FourPlayers Is The Core Game

1. Information we collect

• Account data you provide: username, optional display name, optional email address, and a password (stored only as a salted, iterated hash - never in plain text).
• Google Sign-In data (if you use it): your Google account identifier, email, name and profile picture, released to us by Google after you consent on Google’s screen. We verify Google’s signed token; we never see or store your Google password.
• Gameplay & usage data: levels started/completed, hints used, wrong guesses, solve times, streaks, sport played, daily/weekly results, friends and friend requests, and device type (mobile/desktop).
• Technical data: IP address (used transiently to derive an approximate country/city and for security/rate-limiting), browser and device information, and diagnostic logs.
• Cookies & local storage: an essential authentication cookie and browser localStorage for your session, theme and progress, plus analytics identifiers set through Google Tag Manager (see §4).

2. How & why we use your data (purposes)

• To create and secure your account and keep you signed in.
• To run the games: save progress, streaks, stats, leaderboards and the social/friends features.
• To operate difficulty ratings and per-level statistics (aggregated from gameplay telemetry).
• To understand usage, measure performance and improve the Service (analytics).
• To protect the Service against fraud, abuse and security incidents.
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms.

3. Legal bases (GDPR Article 6)

• Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) - to provide the account and gameplay you request.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) - for non-essential cookies/analytics and for Google Sign-In; you may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) - to secure, maintain and improve the Service, where not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) - where we must retain or disclose data by law.

4. Cookies & analytics

We use two categories of technology:

• Strictly necessary: a session/refresh cookie and localStorage required for sign-in, security and saving your progress. These cannot be switched off without breaking the Service.
• Analytics: we load Google Tag Manager, which may deploy Google Analytics and set cookies/identifiers to measure usage. This is used for statistics and product improvement.

You can control cookies through your browser settings, and opt out of Google Analytics via the Google Analytics Opt-out add-on. See Google’s Privacy Policy and how Google uses data.

5. Who we share data with

We do not sell your personal data. We share limited data only with service providers acting on our behalf or where you direct it:

• Google - Sign-In (authentication) and Tag Manager/Analytics (measurement).
• Hosting/infrastructure provider - to run the servers and database.
• Other players - your username and public progress are visible to friends and on leaderboards you take part in.
• Legal/authorities - where required by law or to protect rights, safety and the Service.

Player images are loaded from Transfermarkt, Wikimedia and Basketball-Reference; visiting those images may expose your IP address to those hosts.

6. International transfers

Providers such as Google may process data outside your country, including the United States. Where data leaves the EEA/UK, transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses and, where applicable, the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

7. Data retention

We keep account and gameplay data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account (or request deletion), we erase or irreversibly anonymise your personal data within a reasonable period, except where we must retain limited records to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes or enforce our agreements. Aggregated, non-identifying statistics may be retained.

8. Security

Passwords are salted and hashed with a strong iterated algorithm; sessions use signed tokens; provider tokens are cryptographically verified and never logged. We apply reasonable technical and organisational measures. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your rights (EU/UK GDPR)

Subject to conditions, you may:

• Access a copy of your data and information about its processing;
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Erase your data (“right to be forgotten”);
• Restrict or object to processing, including profiling used for difficulty/statistics;
• Port your data to another service in a machine-readable format;
• Withdraw consent at any time (without affecting prior processing);
• Lodge a complaint with your local data-protection supervisory authority.

To exercise any right, email nickyhelfgott1@gmail.com. We respond within the statutory time limits (generally one month under GDPR).

10. California privacy rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know, access, correct and delete the personal information we hold, and to be free from discrimination for exercising these rights. We do not sell or “share” personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising as those terms are defined by the CPRA. Submit requests to nickyhelfgott1@gmail.com; authorised agents may act on your behalf with proof of authorisation.

11. Children’s privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in regions where that is the minimum age), and we do not knowingly collect their personal data. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.

12. Changes & contact

We may update this policy; material changes will be indicated by the “Last updated” date and, where appropriate, further notice. Questions or requests: nickyhelfgott1@gmail.com. If you are in the EEA/UK and we have appointed a Data Protection Officer or representative, their details will be provided here if one is appointed.

1. The Service & licence

We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use FourPlayers for your own non-commercial enjoyment, subject to these Terms. We may modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the Service at any time.

2. Accounts & acceptable use

You are responsible for your account and for keeping your credentials secure. You agree not to misuse the Service - including no scraping, reverse engineering, automated abuse, attempts to breach security, cheating, harassment of other players, or any unlawful activity. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

3. Intellectual property & no affiliation

FourPlayers, its code, design and original content are owned by the operator or its licensors. Player names, likenesses, club and competition names and logos belong to their respective owners and are used solely for identification/editorial purposes. FourPlayers is an independent puzzle and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any football or basketball club, league, governing body, player, or data provider. Factual data is derived from publicly available sources.

4. Disclaimers

The Service and all content are provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, and accuracy. Sports data may contain errors or become outdated; we do not warrant it is complete or correct.

5. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the operator and its suppliers will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or loss of data, profits or goodwill, arising from your use of (or inability to use) the Service. Where liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the greater of the amount you paid us in the past 12 months or £/$100. Nothing limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

6. Indemnity, governing law & changes

You agree to indemnify the operator against claims arising from your misuse of the Service or breach of these Terms. These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and disputes are subject to its courts, unless mandatory local law provides otherwise. We may update these Terms; continued use after changes means you accept them. Contact: nickyhelfgott1@gmail.com.