Privacy Policy

This policy explains what Ludo Arena collects, why, and what we do with it. It is written to be read rather than to cover us, so it is in plain language and it is specific. Ludo Arena is published by Qikks Studio (“we”, “us”), of Islamabad, Pakistan. We are the data controller for the information described below.

The short version

• You can play without an account. Signing in with Google is optional.
• We do not sell your data to anybody.
• Voice chat is sent phone to phone. We never receive it and never record it.
• Typed chat is not stored, except the messages attached to a report.
• You can delete your account from inside the app, at any time.

If you play as a guest

The app creates an anonymous account so your record, coins and friend code have somewhere to live. We store a random token identifying that account, a display name (either one you choose or one the game generates, such as “SwiftPawn”), the avatar you pick, and your game record. No email address, no name and no Google account is involved.

If you sign in with Google

We receive and store your Google account identifier, name and email address. We use the identifier to recognise you on a new phone, and the email address to contact you about your account if we ever need to. If you had been playing as a guest, that existing account is carried over rather than replaced, so your friend code and friends survive.

What the game records as you play

• Games played, wins, captures and pawns home — for your profile, your level and the leaderboard.
• Match history — which games, what position, and when, so head-to-head records and season standings can be worked out.
• Coin and gem balances and the virtual items you own, to run the in-game economy.
• Friends, friend requests, blocks and invitations — the social features you asked for.
• Last seen time, so friends can tell whether you are online.
• Your display name and chosen avatar, which is what other players at your table see.

Chat

Typed messages are passed between the players at a table and are not kept as a matter of course. The exception is a report: if somebody reports a player, the recent messages from that player are stored with the report so a person can look at it and act. Without that, a report is an accusation with no evidence attached to it.

Voice chat

Voice is peer to peer. The audio travels directly between the phones in the call and never reaches our servers. Nothing is recorded, by us or by the app. Our server’s only role is to pass the two phones the technical notes they need to find each other, which it does not read. If a player reports somebody while a call is running, we store a flag saying the report was made during a call. We store no audio, because there is none to store.

Technical information

Our servers keep short-lived connection logs which include your IP address, in order to run the service, keep it available and stop abuse. If you email support from inside the app, the message includes your app version, phone model and Android version, which are shown to you before you send it.

Services we use

Some parts of the app are run by Google, and those parts are covered by Google’s own privacy policy as well as this one.

• Google Sign-In — optional sign-in, used only if you choose it.
• Google AdMob — shows the rewarded and interstitial ads, and uses your device’s advertising ID to select them. In Europe and the UK you are asked for consent first, and you can change that answer in Settings.
• Google Play Billing — handles all purchases. We never see your card details.
• Firebase Analytics — aggregate usage, so we can tell which screens people actually use.
• Firebase Crashlytics — crash reports, so we can fix what breaks.

Google’s policy is at policies.google.com/privacy. Advertising ID controls are in your phone’s own settings, under Google and then Ads.

What we do not do

• We do not sell or rent your personal data to anyone.
• We do not listen to your voice calls, because we never receive them.
• We do not access your contacts, photos, location or files. The app never asks for those permissions.
• We do not use the microphone unless you tap the microphone button at a table. It is not opened at launch and it is not opened in the background.

How long we keep things

• Your account and record stay until you delete them.
• Reports and the messages attached to them are kept for up to 12 months, so repeat patterns can be spotted.
• Game invitations are deleted after five minutes, because the table they point at has started or gone by then.
• Connection logs are kept for up to 30 days.

Your choices

• Delete your account from Settings inside the app, at any time. See how to delete your account.
• Get a copy of your data by writing to us at the address below.
• Play without signing in. Guest play is a full account with no email address attached.
• Turn off personalised ads in your phone’s Google settings. Where the European consent form applies, “Ad privacy choices” appears in the app’s Settings.
• Mute, block and report are on the player sheet at every online table. Blocking is instant, silent, and stops typed chat, voice and invitations in both directions.

Children

Ludo Arena is intended for players aged 13 and over. It is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child under 13 has given us personal information, write to us and we will delete it and the account it is attached to.

Where you live, a parent or guardian may need to agree on your behalf until you are older than 13. In parts of the European Union that age is 16.

Where your data is held

We are based in Pakistan and our game servers are in India (AWS Asia Pacific, Mumbai). So wherever you play from, your information is transferred to and stored in India, and is accessed from Pakistan by the people who run the game. Google’s services process data in the countries described in their own policy.

Security

Connections between the app and our servers are encrypted with TLS. Access to the database is restricted to a small number of people who need it. No system is perfectly secure, and we will tell affected players promptly if something goes wrong that affects them.

Changes

If we change this policy in a way that matters, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top and say so in the app. Continuing to play after a change means you accept it.

Contact

Questions about this policy, or about your data, go to support@qikksstudio.com.