Privacy policy

The short version: Alchemons plays offline, and your game lives on your device. We only collect information when you choose to create an account, add friends, make a purchase or join the waitlist. The iOS and Android apps show no ads and use no advertising or analytics trackers. The browser version is free and shows ads from Google (see Ads in the browser version). We don't sell your information.

Information on your device

Your collection, progress and settings are stored locally on your device. If you allow notifications, reminders (for example, when something you started has finished) are scheduled on your device; no server sends them. If the game uses your device's motion sensors for visual effects, that data stays on the device and is never recorded or sent anywhere. In the browser version, the same game data is kept in your browser's storage for this site; clearing your browser data deletes it unless you have an account.

If you create an account

An account is optional. It enables cloud saves and moving your game to a new device. If you create one, we store:

• your email address, display name and a securely hashed password (handled by Google Firebase Authentication);
• a copy of your save data, so it can be restored on another device;
• an identifier for the device that currently holds your active session, and records of device transfers you start.

We use this information only to run your account, sync your save and secure transfers. You can delete your account at any time in the game, under Profile → Account. That also deletes your cloud save, your session and your transfer records; purchase records are kept (see How long we keep it).

If you add friends or trade

Friends and trading need an account. Nothing is shared until you first open Friends in the game. From then on, we store a friend code for you and publish a small profile that only your friends can read: your display name, faction, friend code, home planet, the title you wear, your featured Alchemon, and a copy of your home realm so they can visit it.

• While the game is open, it records every few minutes that you're playing, so your friends see a green dot by your name, or when you were last seen.
• We store your friend list, the friend requests you send and receive, the players you block, and any report you make about another player (who it's about and the reason you picked).
• Your best survival run (the wave you reached, your score and the team you took) is shown to your friends.
• When you race or battle a friend live, we keep a shared room for the match: each player's display name, the Alchemons they bring, and the taps and moves that keep both games in step. The host's game deletes the room when they leave it.
• When you trade, we store the trade table you share with that friend: the Alchemon each of you puts up and its details, both confirmations and the result. An Alchemon you receive records who it came from. We also keep a count of your trades this week, since each player has three.

We use this only to run friends, trading and live matches, and to review reports. Deleting your account removes your profile, friend code, home copy, best survival run, friend list and requests.

If you make a purchase

Purchases are processed by Apple's App Store or Google Play. We never see your payment card details. To deliver what you bought and prevent fraud, our server verifies each purchase receipt and records its transaction identifier, the item and your resulting entitlement.

If you join the waitlist

We store the email address you enter, the platform you pick and when you signed up. We use it for one purpose: to tell you when Alchemons is available. Your entry is stored under a one-way fingerprint of your email so a repeat signup doesn't create duplicates.

Ads in the browser version

The browser version at alchemons.com/play shows ads served by Google AdSense, beside the game, between screens and, if you choose, in exchange for in-game gold. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on those visits. Where the law requires it (for example in the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland), you are asked for consent first.

You can opt out of personalised advertising in Google's Ads Settings, and read how Google uses information from sites that use its services. The iOS and Android apps don't contain ads.

The website

The main site has no cookies, analytics or tracking scripts; the browser version's page loads Google's ad scripts as described above. It is served by Google Firebase Hosting and loads fonts from Google Fonts. Like any web server, they may briefly process your IP address and browser details to deliver the page. See Google's privacy policy.

Who processes your information

We use Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Cloud Functions and Hosting) to store and process the information above, Apple and Google to process purchases, and Google AdSense to serve ads in the browser version. We don't sell or rent personal information. We would only disclose it if required by law.

How long we keep it

Account and save data are kept while your account exists. Purchase records are kept as long as needed to honor your purchases and meet legal obligations. Waitlist entries are deleted once launch announcements are done, or sooner if you ask.

Your choices and rights

You can play without an account. You can remove or block a friend at any time in the game. You can ask us to access, correct, export or delete your account, save data, friends data or waitlist entry by emailing hello@alchemons.com. Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR or CCPA), you may have additional rights, and we will honor them.

Children

Alchemons is not directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from them. Children can play offline without creating an account. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

Security

Data is encrypted in transit. Access rules restrict account data to its owner, the profile you share with friends to your friends, and purchase records to our servers.

Changes

If this policy changes, we'll update it here and change the effective date above. For significant changes, we'll also tell you in the app.

Contact

hello@alchemons.com