PRIVACY POLICY

Sandbox Studios LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website and game at asteroiddominion.com (the “Service”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how it is shared with third parties, and the choices you have regarding your information.

By using the Service you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

Information you provide via Google Sign-In. The Service uses Google OAuth for sign-in. When you sign in we receive your name, email address, profile picture URL, locale, and a unique Google identifier. We do not see or store your Google password.

Guest play. You can play without signing in. A guest has no name, email address, or Google identifier on file: we create a gameplay record under a randomly generated guest identifier, and it holds only the gameplay data and automatically collected information described in this policy. A guest session lasts up to 60 minutes. If you sign in with Google before it ends, the guest record becomes part of your account; otherwise it expires and can no longer be played.

Information collected automatically. When you connect to the Service we record your IP address (used solely to determine your country for region-specific features such as US-only subscription availability, and to limit how often new guest sessions can be started), the general type of device you use (for example, phone or desktop), your session connection time, and a session identifier. We do not log full request URLs or sell access logs.

Gameplay data. While you play we store your in-game ship name, faction, level, experience, scores (current life and lifetime high), upgraded stat values, position, ownership of in-game structures, and aggregate statistics such as kills, deaths, and total play time. This data is required for the persistent-world gameplay experience.

Subscription data. If you subscribe, payment processing is handled by Stripe (see Third-Party Services below). We store only a Stripe customer reference, the subscription status, and the country code Stripe records on your billing — we do not see or store your full payment card.

Browser local storage. The Service stores small amounts of data in your browser’s local storage to remember client-side preferences (music/SFX volume, sound-effect on/off toggles, AI autopilot navigation state, an in-session info log, a death-counter for tip rotation, and whether this browser has signed in with Google before, so the Play button can take you straight to sign-in). If you play as a guest, your browser also keeps your guest session token and when it expires, so you can return to the same guest ship; a tab playing as a guest keeps a short-lived marker in session storage, and the token is held there briefly while you sign in to save a guest ship. This data never leaves your browser except when it is sent to our servers to start or continue your game.

Notifications. If you allow notifications from the Service, your browser gives us a push address for that browser: a web link issued by your browser’s own push service, plus the keys needed to encrypt a message to it. We store it with your browser type and, when you are signed in with Google, the in-game account you are playing on that browser. We use it to tell you when one of your bases is destroyed while you are away (at most one such message a day) and, occasionally, about a notable update. Guest players are never linked to an account. We delete a push address as soon as the push service tells us it is no longer valid, and you can turn notifications off at any time in your browser’s site settings.

• To operate the game (matchmaking-free persistent world, faction routing, leaderboards, daily winner announcements).
• To enforce game rules and security (detecting cheating, abuse, account-sharing).
• To provide customer support and respond to inquiries.
• To process subscription payments and refunds.
• To display relevant advertising to free users via Google AdSense.
• To analyze aggregate gameplay patterns and improve the Service.
• To comply with legal obligations.

First-party storage. The Service uses browser localStorage and sessionStorage for client-side preferences and guest sessions (described above). Guest play does not set a cookie.

First-party referral cookie. Outside the regions listed under “Consent” below, the Service sets one first-party cookie recording (a) a randomly generated identifier that is not linked to your name, email address or any other personal information, and (b) the website or platform you arrived from — for example a search engine, a social network, or a direct visit. We use it for two purposes only: to understand which channels bring players to the game, and to avoid miscounting a single visit as two when you return from the Google sign-in screen. It is not used for advertising, is not personalized, is never combined with advertising identifiers, and is not shared with or sold to anyone. It expires after one year, and you can delete it at any time by clearing site data in your browser. We do not set it, and do not record any identifier for you, if you visit from the regions listed below.

Third-party advertising cookies. Google AdSense and its advertising partners may set cookies in your browser to serve and personalize ads, measure ad performance, and prevent fraud. Some of these cookies may also be used for ad personalization across other Google services and partner sites.

Authentication and payment cookies. The Service sets a short-lived first-party cookie during Google sign-in to complete the sign-in you requested. Google sets cookies during the OAuth sign-in flow. Stripe sets cookies during checkout. Both third parties operate under their own privacy policies.

Consent. If you visit from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, a Google-operated Consent Management Platform (CMP) will request your consent for personalized advertising and related data uses before non-essential cookies are set. You may withdraw or change your consent at any time with the Privacy and Cookie Settings button in the in-game Settings screen, which re-opens the CMP, or by clearing site data in your browser. In those regions the first-party referral cookie described above is not set at all, and no identifier for your device is stored or read. We still keep an anonymous count of how many visits arrive from each channel each day; that count is held on our servers, contains no identifier, and cannot be traced back to an individual visitor.

The Service relies on the following third parties. Each operates under its own privacy policy:

• Google AdSense — serves and personalizes advertisements to free users. Google Privacy Policy · Google Advertising Policies.
• Google OAuth (Sign-In) — authenticates accounts. Same Google Privacy Policy as above.
• Stripe — processes subscription payments. Subscriptions are currently offered to US residents only. Stripe Privacy Policy.
• Microsoft Azure — cloud infrastructure where game state and account records are stored. Microsoft Privacy Statement.
• Discord — we publish a daily State of the Universe board (ship name, faction, level, score, and galaxy) to our Discord server, and we post our release notes there. We do not transmit personal account data such as email addresses to Discord.

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

Free users see advertisements served by Google AdSense. Google and its partners may use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings, or opt out of third-party-vendor cookie use by visiting aboutads.info or youronlinechoices.eu.

Subscribers do not see advertisements and no advertising cookies are set by us during a subscription session.

The Service is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete that information promptly. Guest play collects no name, email address, or other contact information. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided personal information should contact us using the contact channels below.

European Economic Area, UK, and Switzerland (GDPR / UK GDPR). You have the right to access, correct, delete, or port the personal information we hold about you, to restrict or object to processing, and to withdraw consent at any time. You may also lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the channels below.

California (CCPA / CPRA). California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete it, the right to correct inaccurate information, and the right to opt out of any “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. We do not sell personal information for monetary consideration. Use of advertising cookies served via Google AdSense may qualify as “sharing” under California law; California residents may opt out of personalized advertising via the Google Ads Settings link above. You will not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.

All users. You may close your account and request deletion of your gameplay record at any time by contacting us via Discord or X (links below). Deletion requests are processed within 30 days.

Account and gameplay records are retained while the account is active and for a reasonable period afterwards to support analytics, leaderboard history, and dispute resolution. A guest record that is not saved to a Google account is deleted after the guest session has expired and nothing the guest built remains in the game world. Subscription billing records are retained for the period required by applicable tax and accounting laws. Browser local-storage data is retained until you clear it or sign out (sign-out clears the per-session preference subset described above).

The Service is served exclusively over HTTPS. Sign-in uses Google OAuth so we never see your credentials. Webhook integrations are signature-verified. We use commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information, but no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

The Service is operated from the United States. Personal information is stored on Microsoft Azure infrastructure. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using the Service from outside the United States you consent to that transfer.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be highlighted on the Service. Continued use of the Service after a change constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Sandbox Studios LLC
“Where your game is never over”

For privacy questions, deletion requests, or to exercise any of the rights described above, reach us via:

• Discord — Join our server
• X / Twitter — @Sand_Box_Studio