Privacy Policy

This policy describes how MSO Games ("we", "us") collects, uses, and protects information when you use the MSO Games website (msogames.com) and the MSO Games applications, including MSO FreeCell Arena and MSO Minesweeper Arena on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS (collectively, the "Services").

If you have questions about this policy or your data, contact us at [email protected].

1. Information we collect

Account information

When you create an MSO Games account, we collect:

• Email address — used to log in, recover your password, and send service-related notifications
• Password — stored only as a salted scrypt hash (a computationally expensive key derivation function); we never see or store your plaintext password
• Display name — chosen by you, shown publicly on leaderboards and profile pages (you can change it at any time)
• Leaderboard visibility — a setting you control; if you opt out, your name doesn't appear on public rankings

Device identifier

Each device you use the apps on generates a random unique identifier (a UUID). This identifier is associated with your account if you're signed in, or used anonymously if you're not. We use it to:

• Link multiple devices to the same account
• Detect duplicate accounts or suspicious behavior (anti-cheat)
• Allow you to play as a guest before creating an account

This identifier is not the same as advertising IDs (IDFA on iOS, AAID on Android) and we do not collect those.

Hardware and system information

The apps report basic device characteristics so we can diagnose performance issues and decide which features to enable on lower-end devices. This includes:

• CPU model, architecture, and core count
• Total system memory (RAM)
• GPU information
• Operating system and version
• Screen size and pixel density
• App version and platform

Gameplay data

When you play a game and submit a result, we collect details of that game:

• Game type, difficulty, and game seed (the random number that determines the deal)
• Your stats: moves, time, undos, hints used, outcome (win or loss), timestamps
• For record-breaking games: a replay — the sequence of moves you made and the cursor positions over time, used to let you and other players watch the game back

User-submitted content

• Survey responses — short opinion polls shown after some games to improve the apps
• Feedback reports — when you tap the feedback button, the text you write, plus an optional screenshot of the app and an optional debug log are sent to us so we can fix bugs
• Notifications you read or dismiss — we track this to avoid showing you the same message twice

Information we do NOT collect

• We do not collect your name (only the display name you choose)
• We do not collect your physical address
• We do not collect your phone number
• We do not collect your contact list, photo library, microphone audio, or precise location
• We do not use third-party analytics SDKs (no Google Analytics, no Firebase Analytics, no Mixpanel, etc.)
• We do not use third-party advertising SDKs (no AdMob, no banner ad networks)

2. How we use your information

We use the information described above to:

• Provide the core features of the games (accounts, gameplay, save state)
• Compute and display leaderboards, statistics, percentiles, and badges
• Run daily challenges, player-vs-player challenge links, and group lobbies
• Enable replay viewing for top results
• Detect and prevent cheating, abuse, and duplicate accounts
• Diagnose bugs and improve performance based on the bug reports and hardware data you submit
• Send account-related emails (verification, password reset)
• Improve the games based on your survey responses and feedback

We do not use your information for:

• Targeted advertising
• Selling or renting to third parties
• Building marketing profiles about you
• Anything outside what's needed to run the Services

3. Where your data is stored

All data is stored on infrastructure operated by DigitalOcean (a US-based cloud provider) in their data centers:

• Account data, gameplay results, and aggregated statistics live in a managed PostgreSQL database in a private network
• Replay files and feedback screenshots are stored in DigitalOcean Spaces (an S3-compatible object store)
• The web server runs as a Flask application on a DigitalOcean droplet at msogames.com

Your data is transmitted between your device and our servers over HTTPS (TLS).

4. Who we share data with

We do not sell your data. We share your data only with:

• DigitalOcean — our cloud hosting provider, as described above
• Other players — your display name, game results, and replay data become visible on public leaderboards and profile pages, unless you opt out of leaderboard visibility in settings
• Google Play Store / Apple App Store — only for the purpose of distributing the apps to you. We don't share your account data with the stores beyond what's required for app delivery and crash reports
• Law enforcement — only if compelled by valid legal process, and only the minimum required to comply

5. Your rights and choices

You have control over your data. You can:

• Change your display name at any time in your account settings
• Opt out of public leaderboards via the privacy setting in your account — your gameplay still counts toward your personal stats but your name is hidden from rankings
• Request deletion of your account and all associated data either (a) directly from inside any MSO Games app via the Account → Delete Account option (which prompts for your password to confirm) or (b) by emailing [email protected] from the email address on the account. Deletion is permanent, takes effect immediately, and cannot be undone.
• Request a copy of your data by emailing the address above
• Correct inaccurate data by editing your settings or contacting us

If you're in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or another region with comprehensive privacy laws (such as GDPR), you have additional rights including the right to object to processing, the right to data portability, and the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. We honor all such requests; please contact us at the address above.

If you're a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of any "sale" of personal information. We don't sell personal information.

6. Data retention

We keep your data while your account is active. If you delete your account, we delete your personal information and associated gameplay data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

Aggregated, anonymized statistics (for example, "how many players completed Daily Challenge #42") may be retained indefinitely for the purpose of running the leaderboards and historical data, but they cannot be linked back to you after deletion.

Replay files are kept while the games they belong to remain on the leaderboards. When a record is broken and your replay is no longer in the top entries, it may be deleted automatically.

7. Children's privacy

The Services are not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and you believe your child has provided us with information without your consent, please contact us at [email protected] and we will delete the information.

8. Security

We use industry-standard practices to protect your data:

• All network traffic is encrypted using HTTPS (TLS)
• Passwords are hashed using scrypt with per-user salts; we never store plaintext passwords
• The database is hosted in a private network not accessible from the public internet
• Authentication uses short-lived JWT access tokens with refresh tokens

No system is perfectly secure. If we learn of a breach affecting your data, we will notify you within the time required by applicable law.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time as the Services evolve. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For material changes, we'll also notify you via email or an in-app message.

10. Contact us

For any questions about this policy, your data, or to exercise your rights, email us at [email protected].

For general support, see [email protected].