Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 13, 2026

Shadow Step Games ("we", "us", or "our") operates mobile applications including Zen Breaker and Zen Hexagon (collectively, "our Games"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information when you use our Games. By downloading, installing, or using any of our Games, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We do not require you to create an account or provide any personal information such as your name, email address, or phone number to use our Games. However, certain information is collected automatically through our Games and through third-party services integrated into them.

1.1 Information Collected Automatically

When you use our Games, the following types of data may be collected automatically:

• Device and Other Identifiers: Advertising identifiers (such as the Google Advertising ID), app instance identifiers, device model, operating system version, and other device-level identifiers. These are collected by third-party advertising and analytics services.
• App Interactions: Information about how you interact with our Games, such as levels played, features used, session duration, and in-game events (such as level completions and power-up usage). This data is collected for analytics and advertising purposes.
• Crash Logs: Information about app crashes and errors, including stack traces, device state at the time of the crash, and app version. This data is collected automatically to help us identify and fix issues.
• Diagnostics: Performance data such as app load times, rendering performance, and error information. This data is collected for analytics and advertising purposes.
• Purchase History: Records of in-app purchases made through Google Play (such as the "Remove Ads" purchase). This data is collected solely for app functionality and is not shared with third parties beyond Google Play's billing infrastructure.

1.2 Information Stored Locally

The following information is stored only on your device and is not transmitted to us or any third party:

• Game progress (level completion status, best times, scores)
• Game settings and preferences (visual effects, audio, language)
• Power-up upgrade selections and ability points
• Ad display preferences

2. How We Use Information

We use the information described above for the following purposes:

• Advertising: To display advertisements within our Games, including banner ads, interstitial video ads, and rewarded ads. App interaction data, diagnostics, and device identifiers are used to deliver and measure the effectiveness of advertisements.
• Analytics: To understand how users interact with our Games, including which features and levels are most used, how long users spend playing, and general usage patterns. This helps us improve the user experience and prioritise future development.
• App Functionality: To process in-app purchases (such as removing advertisements) and to ensure our Games operate correctly on your device.
• Crash Reporting and Performance: To collect crash logs and performance data that help us identify, diagnose, and fix bugs and technical issues.

3. Data Sharing and Third-Party Services

We do not sell your personal data. However, certain data is shared with third-party service providers that are integrated into our Games. These providers have their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them.

3.1 Firebase Analytics

We use Firebase Analytics (by Google) to collect anonymous usage data, including app interaction events, session information, and device information. This data helps us understand how our Games are used and how we can improve them. Firebase Analytics does not collect personally identifiable information.

Firebase Privacy Policy: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

3.2 Firebase Crashlytics

We use Firebase Crashlytics (by Google) to collect crash reports and diagnostic data. This includes crash stack traces, device state information, and app version details. This data helps us identify and fix bugs to improve app stability.

Firebase Privacy Policy: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

3.3 Google AdMob

We use Google AdMob to display banner, interstitial, and rewarded advertisements within our Games. AdMob may collect and process device identifiers, app interaction data, and diagnostics for the purpose of serving and measuring advertisements. AdMob partners with a network of third-party ad technology providers that may also receive this data in order to deliver advertising.

Google AdMob Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

A full list of Google's certified ad technology providers is maintained by Google and available at: https://support.google.com/admob/answer/9012903

3.4 Google Play Billing

We use Google Play Billing to process in-app purchases. Purchase history is managed by Google Play and is subject to Google's privacy practices.

Google Play Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

3.5 Google Play Services

Our Games utilise Google Play Services for core functionality, including advertising services and billing infrastructure.

4. Data Collection and User Control

4.1 Required Data Collection

The data types listed in Section 1.1 are required for our Games to function as intended, particularly for delivering advertisements and processing in-app purchases. This data collection cannot be individually disabled within our Games.

4.2 Opting Out of Personalised Advertising

You can limit personalised advertising by adjusting your device settings:

• On Android, go to Settings > Google > Ads and enable "Opt out of Ads Personalisation" or "Delete advertising ID".

Please note that opting out of personalised ads does not eliminate advertisements; you will still see ads, but they may be less relevant to you.

4.3 Removing Advertisements

You may purchase the "Remove Ads" option within our Games to eliminate banner and interstitial advertisements entirely. This also stops the associated data collection by Google AdMob for those ad formats. Note that rewarded advertisements (which the player voluntarily chooses to watch in exchange for in-game rewards) remain available even after the "Remove Ads" purchase. Analytics and crash reporting data collection (via Firebase Analytics and Firebase Crashlytics) will continue to help us improve our Games.

5. Data Security and Encryption

All data transmitted from our Games is encrypted in transit using industry-standard protocols (such as HTTPS/TLS). Locally stored data (game progress, settings, and preferences) resides in your device's private application storage, which is protected by the Android operating system's sandboxing mechanisms.

While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

Locally stored game data (progress, settings, preferences) remains on your device until you uninstall the relevant Game or clear the app's data through your device settings.

Data collected by third-party services (Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, and Google AdMob) is retained in accordance with their respective data retention policies. Please refer to their privacy policies linked in Section 3 for details.

7. Data Deletion

Because our Games do not require account creation and do not store personal data on our servers, there is no user account or server-side data to delete. To remove all locally stored game data, you can:

• Uninstall the Game from your device, or
• Clear the Game's data through your device's application settings (Settings > Apps > [Game Name] > Storage > Clear Data).

To manage data held by third-party advertising services, please refer to the opt-out and data management options described in Section 4.2 and the privacy policies of those services.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Games are not directed at children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided personal information through our Games, please contact us at the address below and we will take steps to remove such information promptly.

9. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your data. In addition to the device-level and in-game controls described in Section 4, the rights below may apply to you.

9.1 European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and Switzerland (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you may have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing of, or port your personal data, as well as the right to object to processing and the right to withdraw consent at any time. Since we do not collect personal data on our servers, these rights primarily apply to data held by the third-party services listed in Section 3.

In-app consent banner: On first launch, users in these regions are shown a consent banner where you can choose whether to allow personalised advertising. You can change your choice at any time by opening the in-game settings menu and selecting "Privacy Options". This banner is provided by Google's User Messaging Platform and satisfies the consent requirements of the GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive, and the UK Data Protection Act 2018.

9.2 United States State Privacy Laws

If you are a resident of a U.S. state with a comprehensive consumer privacy law — including California (CCPA/CPRA), Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), Utah (UCPA), Texas (TDPSA), Oregon (OCPA), Montana (MTCDPA), Delaware (DPDPA), Iowa (ICDPA), New Hampshire, New Jersey, Minnesota, Maryland, Tennessee, or any other state with a similar law — you may have the right to:

• Know what categories of personal information we collect about you;
• Request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information;
• Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information, and opt out of processing for targeted advertising or certain profiling activities;
• Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

We do not sell personal information for monetary consideration. However, the use of advertising identifiers and related data by our ad partners to deliver interest-based advertising may qualify as a "sale" or "sharing" under certain state laws.

Opting out: To opt out of targeted advertising and the sharing of personal information for advertising purposes, you can:

• Use the "Privacy Options" / opt-out banner provided inside the Game (shown to users in applicable U.S. states on first launch, and also accessible from the in-game settings menu);
• Enable "Opt out of Ads Personalisation" in your Android device settings (Settings > Google > Ads), or delete your advertising ID; and
• Purchase the "Remove Ads" option within the Game to stop banner and interstitial advertising entirely.

To exercise other applicable rights (such as access, correction, or deletion), please contact us using the information in Section 12.

9.3 Other Jurisdictions

If you are located in a jurisdiction with applicable data protection laws not listed above (such as Brazil under the LGPD, Canada under PIPEDA, or Australia under the Privacy Act), you may have additional rights. Please contact us for more information.

10. International Data Transfers

The third-party services used by our Games (Google AdMob, Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, and Google Play Services) may transfer data to servers located outside your country of residence, including to the United States. These transfers are governed by the respective privacy policies and data protection practices of those providers.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our Games after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

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

Shadow Step Games
Email: contact@shadowstepgames.com