Privacy Policy

1. About this policy

This policy covers Depthworks on Android and iOS, other versions of the game where available, and this support website. The developer and data controller is Theodor Hartleitner, operating as FindusLab, based in Austria. In this policy, “FindusLab” and “we” refer to this operator, who is responsible for the personal data processed in connection with the game and support.

For privacy questions or requests, contact findus.lab@gmail.com.

The game does not require an account and has no player profiles, online leaderboards, or developer-operated cloud save service. FindusLab does not operate a server that automatically receives your game saves or gameplay history.

2. Data stored on your device

Depthworks stores your game progress, excavated terrain, upgrades, discoveries, tutorial progress, preferences, and temporary boost state locally so you can resume your expedition. Save files may include a previous local snapshot for recovery. Browser versions use the browser's local storage.

Development and test builds also keep local progression and performance logs. These may contain a run identifier, timestamps, gameplay events, device or browser information, frame timing, and memory or CPU measurements. They are not automatically uploaded. If you choose to export or send a log, its contents are shared with the destination you select.

The app does not request access to your contacts, camera, microphone, photos, or precise GPS location. Your operating system may separately back up app data according to your device and backup settings.

3. Optional rewarded advertising

The Android and iOS versions use Google AdMob (Google Mobile Ads SDK) for optional rewarded ads and Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) to manage advertising consent. You can play without watching rewarded ads. The game awards a temporary digging bonus when the advertising SDK confirms that a reward has been earned.

Advertising and consent services can process data when their features are used, including:

• Your IP address, which can be used to infer an approximate location.
• Device and app information and identifiers, such as an Android advertising ID, app set ID, or identifiers available on iOS subject to platform permissions.
• Ad requests, impressions, video views, taps, other interactions, and advertising consent choices.
• Diagnostic and performance information, such as crash information, launch time, hangs, and energy use.

Google and advertising partners use this information to deliver and measure ads, provide advertising-related analytics, maintain their services, and prevent fraud and abuse. Advertising may be personalized where permitted and consented to. Data collected depends on your platform, permissions, consent, and ad configuration. Declining to watch an ad does not prevent all network requests by consent services.

Recipients can include Google and the advertising partners identified in the consent message or its partner list. FindusLab does not send your saved terrain or detailed local progression logs to AdMob. There is no separate analytics or crash-reporting SDK added by FindusLab; the advertising SDK's own collection still applies.

See Google's Privacy Policy and how Google uses information from apps that use its services. Google's SDK disclosures describe data handling on Android and iOS.

4. Consent and your choices

Where required, including in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and Switzerland, the app asks for your advertising privacy choices through Google's consent message before requesting ads that require those choices. You can consent, decline, or manage individual options.

When Google requires a privacy entry point, you can revisit or withdraw consent using Settings → Ad privacy options in the game. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of earlier processing. Depending on your choices and Google's availability, limited ads may still be possible or a rewarded ad may be unavailable. The core game remains playable.

You can also use your device's advertising and privacy settings to reset or delete an advertising identifier or restrict tracking where those controls are available. Advertising consent does not replace any separate permission required by your operating system.

5. When you contact us

If you email FindusLab, we receive your email address, message, and any information or attachments you choose to provide. We use them to respond, investigate a problem, and handle your request. Please include only information relevant to your issue.

Our support mailbox uses Gmail, so Google also processes email data as the email provider. Support correspondence is not used to build an advertising profile or added to a marketing mailing list.

6. This support website

This website is hosted on GitHub Pages. To deliver and secure the site, GitHub can process technical request data such as your IP address, browser or device information, request time, and pages requested. See GitHub's Privacy Statement.

FindusLab does not add advertising, analytics scripts, tracking cookies, embedded social media, or externally hosted fonts to this website. Following an external link opens a service governed by that service's privacy policy.

Google Play and Apple's App Store separately process downloads, store interactions, and any store-managed data under their own privacy policies. This policy describes Depthworks and this support website.

7. Purposes and legal bases

Where the GDPR applies to personal data processed by FindusLab, the relevant legal bases are:

• Providing the game you request: performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)), where processing is necessary to provide that service.
• Consent-based advertising and device storage: your consent (Article 6(1)(a)), wherever consent is required. Refusing consent is not overridden by a claim of legitimate interest.
• Support, troubleshooting, and service security: our legitimate interests in answering requests and keeping the game and support services reliable (Article 6(1)(f)), subject to your rights. Requests necessary to provide the agreed service may instead rely on Article 6(1)(b).
• Meeting legal obligations: Article 6(1)(c), when applicable.

Google, its advertising partners, and GitHub explain the legal bases for their own processing in their privacy notices and, where applicable, the consent message.

8. Retention, deletion, and security

Local saves and settings remain until they are overwritten or you remove the relevant app or browser data. Reset Game starts a new expedition and retains settings; it is not a command to erase all stored data or advertising consent. To remove all local app data, use Android's app storage controls or delete the app on iOS rather than merely offloading it. For a browser version, clear the site's stored data. Any operating-system backups must be managed separately.

We keep support messages only as long as needed to resolve your request, deal with follow-up issues or disputes, and meet applicable legal obligations. You can request deletion by email. Google, advertising partners, and GitHub determine retention for the data they process under their own policies; removing the game does not automatically delete that data.

Local game data uses the app's storage area or the browser's storage protections and is not separately encrypted by FindusLab. Google's Mobile Ads SDK encrypts transmitted user data using TLS. We use HTTPS for this website and restrict access to our support mailbox. No storage or transmission method can guarantee absolute security. Service providers must protect personal data as required by applicable law and their contractual obligations.

9. International data transfers

Google, advertising partners, and GitHub may process data in countries outside your own, including the United States. Their privacy notices explain applicable safeguards, which can include adequacy decisions, the EU–US Data Privacy Framework for participating organizations, or standard contractual clauses. See Google's transfer safeguards and the international transfers section of GitHub's Privacy Statement.

10. Your privacy rights

Depending on your location and the applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain a portable copy of personal data, restrict processing, object to processing based on legitimate interests, and withdraw consent.

Contact findus.lab@gmail.com to exercise rights concerning data held by FindusLab. We may need reasonable information to verify a request. We cannot retrieve a game save that exists only on your device. For data controlled by Google, an advertising partner, or GitHub, you can also use that provider's privacy request mechanisms.

You can complain to your local data protection authority. In Austria, this is the Österreichische Datenschutzbehörde.

11. Children

Depthworks is intended for a general audience and is not specifically directed at children. We do not ask children to provide personal information to play. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action, including deletion where required.

12. Changes and contact

We may update this policy when the game, its services, or legal requirements change. The current version will be available at this URL with an updated date. Where required, material changes will be brought to your attention or new consent will be requested.