Privacy Policy – Games Afoot

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 11, 2026

Introduction

Welcome to Games Afoot, Inc. (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your information when you use our mobile applications and services.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Games Afoot applications:

goAgatha goWalkWise goSherlock

By using any of our apps, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our services.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information

When you create an account or use our apps, we collect:

  • Phone Number: Used as your primary account credential for secure SMS verification code authentication (required)
  • Email Address: Used for customer support, account recovery, and important service announcements (optional)
  • Display Name/Nickname: Your chosen name displayed to other players
  • Avatar/Profile Picture: Optional image you choose to represent yourself
  • User-Reported Step Average: Your estimated daily step count for personalized game difficulty scaling

1.2 Health and Activity Data

To provide our step-based gaming experiences, we collect:

  • Step Count Data: Real-time and historical step counts from your device’s physical sensors or health platforms (Apple HealthKit, Google Health Connect)
  • Physical Activity Data: Movement and walking activity detected by your device during active walking sessions
  • Daily Step Averages: Calculated from historical step data to customize daily fitness step goals

Real-Time Background Step Tracking (Foreground Service): When you start an active walking session in goSherlock, goAgatha, or goWalkWise, our apps utilize an Android Foreground Service accompanied by a persistent status notification in your device’s status bar. This enables the app to count your steps and update story narrative progression in real-time, even when your device screen is locked or the app is running in the background.

Non-Commercialization Guarantee: Health data accessed via Apple HealthKit or Google Health Connect is strictly used to calculate game difficulty, track step goals, and deliver core app features. Your health and activity data is never sold, shared with data brokers, or used for advertising or marketing purposes.

1.3 Game Progress and Statistics

  • Game completion status and achievements
  • Locations visited and clues discovered
  • Time spent playing and walking distances
  • Multiplayer game participation and scores
  • Leaderboard rankings and statistics

1.4 Device and Technical Information

  • Device type, model, and operating system version
  • App version and installation ID
  • Device language and timezone
  • IP address and general location (city/region level)
  • Crash reports and performance data

1.5 SMS Campaign Consent (Optional)

If you opt-in to receive SMS messages about game updates, events, and promotions, we will use your phone number to send these messages. You can opt-out at any time by replying STOP to any message.

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 To Provide and Improve Our Services

  • Authenticate your account and verify your identity via SMS code
  • Track your game progress and calculate step-based achievements
  • Personalize game difficulty based on your activity level
  • Enable multiplayer features and social interactions
  • Provide customer support and respond to your inquiries
  • Improve app performance, fix bugs, and develop new features

2.2 To Communicate With You

  • Send important notifications about your account or game progress
  • Provide customer support and respond to your requests
  • Send SMS messages about game updates and events (only if you opted-in)
  • Notify you of changes to our policies or services

2.3 To Ensure Safety and Security

  • Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents
  • Enforce our Terms of Service and community guidelines
  • Protect the rights and safety of our users

2.4 For Analytics and Research

  • Analyze app usage patterns and user behavior (aggregated and anonymized)
  • Conduct research to improve game design and user experience
  • Generate statistical reports and insights

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3.1 With Other Players (Limited)

  • Public Leaderboards: Your display name, avatar, and game statistics may appear on leaderboards
  • Multiplayer Games: Other players in your game can see your display name, avatar, and game progress
  • Step Data: Your actual step count is never shared with other players

3.2 With Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate our apps:

  • Firebase (Google): Cloud hosting, phone authentication, and database services
  • Twilio: SMS messaging services (only if you opted-in to SMS campaigns)
  • Apple and Google: App distribution, in-app purchases, and health data integration

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the services they provide to us.

3.3 For Legal Reasons

We may disclose your information if required by law or if we believe it is necessary to:

  • Comply with legal obligations, court orders, or government requests
  • Protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users
  • Investigate fraud, security issues, or violations of our Terms of Service

3.4 Business Transfers

If Games Afoot is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control.

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Where We Store Your Data

  • Cloud Storage: Account and game data are stored securely on Firebase (Google Cloud Platform)
  • Local Storage: Step data and game progress are cached on your device for offline access
  • Health Platforms: Step count data is accessed from Apple Health or Google Health Connect, which store data on your device

4.2 How We Protect Your Data

  • Industry-standard encryption for data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
  • Encrypted storage for sensitive data at rest
  • Secure authentication using Firebase Phone Authentication
  • Regular security audits and updates
  • Access controls and monitoring to prevent unauthorized access

Note: While we implement strong security measures, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

4.3 Data Retention

  • Active Accounts: We retain your data as long as your account is active
  • Inactive Accounts: Accounts inactive for 2+ years may be deleted after notice
  • Deleted Accounts: When you delete your account, we remove your personal data within 30 days (except as required by law)
  • Aggregated Data: Anonymized, aggregated statistics may be retained indefinitely for research and analytics

5. Your Rights and Choices

5.1 Access and Update Your Information

You can access and update your account information at any time through the app’s profile settings:

  • Change your display name, avatar, and email address
  • Update your step average and preferences
  • View your game progress and statistics

5.2 Delete Your Account

You have the right to delete your account and all associated data at any time.

  • In-App Deletion: Open the app and navigate to Settings → Account Management → Delete Account, then confirm your decision.
  • Web/Email Request: If you no longer have access to the app, you may request permanent deletion of your account and personal data by emailing us at support@gamesafoot.co with your verified phone number.
  • Your personal data will be completely purged within 30 days of receiving the request.

5.3 Opt-Out of Communications

  • SMS Messages: Reply STOP to any SMS message to unsubscribe from marketing messages
  • Push Notifications: Disable notifications in your device settings or app settings
  • Email: Click “unsubscribe” in any marketing email (you’ll still receive important account notifications)

5.4 Control Health Data Access

  • iOS: Manage permissions in Settings → Privacy & Security → Health → [App Name]
  • Android: Manage permissions in Health Connect settings
  • Revoking health data access will limit game functionality but won’t delete your account

5.5 Data Portability

You have the right to request a copy of your personal data in a portable format. Contact us at support@gamesafoot.co to request your data.

5.6 Your Privacy Rights (Regional)

Depending on your location, you may have additional rights:

  • GDPR (EU/UK): Right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection
  • CCPA (California): Right to know, delete, and opt-out of sale (we don’t sell your data)
  • Other Regions: Contact us to learn about your specific rights

6. Children’s Privacy

Age Requirement: You must be at least 13 years old to use our apps.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If we discover that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@gamesafoot.co.

7. Third-Party Links and Services

Our apps may contain links to third-party websites, services, or content. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

Third-Party Services We Use:

8. International Data Transfers

Games Afoot is based in the United States. Your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate.

By using our apps, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries outside your country of residence, which may have different data protection laws. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

When we make changes:

  • We will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy
  • For significant changes, we will notify you via email or in-app notification
  • Your continued use of our apps after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Questions About Privacy?

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Games Afoot, Inc.
Privacy Team
📧 support@gamesafoot.co

We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days.