Privacy Policy

Introduction

Ward Games ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website at wardgames.now. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our gaming services. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about the data we handle.

By using Ward Games, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create a Ward Games account, we collect your email address, a username of your choice, and an optional display name and bio. Your password is securely managed by AWS Cognito and is never stored in plain text. We also store your profile avatar preferences (icon and color selection).

Game Data

We collect game-related data to power leaderboards, track progress, and enable save/resume functionality. This includes high scores, play time per game, game save states, and friend connections. For online multiplayer games, we temporarily store game room data including room codes, player actions, and game state.

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our site, we automatically collect certain information through Google Analytics, including your browser type, operating system, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring website. This data helps us understand how users interact with our games and improve the experience. We also use cookies and localStorage for session management, theme preferences, game saves, and remembering your login state.

Payment Information

If you subscribe to our ad-free experience, payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe. We do not store your credit card number, expiration date, or CVV on our servers. We only receive and store your Stripe customer ID to manage your subscription status.

How We Use Your Information

• Provide, maintain, and improve our gaming services
• Create and manage your account
• Display leaderboards and player statistics
• Save and sync your game progress across devices
• Enable multiplayer gameplay and friend connections
• Process subscription payments and manage ad-free access
• Send account-related notifications (verification codes, password resets)
• Analyze usage patterns to improve game design and user experience
• Display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense

Cookies and Local Storage

Ward Games uses cookies and browser localStorage to enhance your experience. Here is what we store locally:

• Theme preference — your dark/light mode choice
• Game saves — auto-saved game states for resume functionality
• High scores — personal best scores per game
• Play time — cumulative time played per game and overall
• Daily puzzle progress — streak tracking for Lexicon and Unquote
• PWA install prompt — whether you have dismissed the install banner
• Session tokens — authentication cookies managed by AWS Cognito

You can clear this data at any time through your browser settings. Note that clearing localStorage will reset your local game saves and scores (cloud-saved data for logged-in users is unaffected).

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect information:

• Google Analytics — website analytics and traffic analysis. Google Privacy Policy
• Google AdSense — advertisement display. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your browsing history. How Google Uses Cookies
• AWS Cognito — user authentication and account management. AWS Privacy Notice
• Stripe — payment processing for subscriptions. Stripe Privacy Policy

Data Retention

We retain your account information and game data for as long as your account is active. If you wish to delete your account and associated data, please contact us. Anonymized analytics data may be retained indefinitely for statistical purposes. Payment records are retained as required by applicable tax and financial regulations.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information. All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS. Passwords are hashed and managed by AWS Cognito. Payment information is handled exclusively by Stripe's PCI-compliant infrastructure. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children's Privacy

Ward Games is designed to be family-friendly, and some of our games (such as Celeste's Canvas) are specifically designed for young children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without parental consent. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can take appropriate action. Children can enjoy our games without creating an account — accounts are only required for leaderboards, cloud saves, and multiplayer features.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Request deletion of your account and personal data
• Opt out of marketing communications
• Disable cookies through your browser settings

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically for any changes.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us or email us at thewarden774@gmail.com.