Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Scope

In plain words: This policy covers the Krotox website and editor. It does not cover the games you make with them.

This Privacy Policy explains how Krotox Engine ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, and protects technical diagnostics and user information when you visit our website, download the Krotox Engine desktop editor for Windows and macOS, or use our developer build and Android export tooling.

Developer Games Distinction. This Privacy Policy applies solely to the Krotox Engine development tools and official website. It does not apply to standalone games and applications that developers build and distribute using Krotox Engine. Developers are independent data controllers responsible for their own end-user privacy notices.

2. Zero Telemetry by Default (Consent Gate)

In plain words: Nothing leaves your computer unless you say yes. You can say no and still use everything.

Unlike conventional game engines that silently transmit device IDs and usage habits immediately upon installation, Krotox adheres to a strict Default-Off Telemetry Architecture:

• Unchecked by Default: When signing into the Krotox Editor for the first time, all telemetry categories (Usage Analytics and Crash Reporting) start in the disabled state.
• Consent Screen Gate: Nothing about your machine or workflow is transmitted until you explicitly opt in on the first-sign-in consent page.
• Offline Mode: If you choose "I don't agree" or use the engine offline without an account, zero telemetry calls are made. The editor remains completely functional.
• Revocable Anytime: You can adjust or withdraw your consent at any moment in the editor via Account > Diagnostics & Privacy. Disabling a category immediately purges all queued packets on your local disk.

How it works, step by step:

1. You install and open the editor. No telemetry call is made.
2. You sign in for the first time. A consent page appears. Every category starts switched off.
3. You choose. Opt in to the categories you want, or choose "I don't agree".
4. Only then is anything sent. If you opted in, the categories you chose are sent. If you did not, nothing is.
5. You can change your mind. Use Account > Diagnostics & Privacy. Turning a category off clears anything queued on your disk.

Interactive illustration: with consent off, telemetry stops at the gate. With consent on, only the categories you chose are sent.

3. Data We May Collect (Opt-In Only)

In plain words: If you opt in, we collect basic account details and technical information that helps us fix bugs and support your hardware.

If and only if you explicitly provide consent, Krotox Engine may collect the following anonymized technical information:

4. Data We NEVER Collect

In plain words: We cannot see your game, your files, or your income.

To protect developer intellectual property, Krotox Engine is architecturally incapable of accessing or transmitting:

• Your Source Code & Assets. C# scripts, C++ native modules, sprites, audio tracks, and scene files remain strictly on your local disk.
• Game Logic & IP. Game storyline, mechanics, characters, dialogue, and creative design documents are never inspected.
• Personal Device Files. No files outside your designated project root directory are ever scanned or indexed.
• Financial & Revenue Data. We do not inspect or audit your commercial sales, in-app purchase receipts, or Google Play revenues.

5. Crash Diagnostics & Path Scrubbing

In plain words: Crash reports have your username scrubbed from file paths, and you approve each one before it is sent.

When an unexpected editor crash occurs (Windows SEH, macOS Mach signal), the engine's CrashRecorder formats a lightweight report.

Automated Scrubbing: All filesystem paths are scrubbed to strip user account names (for example, C:\Users\JohnDoe\... becomes [SCRUBBED]\...). Function call stacks only record engine symbols.

Explicit Prompt: Even if crash reporting is enabled in your settings, the editor presents an interactive "Share Crash Report" prompt on your next launch, giving you final control before any diagnostic packet leaves your machine.

6. Standalone Game Exports (Zero Spyware Guarantee)

In plain words: Games you build with Krotox do not report back to us.

When you package your 2D game into an Android APK/AAB, a Windows .exe, or a macOS .dmg:

• No Hidden Runtime Telemetry: The standalone Krotox runtime (KrotoxEngine-Runtime) does not contain background analytics beacons or runtime phoning-home code.
• No Runtime Fees or Audits: We do not track install numbers, player counts, or gross receipts.
• Offline Playability: Your exported games can run 100% offline without requiring internet connectivity or license validation servers.

7. Android & App Store Compliance

In plain words: Out of the box, an exported Android app asks for no sensitive permissions.

Krotox Engine's export pipeline compiles against Android 16 (API 36) and is designed to fit Google Play's User Data policies:

• Minimal Permissions: The default Android manifest requests zero sensitive hardware permissions (no location, microphone, or contacts).
• Predictive Back & Data Safety: Transparently routes back button gestures and avoids background data sync, so the engine itself adds nothing you would have to disclose in Google Play's Data Safety form. Your own game's code and SDKs may, and remain your responsibility.

8. This Website (krotox.com)

In plain words: The website uses no cookies and no trackers.

Browsing krotox.com needs no account, and the site has no forms. We keep it simple on purpose:

• No cookies, no analytics, no advertising or tracking scripts.
• No third-party requests for fonts or scripts. Fonts, images, and code are all served from krotox.com itself.
• Three preferences stay in your browser's local storage and are never sent to us: kx-theme (light or dark mode), kx-sound (whether the mood dial plays sound), and kx-buddy-off (whether the corner mascot is hidden). Clear your site data to remove them.
• Server logs: like any web server, the host may process standard request logs (IP address, time, requested URL, browser user-agent) to deliver and secure the site.

Downloading the editor is a plain file download, served from Microsoft Azure Blob Storage rather than from krotox.com itself. It does not require sign-in. Azure, as the host of the file, can see the request for it.

9. Data Retention & Security

In plain words: Your data is encrypted, and crash and performance data is deleted within 60 days of the issue being resolved.

All data transmitted to optional cloud services is encrypted using TLS 1.3 in transit and AES-256 at rest. Anonymized crash minidumps and performance traces are automatically deleted within 60 days of resolution.

10. Your Rights (GDPR & CCPA Compliance)

In plain words: You can see, delete, or stop our use of your data by emailing us.

Regardless of your geographic location, you retain full ownership of your data:

• Right to Access. Request a full export of any saved telemetry records.
• Right to Erasure. Request permanent deletion of all telemetry and cloud records.
• Right to Withdraw. Revoke consent with one click inside editor settings.

How to make a request:

1. Email us. Write to the address in the Contact section, from the email address linked to your account.
2. Say what you want. Access, erasure, or withdrawal of consent.
3. We reply. Within 48 business hours.

11. What This Means in Practice

In plain words: Common situations, and what happens in each.

12. Common Questions

In plain words: Short answers to the questions people ask most.

Do I need an account to use Krotox?

Not to use the editor offline. Account details are used for authentication and Project Hub session sync, and are only collected if you consent.

What happens if I choose "I don't agree"?

Zero telemetry calls are made, and the editor remains completely functional.

Can Krotox see my code, art or scenes?

No. Source code, assets, game logic and scene files stay on your local disk.

Does a game I export send data to Krotox?

No. The standalone runtime contains no analytics beacons or phone-home code, and does not need a licence server.

How do I turn telemetry off later?

In the editor, open Account > Diagnostics & Privacy and disable the category. Anything queued is purged.

Do I need a privacy policy for my own game?

This policy does not cover your game, and you are the data controller for your players (see Introduction & Scope). Check the rules of each store you publish on.

13. Changes to This Policy

In plain words: If this changes, you will see a new date and a note below.

When this policy changes, we update the version and "Last updated" date at the top of this page and record the change in the revision history below.

14. Contact Information

In plain words: Email us. A person reads it.

For privacy inquiries, data deletion requests, or technical questions regarding telemetry disclosure:

Krotox Engine Privacy Office
[email protected]
Response time: within 48 business hours.

Glossary

Telemetry

Information an app sends back to its makers about how it is used or how it performs.

Consent gate

A screen that stops anything being sent until you actively agree.

Crash report

A short technical record of what the editor was doing when it crashed.

Scrubbing

Removing personal details, such as your account name in a file path, before a report is made.

Anonymized

Stripped of details that would identify a person.

Data controller

The party that decides why and how personal data is used. For your game's players, that is you.

TLS 1.3 / AES-256

Standard encryption: TLS protects data while it travels, AES-256 protects it while it is stored.

Local storage

A small space in your browser where a website can keep preferences on your device.