Privacy Policy
Effective 21 September 2026 (supersedes the 5 September 2026 policy). Applies to the AlienGarb game on the web (aliengarb.com), iOS, iPadOS and Android, published by ExoArcade ("we").
Summary
AlienGarb does not ask for your name, email, phone number, contacts, location, camera or microphone. There are no ads and no third-party advertising or tracking SDKs. We collect the minimum needed to run a cross-platform leaderboard, honour your purchase on mobile, understand where players get stuck, and fix crashes.
Web edition (aliengarb.com/play)
- Local save: your career, callsign, settings and progress are stored in your browser's site storage (IndexedDB) for aliengarb.com. They never leave your device unless the leaderboard service is enabled (below). Clearing site data deletes them. No registration is required.
- Game files cache: the browser may cache the game's data files so the next visit loads faster.
- Site analytics: we use Vercel Web Analytics, which records page views and a handful of product events (PLAY clicked, game load started / completed / failed, mission started, session length) without cookies and without cross-site identifiers. Visitors are counted with a temporary hash that is not linked to you. No advertising networks receive anything.
- Hosting logs: our hosting provider (Vercel) keeps standard, short-lived request logs (IP address, user agent, requested URL) for security and operations.
What we collect (all platforms)
| Data | Why | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymous account ID (random, created by Firebase Authentication on first launch, when the leaderboard service is enabled) | Identify your leaderboard record and purchase entitlement across sessions | Firebase (Google Cloud), US |
| Reclaimer callsign (a pseudonym you choose or we generate) | Shown publicly on the Master Reclaimers leaderboard unless you set your profile to private | Firebase Firestore |
| Gameplay results (planet, Habitability reached, mission score, waste removed, threats contained, mission duration, build version, platform) | Rankings and score validation | Firebase Firestore |
| Purchase entitlement on mobile (whether the full game is unlocked; store transaction identifier) | Unlock the full game; restore purchases | On device; Apple App Store / Google Play process the payment |
| Anonymous gameplay events (e.g. tutorial completed, extraction chosen at a given Habitability) | Understand where players get stuck; balance the game | Firebase Cloud Functions / Firestore, aggregated |
| Crash diagnostics (device model, OS version, build, stack trace) if you opt in to share diagnostics with Apple or Google | Fix crashes | Apple / Google crash reporting |
| Beta feedback you type into the in-game form (plus build, device model, OS) | Improve the game | Firebase Firestore, or your email client on the web |
What we do not do
- No advertising, no ad SDKs, no cross-app or cross-site tracking, no data brokers, no selling of data.
- No precise location, contacts, photos, camera or microphone access.
- No chat or messaging between players. The only user-generated content is your callsign, which is filtered and moderated.
- No payment is required or requested on the web edition today.
Children
AlienGarb is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. The game contains stylized science-fiction combat with no realistic gore.
Your choices
- Private profile: Settings → "Private leaderboard profile" hides your callsign and scores from other players.
- Deletion: on the web, clear site data for aliengarb.com; on mobile, uninstall. Email support@exoarcade.com with your callsign to delete your leaderboard record (within 30 days).
- Restore purchase (mobile): Settings → Restore Purchase.
Retention & security
Leaderboard and event records are kept while the game is operated or until you request deletion. Data is transmitted over HTTPS and stored in Firebase with access rules that prevent players from writing others' records; scores are validated server-side. The browser game client is treated as untrusted.
Legal bases & contact
We process this data to provide the game you requested (contract) and to keep it fair and working (legitimate interests). Contact: ExoArcade, support@exoarcade.com. If this policy changes we will update this page and the effective date.