Pulling navigation, review, and archive signals into the cockpit.
PRIVACY POLICY
High Difficulty Pilot Program
Effective Date: May 2026 Version: 1.0 (Alpha)
1. Overview
High Difficulty (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights as a participant in the Alpha Pilot Program. By using our platform, you consent to the practices described here.
2. Data We Collect
2.1. Account Information
Email Address: Collected via Google OAuth for account creation and communication.
Display Name / Callsign: Your chosen pilot identifier, visible to other users.
Avatar Data: Your selected avatar configuration (image URL or custom settings).
Steam ID: Optional, collected via Steam OAuth if you choose to link your account.
2.2. Activity Data
Game Ratings & Reviews: Your submitted ratings, text reviews, and upvotes on other users’ reviews.
Playlists & Backlog: Games you add to your personal lists (backlog, wishlist, custom playlists).
Market Clicks: Interactions with game store affiliate links for analytics only.
Error Logs: Automatic crash reports and error events to improve stability.
System Info: Browser type, OS version, and screen resolution ( anonymized ).
3. How We Use Your Data
Platform Operation: To authenticate you, display your profile, and save your ratings and playlists.
Platform Improvement: To identify bugs, optimize performance, and prioritize features based on usage patterns.
Communication: To send critical updates about the Alpha program (only when necessary).
Analytics: Aggregated, anonymized data used to understand general platform health and user engagement.
We do not: Sell your personal data, use it for targeted advertising, or share it with third parties for their own purposes.
4. Data Sharing
We only share data with the following third-party services, strictly for operational purposes:
MongoDB Atlas: Cloud database hosting your account and activity data.
Vercel: Hosting provider for the web application.
Google / Steam: OAuth providers used solely for authentication.
Skimlinks: Affiliate link redirect service (click data only, anonymized).
All third-party providers are bound by their own privacy policies and data processing agreements.
5. Data Retention
Account Data: Retained as long as your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion.
Telemetry & Logs: Raw logs deleted within 7 days. Aggregated, anonymized insights retained for up to 12 months.
Ratings & Reviews: Retained indefinitely or until you delete them, unless the platform is discontinued.
6. Your Rights
As an Alpha participant, you have the right to:
Access: Download a copy of your personal data when signed in, or request one from support.
Correction: Update your profile information, callsign, or avatar at any time.
Deletion: Request complete deletion of your account and associated data.
Withdrawal: Leave the Alpha program at any time.
Data Rights Console
Download your data
Signed-in pilots can download a machine-readable JSON export of their profile, ratings, and playlists.
Sign in through your active pilot access session to enable self-service export.
Need deletion or a manual request instead? Email support below.
Signed-in pilots can also open the Hangar privacy console to request account deletion without hunting through policy copy. For manual help, contact us at high.difficulty.games@gmail.com.
7. Security
All data transmitted over TLS 1.3 (HTTPS).
Data at rest encrypted using AES-256 (via MongoDB Atlas).
Access to raw databases restricted to authorized engineering personnel only.
While we take security seriously, no system is 100% secure. We will notify you promptly in the event of a data breach.
8. Children’s Privacy
High Difficulty is not intended for users under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.
9. Changes to This Policy
As an evolving Alpha platform, this policy may change. We will notify you of material changes via email or a prominent notice on the platform. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.