
• Game Progress Data: When you play the browser or Android version of the game, we store your save data, including station progress, crew roster, mission completion status, crafting inventory, and in-game choices.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Analytics Data: We use self-hosted Matomo analytics to understand how visitors use our website. This includes your IP address (anonymized), browser type, device information, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referral sources.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies to remember your preferences, maintain your game session, and analyze website usage. See Section 11 for more details.

3.3 Data from Third-Party Services (Android Only)

• Google Play Services: If you play the Android version and choose to sign in with Google, we receive basic profile information (name, email) from Google Play Services for authentication purposes.
• Push Notification Tokens: We collect Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) tokens to send you push notifications about in-game events, updates, or mission completions (only if you grant notification permissions).

4. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Game Functionality: To save your progress, sync data across devices, and provide core gameplay features.
• Communication: To send newsletters, game updates, and respond to your inquiries.
• Analytics and Improvement: To analyze website and game usage patterns, identify bugs, and improve user experience.
• Push Notifications (Android): To notify you of in-game events, mission completions, or important updates (only with your consent).
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, enforce our terms, and protect our rights and the safety of our users.

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We only share data in the following circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

• Matomo (Self-Hosted): We use Matomo for website analytics. Since it is self-hosted on our own servers in France, your data is not shared with external parties.
• OVH (Email Services): We use OVH webmail services to send newsletters and account-related emails. OVH is an EU-based provider compliant with GDPR.
• Cloudflare: We use Cloudflare as a proxy, cache, and CDN to improve website performance and security. Cloudflare may process your IP address and request metadata. Cloudflare is GDPR-compliant. See Cloudflare's privacy policy at https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/.
• Google Play Services & Firebase (Android Only): For authentication and push notifications on Android. Google's privacy policy applies: https://policies.google.com/privacy.

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your personal data if required to do so by law, court order, or in response to valid legal requests by public authorities (e.g., law enforcement, regulatory agencies).

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

• Game Progress Data: Retained until you request account deletion or stop using the game for an extended period (determined on a case-by-case basis).
• Email Addresses: Retained until you unsubscribe from our newsletter or request deletion.
• Analytics Data: Retained for up to 24 months in anonymized form for statistical purposes.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are located in the European Union, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to Be Forgotten"): You can request deletion of your personal data under certain conditions (e.g., data no longer necessary, you withdraw consent).
• Right to Restriction of Processing: You can request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to Data Portability: You can request to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format or have it transferred to another service provider.
• Right to Object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent (e.g., newsletter subscription), you can withdraw consent at any time.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 12.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit using HTTPS/TLS protocols
• Secure server infrastructure hosted in France with access controls
• Regular security audits and updates
• Limited access to personal data by authorized personnel only

While we strive to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. International Data Transfers

Your personal data is primarily stored on servers located in France (EU).

Some third-party services we use may transfer data outside the EU:

• Cloudflare: Operates globally but is GDPR-compliant and uses Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for data transfers.
• Google (Play Services, FCM): May transfer data to the U.S. Google complies with GDPR and uses SCCs and other safeguards for international transfers.

We ensure that any international data transfers comply with GDPR requirements, including the use of appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses.

10. Children's Privacy

Spaceshift: Ancient Chronicles is intended for a general audience and is not specifically directed at children under the age of 16.

We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16 without verifiable parental consent. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately, and we will delete such data.

11. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, analyze usage, and maintain game sessions.

Types of Cookies We Use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website and game to function (e.g., session management, authentication).
• Analytics Cookies: Used by Matomo to understand website usage and improve our services.
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences (e.g., language, theme).

Managing Cookies:

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect website functionality and prevent you from using certain features.

To opt out of Matomo analytics, you can enable the "Do Not Track" setting in your browser or contact us to manually opt out.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have concerns about how your data is handled, please contact us:

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons.

When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and notify you via email (if you have subscribed to our newsletter) or through a prominent notice on our website.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.