1. Who we are and scope
Forgotten Games is made by Mindful Echo Ltd, an independent studio in the United Kingdom. Mindful Echo Ltd is the controller of personal information it receives through Forgotten Games support and these web pages, and of Apple developer analytics or diagnostic reports it chooses to access.
This policy covers the Forgotten Games iOS and iPadOS app, its support service, and the Forgotten Games pages on mindful-echo.com. Apple is responsible for information it processes through the App Store, StoreKit and Game Center under Apple’s own privacy terms.
2. Information kept on your device
The app stores the information needed to run and restore your games locally. Depending on how you play, that can include:
- game positions, moves, results, saved multiplayer matches and timestamps;
- optional player names entered for Pass & Play;
- your selected solo difficulty;
- technical recovery information and a limited local diagnostic history for a match; and
- a device-only reconnect secret for an active Nearby match, held in Apple’s Keychain.
Mindful Echo has no developer server that receives this on-device game information. The app’s local diagnostics describe technical match events; they are not automatically sent to us and are not designed to contain player names, Apple account identifiers, correspondence or the secret used to reconnect a Nearby match.
Local multiplayer match records are excluded from ordinary device backups and remain on the device while needed for play and recovery. Deleting the app removes its Application Support data. Apple manages Keychain items separately, so a random device-only reconnect secret may remain after the app is deleted; it is not a Mindful Echo account credential and Mindful Echo cannot access it.
3. Nearby play
Nearby play is optional. If you use it, the app asks for local-network access so it can find and connect directly to one other device. The two devices exchange pairing information and the shared match state over an encrypted local connection. The other player necessarily receives the moves and match information needed to play with you. This information does not pass through a Mindful Echo server.
You can also choose to scan the other player’s short-lived pairing QR code. Camera frames are examined on your device to read that code; the app does not save the images or send them to Mindful Echo. Camera access is used only while the scanner is running. You can change camera or local-network permission in your device settings.
4. Apple Game Center
Game Center play is optional and is provided by Apple. The app asks Game Center for your authentication and multiplayer-restriction status when it starts. If you use Game Center play, the app uses it to find or open a match, send match state, manage turns and record outcomes. The app processes a Game Center match identifier, your position in that match, match status and the game data needed for play. An Apple player identifier may be used transiently to identify participants and protect rematches, but Forgotten Games does not put player names or raw Apple player identifiers into its shared game record.
Apple may process and show information such as your Game Center nickname, avatar, games, activity, friends and opponents according to your Game Center settings. Read Apple’s Game Center privacy information and manage Game Center visibility in your Apple account and device settings.
5. In-app purchases
Paid games and purchase restoration use Apple’s StoreKit and the App Store. The app may refresh product and entitlement status when it starts. Apple handles your Apple account and payment details. Forgotten Games receives product information and Apple-verified transaction and entitlement information so it can unlock or restore a purchase. Mindful Echo does not receive your payment-card details and does not operate a separate purchase server.
For more information, read Apple’s App Store privacy information.
6. Apple analytics and diagnostics
Forgotten Games does not embed an analytics or crash-reporting SDK. Apple can nevertheless make privacy-protected App Store usage reports and crash diagnostics available to Mindful Echo. App Store usage and crash reports are based on information shared by users who have opted in through Apple; TestFlight testers automatically share crash reports with the developer.
These reports may include aggregated downloads, installations, sessions and crashes, or technical crash information such as the app version, device model, operating-system version and the code running when a crash occurred. We may use them to understand adoption, investigate reliability problems and improve the app. Forgotten Games does not add player names or match content to these Apple reports.
We keep any report we download only for as long as reasonably needed to analyse the relevant trend or problem and validate a fix. Apple controls its own collection, privacy protections and retention. You can change future sharing with developers in Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements > Share With App Developers. Read Apple’s consumer guidance on analytics sharing, or its developer guidance on Analytics Reports and crash reports and diagnostic logs.
7. Support and website information
If you email support.forgottengames@mindful-echo.com, we receive your email address and the information you choose to include, such as your message, app and device details, screenshots or other attachments. We use it to answer you, investigate the issue, keep the service secure and maintain necessary support records. Please do not send passwords, payment details or other sensitive personal information.
The Forgotten Games website does not use advertising or analytics cookies. Like most websites, our hosting and security providers may process technical request information such as an IP address, browser or device type, requested page and time of access to deliver and protect the site.
The app includes optional links to independent source and attribution websites. If you choose one, your browser connects to that site and its operator handles the resulting request under its own privacy terms.
8. How we use and share information
We use information we hold only to provide and support Forgotten Games, secure and troubleshoot the service, respond to you, administer purchases, and meet legal obligations. We do not sell personal information, use it for targeted advertising or allow third parties to track you across apps and websites.
Information is shared only as needed with:
- the person you choose to play in a Nearby match;
- Apple, when the app checks Game Center authentication or purchase entitlement status, and when you use those services;
- providers that host, secure or deliver our website and support email, acting for us; or
- authorities or other parties where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights and safety.
Where UK data-protection law applies, our legal bases are performance of our contract with you when providing requested app and purchase functions; our legitimate interests in securing, troubleshooting and improving the service and responding to messages; consent where we specifically ask for and receive it; and compliance with legal obligations. Device permissions are also under your control and can be withdrawn at any time.
9. Retention, transfers and security
On-device information stays under the app’s local controls as described above. Apple keeps information under its own retention rules. We keep support correspondence only for as long as reasonably needed to resolve and document the request, protect the service and meet legal requirements. Website security logs are kept by us or our providers only as long as needed for delivery, security and abuse prevention.
Our providers or Apple may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where we are responsible for a transfer, we use providers and safeguards intended to protect that information as required by applicable law.
Forgotten Games uses platform protections including encrypted Nearby connections, device-only Keychain storage for reconnect secrets and Apple verification for purchase records. No method of storage or transmission is completely secure, but we limit the information Mindful Echo receives and use appropriate measures for the information we do hold.
10. Your choices and rights
You can play without creating a Mindful Echo account. You decide whether to enter Pass & Play names, grant camera or local-network access, use Nearby play, start Game Center play or make a purchase. The app still checks Apple for Game Center authentication and purchase entitlement status when it starts. Camera and local-network permissions can be changed in device settings; Game Center information and visibility can be managed through Apple.
You can turn future sharing of Apple analytics and diagnostics with developers on or off in Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements > Share With App Developers. TestFlight crash sharing is governed separately by Apple while you test a beta.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to ask for access to, correction of, deletion of, restriction of, portability of, or an objection to the personal information Mindful Echo holds about you. These rights apply to information we can identify and control. Because most app information stays only on your device or with Apple, Mindful Echo usually cannot retrieve it for you.
To make a request, email support.forgottengames@mindful-echo.com. If you are in the UK, you can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
11. Children
Forgotten Games may be played by people under 18, so its privacy-protective defaults apply to everyone: there is no Mindful Echo account, advertising or tracking; optional Pass & Play names remain on the device; and camera, Nearby play, Game Center play and purchases are optional. Apple applies the family, multiplayer and purchase controls configured for the child’s account, including Ask to Buy where it is enabled.
If you are under 18 and are unsure about sharing information, ask a parent or guardian before contacting support or following a link to another website. A parent or guardian who believes a child has sent personal information to our support address can contact us so we can review and, where appropriate, delete it.
12. Changes and contact
We may update this policy when the app, our providers or legal requirements change. We will post the revised policy here and change the effective date. Material changes will be highlighted where appropriate.
Questions or privacy requests can be sent to Mindful Echo Ltd at support.forgottengames@mindful-echo.com.
This policy is permanently available at https://mindful-echo.com/limina-oblita/forgotten-games/privacy/.