Privacy Policy

Stored on your device

The game saves the following in your browser's local storage, so it is there when you come back:

• Progress: the levels you have cleared or unlocked, and your best moves, time and stars on each.
• Settings: theme, sound pack, volume, mute, animation speed and picture options.
• Leaderboard identity: a random player id, a random secret key that proves results come from your browser, and your display name.

This data stays on your device and is not sent to us, except for what the leaderboard needs (below). Clearing your browser's site data deletes it, and you start fresh.

Leaderboards

When you solve a level, the game sends your result to our leaderboard service, unless you have turned off "Add my results to the leaderboard" in Settings. It sends:

• your random player id and display name;
• your secret key, of which only a one-way hash is stored;
• the level, your number of moves and your time;
• the list of moves you made, so the server can check that they really solve the level.

Your display name, time and number of moves are shown publicly on the leaderboard. The name is a random one unless you change it, so please don't use your real name or anything that identifies you. Leaderboard data is stored with Cloudflare. Your IP address is used briefly to limit how many requests can be made, and is not stored with your results.

Analytics and cookies

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how the game is played and where it can improve. It is the only thing on the site that sets cookies (named _ga and _ga_ followed by an id), and we have turned off its advertising features.

• In the EU, the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, Google Analytics only loads after you choose "Accept" in the cookie notice. We tell where you are from your device's time zone, and ask whenever we are unsure.
• Elsewhere, it loads by default.
• Wherever you are, "Cookie settings" at the bottom of every page lets you change your answer. If you decline after accepting, we stop sending data and delete the Google Analytics cookies.

When it runs, Google Analytics receives the pages you visit, game events such as starting, restarting or solving a level (with the level, board size, moves, time and stars), opening the leaderboard, sharing and changing settings, together with the technical information it collects by default, such as your browser, device, approximate location and how you arrived at the site. We don't send it your leaderboard name or player id. Google processes this data under Google's Privacy Policy.

Sharing

When you share a result, the game uses your device's share sheet or copies a message for you; nothing is sent to us. If you choose to post to X, Facebook, Reddit or WhatsApp, that service's own privacy policy applies to what you post.

Server logs

Like any website, the servers and networks that deliver Sliding Puzzle may keep short-lived technical logs, such as IP addresses, browser details and requested pages, to keep the site running and secure.

Why we use this data

• Leaderboards and keeping the site running and secure: our legitimate interest in providing the game you asked to play. You can opt out of the leaderboard at any time.
• Analytics: your consent where the law requires it (the EU, the EEA, the UK and Switzerland), and elsewhere our legitimate interest in improving the game, which you can opt out of at any time.

How long we keep it

• Data stored on your device stays until you clear it.
• Leaderboard results are kept while the leaderboards exist, unless you ask us to remove them.
• Google Analytics data is kept for at most 14 months.
• Server logs are kept only briefly, for running and securing the site.

Where it is processed

Cloudflare and Google may process data in countries other than yours, including the United States. They do so under their own safeguards for international transfers, such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.

What we don't do

• We don't ask for your name, email address or any account details to play.
• We don't sell your data or share it for advertising.
• We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. The game is suitable for all ages; children should simply keep the random leaderboard name.

Your choices and rights

• Use "Cookie settings" at the bottom of any page to accept or decline analytics cookies.
• Turn off "Add my results to the leaderboard" in Settings to stop sending results.
• Clear this site's data in your browser to delete your progress, settings and leaderboard identity from your device.
• Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct or delete data about you, to object to or restrict its use, and to withdraw consent. To use these rights, or to have your leaderboard results removed, write to [email protected] with your leaderboard name and the levels concerned. As we hold no account or contact details, that is how we find your data.
• You can also complain to your local data protection authority.

Changes and contact

If we change this policy, we will update it here and change the date at the top. Questions are welcome at [email protected].