Privacy Policy
Critter Combos ("the game") is made by BellHop Studios ("we", "us"). This policy explains what information is involved when you play the game on the website (critter-combos.bellhopstudios.com) or in the Android or iOS app.
The short version
- There are no accounts, and we never ask for your name, email or any other personal details.
- Your progress, best score and settings are saved only on your device. We don't receive them.
- The phone apps show ads from Google AdMob, and Google collects some device information to do that. You can limit this (see "Your choices").
- The Android app uses Google Analytics for Firebase to count things like levels played and hints used, so we can make the game better. It doesn't identify you by name.
- The website shows no ads and uses no analytics.
Information stored on your device
The game saves your current level, score, best score, free hints and settings (music, sound effects, volume and difficulty) in your device's local storage so you can pick up where you left off. This information stays on your device. It is never sent to us, and you can erase it by clearing the app's data, uninstalling the app, or clearing your browser's site data.
Advertising (Android and iOS apps only)
The apps use Google AdMob to show banner, full-screen and optional rewarded ads. Rewarded ads only play when you choose to watch one. To serve ads, measure them and prevent fraud, Google may collect:
| Information | Used for |
|---|---|
| Device advertising identifier (Android Advertising ID, or Apple's IDFA if you allow tracking) | Showing and measuring ads, and personalized ads where you have allowed them |
| IP address and approximate location (country or region worked out from the IP address) | Choosing ads that fit your region and applying privacy laws correctly |
| Device and app details (model, operating system, language, app version) | Making sure ads display correctly |
| Ad interactions (which ads were shown, tapped or watched) and crash or performance data from the ad software | Measuring and improving ads, and fraud prevention |
We don't receive this information in a form that identifies you. We only see combined reports, such as how many ads were shown. Google's use of this data is covered by Google's Privacy Policy and How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.
Game analytics (Android app)
The Android app uses Google Analytics for Firebase to show us, in combined reports, how the game is played: for example how many players reach each level, where levels get too hard, and how often hints or rewarded ads are used. To do that, Google may collect:
| Information | Used for |
|---|---|
| Game events: levels started, finished, failed or left, time left, stars, sets completed, hints and rewarded ads used, and your difficulty setting | Finding out which parts of the game work and which need fixing |
| App usage: first launch, sessions and screen time | Counting players and how many come back |
| A random app-instance ID, and the device advertising ID | Telling visits from the same app install apart in reports |
| Approximate location (country or region worked out from a shortened IP address), device model, operating system and app version | Splitting reports by country and device |
We only see combined statistics, never your name or contact details, and we don't use analytics to show you personalized ads. Analytics only starts after the consent pop-up described below has run, and if you are in a region where it applies, your choices there also apply to analytics. Google keeps this data for a limited period that we choose in our Analytics settings (no more than 14 months), under Google's Privacy Policy.
Your choices
- Consent pop-up: if you are in a region whose laws require it (such as the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland or certain US states), the app asks for your choices before ads or analytics start. You can change them at any time in Options → Privacy choices.
- iPhone and iPad: the app asks permission before using your device's advertising identifier. If you tap "Ask App Not to Track", ads are not personalized based on tracking. You can change this in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.
- Android: you can reset or delete your advertising ID in Settings → Google → Ads (or Settings → Privacy → Ads, depending on your device).
- You can also opt out of personalized Google ads at adssettings.google.com.
- If you choose not to allow personalized ads, you may still see ads, but they will be less relevant to you.
The website
The website is hosted by Vercel. Like most web hosts, Vercel automatically records standard technical information (such as IP address, browser type and the pages requested) to deliver the site and keep it secure. We don't use analytics, cookies or advertising on the website. When you install the website as an app, your browser stores a copy of the game so it can work offline.
Children
Critter Combos is a general-audience game and is not directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. The apps ask Google to show only ads rated suitable for general audiences. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the game, contact us and we will help remove it.
Your rights
Depending on where you live (for example, under the GDPR in Europe or the CCPA in California), you may have the right to access, delete or correct personal information, or to opt out of its "sale" or "sharing" for advertising. Because we don't collect or hold personal information ourselves, the quickest way to use these rights for ad data is through the choices above, or by contacting Google directly. You can also contact us and we'll help.
Security and retention
Game progress is kept on your device until you delete it. Ad data is kept by Google according to its own retention policies, and analytics data for the period described under "Game analytics". We don't keep any personal information about you.
Changes to this policy
If we change how the game handles information, we'll update this page and the effective date above. Significant changes will also be noted in the app's release notes.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your privacy: support@bellhopstudios.com