Privacy policy

About this policy

IncrementalHub is a catalogue and community for incremental, idle and clicker games. This policy explains what happens to information when you browse the public site, create an account, submit a game, join a discussion or subscribe to news. It covers the English and Ukrainian versions of the site.

You can browse games and news without an account. Some features, including comments, game submissions and profile settings, require sign-in. The information described below is used to operate those features, keep the community safe and understand how the site is used.

Information we collect

Account information. When you register, we receive your name or username, email address and password. The password is stored as a hash, not as readable text. We also keep verification status, account creation dates and the settings needed to maintain your account.

Profile information. You may add a biography, birth date, favourite game or custom avatar. Your profile can also show your level, experience, achievements, current and best daily streaks, games you submitted and recent activity. Some of these values are generated from your use of the site.

Content and requests. We process game descriptions, developer names, links, covers, screenshots and updates you submit, as well as forum posts, replies, comments, reports and requests to verify a developer. Drafts and submissions awaiting review are available to the people who administer the site.

Technical information. The site processes session identifiers, IP address and browser information for session management and security. It also records page paths, visit dates, a hashed session identifier, a recent activity time for signed-in members and a time zone used to calculate daily streaks.

Public profiles and content

A public member page may show your name, avatar, biography, birth date, social profile links you choose to add, join date, last online date, favourite game, level, experience, streaks, achievements and published games. Your email address, password and account security details are not shown on that page.

When you post to the forum or comment on a game, your content is associated with your account. Published game pages can show the developer name, game information and the member who submitted the game. Game drafts and proposed changes go through the site's review process before appearing in the catalogue.

Information you make public may be read, copied or indexed by other people and search engines. Consider this before including personal details in a biography, post, comment or game description.

Why we use information

• To create accounts, confirm email addresses, sign members in and provide profile and game features.
• To publish approved submissions, display community discussions and process reports or developer verification requests.
• To calculate experience, achievements, daily streaks and other progress shown on the site.
• To protect accounts and forms, investigate misuse, maintain sessions and troubleshoot errors.
• To count visits and unique news views so we can understand which parts of the site are useful.
• To send requested account messages and, if you subscribe, site news and release updates.

Where data protection law requires a legal basis, these activities may rely on providing the service you request, our legitimate interest in operating and securing it, your choice to subscribe, or a legal obligation. The basis depends on the activity and the law that applies to you.

Cookies and local storage

Cookies are small values saved by your browser. We use a session cookie for sign-in and continuity, a form protection cookie or token to help prevent forged requests, and a remember-me cookie if you choose that option. Blocking these may prevent account features from working correctly.

The news_visitor cookie contains a random browser identifier and can last up to one year. The site hashes that identifier before storing it with a news article's view record, so repeat visits to the same article do not add new views. The site_visitor cookie likewise contains a random identifier lasting up to one year. Its hash lets us estimate unique browsers visiting public pages across separate sessions; page loads are counted separately. The site_timezone cookie can also last up to one year and is used to count a signed-in member's daily streak according to their local day.

Your browser's local storage remembers that you dismissed the cookie notice. Dismissing the notice only hides it; it does not disable cookies or optional tags. You can remove these values using your browser settings, although doing so may sign you out or cause a future news visit to count as a new visitor.

Visits and analytics

For ordinary page visits, we record the visited path, date and a hash of the session identifier. These records support basic site statistics. For news articles, we also store a hash of the random browser identifier; when you are signed in, the view may be linked to your account ID. We use those records to show a unique view count, not to display a reader list.

If Google Tag Manager is configured by site administrators, its code loads on public pages. The container can load other tags chosen by the administrators. Depending on those tags, your browser may send usage information to Google or other providers and receive additional cookies. Tag Manager is not loaded on the administration host. The behaviour of third-party tags depends on their configuration and the providers' own privacy practices; see Google's Privacy Policy for Google's practices.

Email and subscriptions

We use your account email address for messages needed to use the account, such as email verification, password recovery and confirmation of an email change. These messages are separate from the optional news subscription.

If you enter an email address in the subscription form, we store that address and the language of the page used to subscribe. Site administrators can access the subscriber list to send IncrementalHub news, releases and updates. The subscription form does not create an account. A self-service unsubscribe control is not currently available on the site; you may request removal of your address from the site administration.

Who may receive information

Site administrators can access the information they need to review submissions, handle reports, manage accounts, moderate content and maintain the service. Public information is available to other visitors as described above.

Hosting, storage and email delivery providers may process information to operate the site. If Google Tag Manager is enabled, Google and the providers of tags placed in its container may receive technical or usage data. Information may also be disclosed when required by applicable law or to protect the site and its users. We do not sell account or subscriber lists.

Service providers may process information outside your country. The specific location and safeguards depend on the provider and the services in use.

How long information is kept

Account details, profile settings and associated content are generally kept while the account and the relevant features are active. Subscription addresses remain on the subscriber list until they are removed. News and site visitor cookies and the time zone cookie can each remain in your browser for up to one year unless you clear them earlier.

Session data expires according to the sign-in and session settings. Visit counts, moderation records and other operational data may be kept for as long as needed for the purpose described in this policy, to resolve issues or to meet applicable requirements. The site does not currently provide an automatic deletion schedule for every record type or a self-service account deletion button.

How information is protected

We use password hashing, authenticated access to account features, form protection and restricted administration routes. Access to submitted material and management tools is limited to authorised administrators. We also use operational records to detect problems and investigate misuse.

No internet service can guarantee absolute security. Keep your password private, choose a strong password and sign out on shared devices. If you believe someone has gained access to your account, change your password and alert the site administration.

Your rights and choices

You can edit many profile details, change your username, password or email address, and replace your avatar in your account settings. You can browse public content without signing in and can clear or block browser storage using your browser controls.

Depending on the law that applies to you, you may request access to your personal information, correction of inaccurate information, deletion, restriction of processing, a copy of your data or an objection to certain uses. You may also ask to be removed from the news subscription list. Some requests may require identity verification, and some records may need to be kept where the law permits or requires it.

The website does not currently provide a dedicated privacy request form. Requests about data held by IncrementalHub should be directed to the site administration through its official contact channel.

External websites

Game pages may link to Steam, a developer's website or another store. Following those links takes you away from IncrementalHub. External websites set their own privacy rules and may collect information about your visit. Review their policies before using their services.

Changes to this policy

We may revise this page when site features, service providers or data practices change. The date at the top shows when the text was last updated. Please review it from time to time, especially when you start using a new feature.