Privacy Policy

About TopicBolt · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Support

Effective date: October 13, 2026

This document covers TopicBolt from Void Lantern Studios. Questions: support@voidlanternstudios.com.

Information stored on your device

TopicBolt stores player names or nicknames, scores, game settings, current and previous topic identifiers, used letters, turn and round state, and unfinished-game progress. It also stores sound, music, vibration and accessibility preferences, tutorial status, and local topic-pack selections and access records. Use nicknames if you prefer not to enter real names.

These records support local gameplay and resuming a saved game. This release does not require a studio account or upload these records to a studio server. Your operating system or device-backup service may separately back up app data under your settings.

Spoken answers and permissions

Players say answers aloud and judge them together. TopicBolt does not access the microphone, record speech, or send spoken answers for recognition or validation. Core gameplay does not require contacts, camera, or location access.

Advertising and privacy choices

TopicBolt integrates Google AdMob and Google’s User Messaging Platform (UMP). Development versions use Google test advertisements. Production advertising remains disabled until the required privacy, publisher and device checks are complete. When enabled, free players may see an interstitial before a new match. The first match is ad-free; ads are not placed during turns, rounds or results. Purchasing any qualifying Topic Pack or the bundle grants ad-free access while valid store ownership is confirmed.

Google’s advertising and consent services may process network information such as IP address and approximate location inferred from it; device or app identifiers where available and permitted; advertisements shown and interactions; and crash, performance and diagnostic information. These services use information to deliver and measure advertisements, operate privacy choices, maintain security and improve their services. Nonpersonalized advertisements do not mean that no information is processed. TopicBolt does not send player nicknames, spoken answers, scores or saved gameplay to Google through a custom gameplay analytics integration.

The current configuration requests child-directed treatment for all users, restricts ad content to Google’s G rating, disables personalized advertising and publisher first-party identifiers, and does not request Apple tracking authorization or IDFA access. No age-screening feature is implemented. These restrictions do not remove all network or diagnostic processing. Provider practices and the final disclosure of any remaining identifiers and linkage must be confirmed before production advertising is enabled.

When advertising runtime is enabled, UMP refreshes privacy information when the app starts and presents messages when required for the applicable configuration. In a non-development build with the production gates disabled, TopicBolt does not initiate this UMP flow or request ads through its guarded providers; app measurement is delayed and production advertising and consent requests remain disabled in this release. Under-age treatment can suppress consent requests. When UMP requires a privacy-options control, Settings offers Advertising Privacy Options to review or withdraw choices. Advertising is requested only when the SDK reports requests are permitted; unavailable ads or privacy services do not prevent normal gameplay. Privacy choices do not require purchasing a pack. See Google’s Privacy Policy, Google’s information about partner apps, and Google Mobile Ads data practices.

Topic Pack purchases and restoration

On iOS, Apple’s App Store and StoreKit process purchases and provide signed transaction and entitlement information. TopicBolt verifies this information on the device to unlock purchased packs and the ad-free benefit. The app does not receive your card or banking details and does not send receipts to a studio purchase server. Verified ownership records are cached locally in protected storage so legitimate ownership can remain available offline, and are reconciled when authoritative store information is available.

Use Restore Purchases in Settings or Topic Packs with the Apple Account that owns the purchases. Restoration may require Apple authentication. Restoring pack ownership also restores the ad-free benefit; it does not restore local player names, game progress or preferences that were deleted. Temporary store failures do not intentionally remove previously validated ownership. Refunded or revoked entitlements may be removed when confirmed by the store. Apple retains its own transaction records under its policies; see Apple’s Privacy Policy. This policy describes the iOS release.

Other online services

TopicBolt does not require a studio account or operate a studio cloud-save or remote gameplay analytics service. Unity cloud analytics and diagnostics services are disabled in the current configuration. Google’s advertising/consent SDK diagnostics are separate from those disabled services.

Retention and removing data

Game data and preferences remain in app storage until replaced or removed. Ending or discarding a saved game removes that game save; it does not remove settings or pack preferences. Resetting tutorial or game settings does not erase pack state. To remove all locally stored app data, use your device’s app-storage deletion controls or delete the app and its data. Device backups and any separately retained copies must be managed separately; offloading an app may retain its data.

Advertising-frequency state and verified ownership caches are separate from game saves. A protected iOS Keychain ownership cache may survive app deletion; deleting a local record does not cancel a purchase or delete Apple’s transaction history. Google and Apple control retention of information they process under their policies. No fixed provider retention period is promised here. Manage provider data or account requests through their published privacy controls; contact studio support for information held directly by us.

Support and your choices

If you email support@voidlanternstudios.com, we receive your email address, message, and any attachments. We use them to respond, troubleshoot, maintain appropriate support records, and meet legal obligations, retaining them only as reasonably needed. Do not send unnecessary personal information or another player’s details without permission. We do not sell support information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, obtain a copy of, restrict, or object to processing of information we hold, withdraw consent where applicable, or complain to a privacy regulator. Contact support to request assistance; we may need to verify your request. We cannot directly retrieve or erase records stored only on your device.

Security and younger players

Local storage does not guarantee encryption or complete confidentiality. Protect your device and backups; no system is completely secure. Adults should help younger players choose appropriate topics and nicknames and handle support requests. Contact us if a child has sent personal information directly to us without appropriate permission so we can address it.

TopicBolt is intended for mixed ages, including children. Adults should supervise purchases and privacy decisions. Current advertising requests apply the conservative restrictions described above to all users. We do not add speech recording, behavioral player profiles or precise-location permission for children. These controls are not a claim that an advertising SDK collects no information; provider disclosures and privacy requirements must be reviewed before live ads are enabled.

This website and other providers

Cloudflare hosts the studio website and processes network and security information to deliver it. See Cloudflare’s privacy policy. The website has no studio advertising or marketing analytics. Your operating system, store, email provider, and outside sites operate under their own privacy policies and may process information in other countries. We may disclose information we hold where legally required or necessary to protect users and legal rights.

Changes

This policy describes the implementation identified above. We will update this policy and its effective date when data handling changes, giving additional notice or requesting consent as required. Publishing this policy does not enable advertisements or change your existing privacy choices.