Aether & AshF O R G E Game website

Aether & Ash Forge

Privacy Policy

Effective and last updated:

This policy explains how Aether & Ash Forge (the developer and publisher, “we,” “us,” or “our”) handles information in the Aether & Ash Forge Android game, its browser edition, and this game website. The Android package is com.aetherash.game.

Privacy questions or deletion requestsofficial.aetherashsupport@gmail.com

1. Information used by the game

You do not need to create an Aether & Ash Forge online account to play. Choose Play on this device to keep your game progress and player profile choices locally. In the updated Android preview, you can instead choose optional Google or Facebook sign-in and cloud backup as described in section 10. Signing in alone does not replace a journal or automatically upload it before you choose how to use your saves.

  • Game saves: discoveries, crafting results, quest and tutorial progress, journal entries, badges, stored items, and game preferences.
  • Optional player profile: your chosen display name, character identity and ancestry/species selections, and selected portrait. These are game character choices, not a request for your legal name, age, or real ancestry. You may use a nickname.
  • Guild data: collection progress, earned appearances and frames, and related local preferences.
  • Support drafts: the topic, subject, message, and optional reply email you enter in the Android support form.

The Android edition uses app storage and can keep a previous local save as a backup. The browser edition uses your browser’s local storage. Your device, operating system, or browser may make its own backups according to your settings and its provider’s policies.

If you choose Save transfer or Copy message, the selected save or message is copied to your device clipboard. A transferred save can include your player profile and progress. You control where you paste or share it; do not share a save publicly if it contains information you want to keep private.

2. Support and feedback you choose to send

Saving a draft in the game does not send it to us. The Android support form opens your email application so you can review and send a message yourself, or lets you copy the message. A composed message includes the game version, topic, subject, message, and any optional reply email you entered.

If you email us, we receive your sender address, message, and any attachments or other information you choose to include. We use that information to respond, investigate bugs, consider feedback, and maintain a record of the request. Our support mailbox is hosted by Google/Gmail, and your email provider also handles messages you send.

Please do not send passwords, payment card numbers, identification documents, or other sensitive information. Screenshots and save files are optional; check their contents before sharing them.

3. Optional purchases and subscriptions

Guild subscription checkout and its verification service are not enabled in the current preview. Viewing a store preview does not charge you or send a purchase receipt to our server. Browser previews cannot process Google Play payments.

When Android purchases are made available, Google Play will handle checkout and payment information. We do not receive your full payment card details. Purchase verification may use a Google Play purchase token, product identifier, app package, purchase/subscription status, expiry, and a membership identifier to confirm or restore access and prevent fraud. Such verification will involve Google Play and the service provider hosting the verification system.

We will update this policy before activating a purchase verification service, including its actual data handling and retention practices. Google separately maintains its payment and transaction records. Canceling a subscription, deleting game progress, and deleting a Google purchase record are separate actions; manage subscriptions in Google Play.

4. Website, technical information, and service providers

The main website at aetherashforge.com uses Namecheap web hosting. A copy of the website may also be available at its original OpenAI Sites address through OpenAI and Cloudflare infrastructure. Serving and securing an internet page involves providers processing connection information such as an IP address, requested page, request time, referring page when supplied, and browser or device information. Those providers may use essential cookies or similar technology for security, authentication where applicable, and service operation under their own policies.

We use the hosting account's private AWStats reports to understand visits and which pages are useful. These reports are generated from the web server's access logs; they do not require an advertising pixel or analytics cookies on the website. The logs contain connection information, including IP addresses, request times, requested URLs, browser information, and referring pages when supplied. Visit and unique-visitor totals are estimates and can include automated traffic. Access to the reports is restricted to the hosting account. Logs and reports follow the hosting provider's storage, retention, and security settings.

SiteLock provides website security scanning and, where configured, website file backups and malware cleanup. It processes our public website address and the website files it accesses for those services. This static website does not store game cloud saves, player passwords, support messages, or a player database in its website files. SiteLock's access is used for website protection and recovery.

We have not added advertising trackers, cross-site marketing analytics, a newsletter signup, or a player account system to this website. Website fonts, images, and the gameplay videos are served with the site rather than through an embedded social media player.

The Android game is built with Unity. We have not enabled Unity advertising, cloud save, or game analytics services in this edition. Unity, Android, Google Play, your browser, and your email service may separately process technical or diagnostic information when you use their services, according to their settings and policies. This policy does not replace their privacy notices.

Providers may process information in countries other than your own. Their notices explain their locations, safeguards, and privacy choices. Opening an external link or sending an email brings you to a service governed by that provider’s policy.

5. How information is used and shared

Local game information is used to run the game, remember your choices, and restore your progress on that device. Optional account information and uploaded journals are used to provide sign-in, cloud backup, restore, account linking, and security as described in section 10. Information you send us is used for support, troubleshooting, security, and handling your requests.

We do not sell or rent your personal information, use it for targeted advertising, or provide local game saves to advertisers. The current game does not include advertising or public player profiles. We do not request access to your contacts, precise location, camera, or microphone for gameplay.

Before activating advertising in a future release, we will update this policy and the Google Play declarations as needed to explain the advertising providers, data handling, and available privacy choices.

Information may be processed by the types of providers described above when needed to deliver the website, handle email, operate platform services, or provide purchases when enabled. We may also disclose information we hold if required by law, to respond to a valid legal request, or when reasonably necessary to protect users, our services, or legal rights. We do not automatically send your ordinary game progress or profile to these providers as a support attachment.

6. Retention, resetting, and deletion

Local game information remains on your device until replaced or removed. Reset Game Progress / Start a new journal restarts game discoveries and story progression, but is not a complete personal-data deletion tool: profile choices, some preferences, earned Guild appearances, support drafts, and a previous local save may remain.

To remove all local Android game data, use your device’s app settings to clear storage for Aether & Ash Forge. For the browser game, clear its site data in the browser. These actions can permanently remove progress and locally earned rewards. Device or browser backups and save files you exported must be removed separately using the relevant provider’s controls. Clearing local data does not cancel a Google Play subscription.

Support correspondence is kept only as long as reasonably needed to resolve your request, follow up, investigate related problems, or meet legal and security obligations. You can ask us to delete it by emailing the address below. We will delete information we control unless keeping it is required or otherwise permitted by applicable law, and explain any relevant limitation.

Provider records, including hosting/security logs, email copies, operating system backups, and Google transaction records, follow the relevant provider’s retention and deletion policies. We cannot erase copies controlled only by those providers or copies you shared with someone else.

7. Keeping information secure

We limit the information our game needs, keep a local copy of progress in app/browser storage, and use HTTPS for the hosted website and configured authentication and cloud-save connections. Cloud save access rules restrict game save documents to the signed-in account that owns them. Access to support correspondence is limited to handling support and related operational needs. Your device security and backup settings also help protect your saves.

For Android cloud-service security, the game uses Firebase App Check with Google Play Integrity. These checks send Google/Firebase request information, app metadata (package name, version, and signing certificate), Google Play license status, and device attestation material, including tokens and certificates. This information helps check app and device integrity and prevent abuse. We do not use it for targeted advertising. During current testing, enforcement is off: we monitor the checks without blocking legitimate play if a check is unavailable or unsuccessful. Local play does not require a cloud account or cloud backup.

Firebase states that App Check does not retain attestation material; its tokens expire and follow its published retention rules. Google states that Play Integrity data is deleted after a fixed retention period. See Firebase privacy and retention information and Play Integrity data handling for provider details.

No storage or transmission method can be guaranteed completely secure. If you believe information shared with us has been compromised, contact us. Never send us a password or an unredacted payment receipt containing sensitive financial details.

8. Children’s privacy

The game does not require a date of birth, legal name, or contact information to play. Character labels and portraits describe fictional player choices. We do not knowingly collect children’s personal information for advertising or marketing.

A parent or guardian who believes a child has sent personal information to our support address can contact us to request review and deletion. Children should ask a parent or guardian before sending an email, sharing a save or screenshot, or making a purchase through a platform account.

9. Your privacy choices and requests

You can use a nickname, omit optional profile or support fields, avoid sending feedback, delete local data as described above, and manage backups or platform privacy options in your device and service settings.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, receive a copy of, delete, restrict, or object to certain uses of personal information we hold, and to raise a concern with a privacy regulator. Email us with your request. We may ask for limited information to confirm you are entitled to access the relevant correspondence; please do not send identity documents unless a secure and necessary method has been agreed.

We cannot remotely inspect or recover a save that exists only on your device. If you use an optional online game account, you can delete it and its cloud journals through the Android account controls or request help through Account deletion help.

10. Optional accounts and cloud saves

Availability: the updated Android preview offers optional Google sign-in and cloud saving through Cloud Save & Account. Facebook sign-in is limited to Meta-authorized development users while public access awaits the required Meta verification and review. Older previews may not include these account controls. Browser cloud sign-in is not currently available. Play on this device remains available without an online game account.

Google or Facebook authenticates your chosen account and Firebase Authentication provides a game account identifier. Google sign-in can supply provider identifiers and basic profile details such as your display name, email, or profile image. The Android Facebook integration requests public_profile only, which can supply your app-specific identifier and public profile details; it does not request Facebook email permission. Firebase may store the information supplied by the selected provider. We do not receive your Google or Facebook password. The game does not request contacts, friends, calendars, or permission to post to your social account.

Choosing cloud backup uploads your game save, optional game profile choices, settings, and earned Guild journal/rewards to Cloud Firestore under your game account identifier. Each record includes a save revision, save time, and edition identifier. Later backups can update that cloud journal after you have accepted the save choice. Android and browser journals have separate reserved slots and do not automatically transfer progress between editions; browser cloud saving remains unavailable. Account linking can associate Google and Facebook with the same game account; it does not automatically merge unrelated accounts or journals. Provider sign-in and a saved membership ledger identifier do not prove ownership of a paid subscription.

On Android, the game keeps access credentials in memory and stores a refresh credential using Android Keystore encryption in private storage excluded from device backup. You can sign out to remove the current sign-in session and return to local play. Local recovery copies are kept before replacing journals; remove those separately when clearing device data.

Cloud account and save information is used to authenticate, back up, restore, link sign-in methods, resolve conflicting saves, and handle deletion/security requests. It is processed by Google/Firebase and the selected sign-in provider. Authentication providers also process connection information such as IP addresses and device or user-agent information to operate sign-in and prevent abuse. We do not use this account data for advertising or marketing analytics.

We retain cloud account and save information until you delete it or it is no longer needed for these purposes, subject to necessary legal/security retention and provider-managed backups. Firebase states that logged authentication IP addresses are retained for a few weeks and that other authentication data is removed from its live and backup systems within 180 days after account deletion is initiated. See Firebase privacy information and Meta Privacy Policy for provider processing and retention.

You can request deletion through Account deletion help without logging into this website. The updated Android preview also provides an in-game account deletion flow with fresh sign-in confirmation. Deletion removes the Firebase game account and its two cloud journal slots; copies on other devices, exported backups, support correspondence, and Google purchase records require the separate steps described there. Deleting an account does not cancel a Google Play subscription.

11. Changes and privacy contact

We will revise this page when our practices change and update the date at the top. Material new collection or sharing will be explained before it begins, with additional notice or consent where required. The current policy will remain available at this URL.

Developer / publisher: Aether & Ash Forge
Privacy and support email: official.aetherashsupport@gmail.com

For a privacy request, use the subject “Aether & Ash Forge — Privacy” and tell us what you would like us to review. Do not include unnecessary sensitive information.