Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 15, 2026

Stellar Broadcast ("the App") is developed and published by Aaron Shelhamer, operating as Faustian Bargain. This policy describes how the App handles your information.

Overview

No Faustian Bargain account is required, and core gameplay works offline. Game progress, settings, and legacy upgrades are stored in the App's local container. Some optional or platform features use network services as described below. We do not sell personal information.

Information Processed

• Self-hosted leaderboard: when you explicitly enable and use it, we receive the display name you choose, score, board, voyage seed, app version, play time, and a random submission identifier. The server processes your IP address transiently for abuse prevention but does not store it. Unverified self-hosted score writes are disabled by default. Score records are deleted after 180 days.
• Bug reports: only when you choose to send one, we receive your message, app/build version, operating system and version, locale, CPU count, and recent sanitized app log lines. We do not request device hostnames. IP addresses are used transiently for rate limiting and are not stored. Reports remain in the private service database, are not forwarded through email, are deleted after 30 days, and the service also caps stored reports at 1,000.
• Launch mailing list: requesting a signup temporarily stores your email address, selected interests, and source for a 24-hour confirmation window; an expired request is deleted by the next five-minute cleanup. Our contracted email-delivery provider receives those details and an opaque, expiring confirmation URL so it can send the confirmation message. We create an active subscription only after you explicitly confirm. We keep active subscriptions until you unsubscribe, and unsubscribed records are deleted after 30 days. The provider then receives the same details and an opaque signed unsubscribe URL; neither URL contains your email address.
• Website analytics: most public website pages use Google Analytics to measure visits, link interactions, signup requests, and selected interest categories; the email address is never sent as an analytics event. The confirmation and unsubscribe pages load no analytics or third-party resources and remove their opaque token from the address bar immediately.

Advertising

The free version of the App displays ads served by Google AdMob. Depending on your platform, consent choices, and settings, Google may process advertising identifiers, approximate location, device information, and ad interactions to provide, measure, and protect advertising, in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy.

You can opt out of personalized advertising through your device settings:

• iOS: Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking
• Android: Settings > Google > Ads > Opt out of Ads Personalization

The optional premium upgrade removes all advertising from the App.

Analytics and Crash Diagnostics

The App uses Google Analytics for Firebase and Firebase Crashlytics for usage measurement, diagnostics, and stability. Depending on platform configuration, those services may process app-instance identifiers, device and operating-system information, approximate location, app interactions, and crash diagnostics. We use these records to understand feature use and fix defects; Google controls its own retention and processing under the policies linked below.

Platform Gaming Services

If you sign in to Google Play Games or an equivalent platform gaming service, that provider processes your platform account, display name, achievements, and leaderboard scores under its own policy. Platform leaderboard participation and our separately hosted leaderboard are optional.

Third-Party Services

• Google AdMob — advertising
• Firebase Crashlytics — crash reporting
• Google Analytics for Firebase — app usage analytics
• Google Play Games — optional sign-in, achievements, and platform leaderboards

Children's Privacy

The App is rated for a general audience. We do not knowingly request mailing-list signups, custom leaderboard names, or free-form bug reports from children. A parent or guardian may contact us to request deletion.

Retention, Security, and Your Choices

Server retention periods are listed above. We use input limits, rate limits, encrypted transport, access controls, and signed confirmation and unsubscribe tokens to protect server data. No method is completely risk-free.

You can play core gameplay without our hosted leaderboard, decline to send a bug report, opt out of personalized advertising in device settings, and unsubscribe from email using the signed link in every message. To request access, correction, or deletion of information you provided—or deletion of a leaderboard entry—contact us with enough information to locate it. Clearing the App's storage or uninstalling removes the on-device copy of local game data. Android App backups are disabled; Apple and desktop platform backup or device-transfer features may retain a separate copy under your platform account and settings.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact us at sirus20x6@gmail.com.