Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Chess-Tickle. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This policy explains how we look after your personal data when you use our application, and tells you about your privacy rights.

2. Data We Collect

• Authentication Data: you are signed in anonymously. We receive an account identifier that is not tied to your name, and we never receive an email address.
• Gameplay Data: game states, moves, power-up usage and matchmaking data are stored in Firebase Realtime Database to support online multiplayer.
• Crash Reports & Performance Data: if the app crashes or runs slowly, Firebase Crashlytics and Firebase Performance Monitoring collect the crash details, the device model and Android version, and timing information about how the app ran. This is how we find faults we cannot reproduce ourselves.
• Advertising ID: Google Analytics for Firebase, which we use to understand how the app is used, has access to your device's advertising identifier. Google AdMob, which serves the banner advert shown when a match ends, may also use it to deliver and measure adverts. You can reset it, or opt out of personalised advertising, in your Android settings under Privacy › Ads.
• Advertising: the app shows a single banner advert on the screen that appears when a match finishes. We do not send AdMob your name, your email address or anything you do in a game. If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom you are asked to consent before any advert is requested, and nothing is requested if you decline.

3. How We Use Your Data

• To authenticate you and maintain your session.
• To match you with other players for online games.
• To synchronise game state between devices in real time.

We do not sell, rent or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

4. What Other Players Can See

Online play is not anonymous. When you host or join a match, this is written to the shared game room and is visible to the other player, and to anyone browsing the list of open games:

• Your display name - your Play Games gamer tag, or "Guest Player" if you do not have one. No email address is collected, stored or shown.
• An account identifier for you and your opponent, which the game uses to make sure only the two of you can play moves into your match.
• The game itself - every move, power-up and the result.

Offline play against the computer sends nothing to us at all.

5. How Long We Keep It

A game room exists only while the game does. It is deleted when either player leaves, when the match ends, or if the connection drops. A room advertisement stops being listed once someone joins, and is removed automatically after about twenty minutes if nobody does. We do not keep a history of games you have played.

6. Third-Party Services

• Google Play Services — authentication
• Google Firebase — real-time database and analytics
• Firebase Crashlytics — crash reporting
• Firebase Performance Monitoring — performance diagnostics
• Google AdMob — the banner advert shown when a match ends

7. Data Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal data. To delete your account and all associated gameplay data, contact us at the address below.

8. Age Requirement

Chess-Tickle is intended for players aged 13 and over. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, contact us at the address below and we will delete it.

9. Contact Us