Last updated 16 October 2026

Privacy Policy

This policy covers Holdout: Silhouette, a top-down stealth game for mobile, made by an independent developer ("we", "us"). It explains what the game collects, why, who can see it, and how to have it deleted. Questions: sharchoggames@gmail.com.

The short version

• No accounts or passwords.
• The game shows ads from Google AdMob: reward videos you choose to watch, and an ad between levels now and then. A purchase removes the ones between levels.
• Optional purchases go through Google Play. We never see your payment details.
• No contacts, photos, camera, microphone or GPS location.
• Your progress is saved on your device and backed up to our server under a recovery code only you see.
• The game sends gameplay analytics tied to a random player ID, not to your name.
• If you play the online Contract mode, the codename you pick and your runs are shown on a public leaderboard.
• We never sell your data.

Saved on your device, and its backup

Your progress, unlocks, purchases, settings and achievements are stored on your device. So that a reinstall or a new phone doesn't lose them, the game also backs your progress up to our server, under a recovery code it makes on your device and shows you in Settings. Only the code's fingerprint (a one-way hash) is stored with the backup, never the code itself, so the backup can only be brought back by someone who has the code. Typing the code on another phone restores the progress there.

Contract mode (online, optional)

Contract is the daily challenge with a leaderboard. If you play it, the game sends:

• A random player ID that the game makes on your device. It is not your name, phone number or any device identifier, and it is used only to tie your runs and codename together.
• Your codename: the 3 to 12 letter name you choose. Codenames containing offensive words are refused.
• Your runs: the day, your time, kills, the gear you took, the game version, and a replay of the run (where you moved and what you did in the level).
• Reports you make about other players' runs, and the reason you picked.

Other players can see your codename, your times and gear on the leaderboard, and can watch your replays. Nothing else about you is shown. We use this data only to run the leaderboard and to check reported runs and codenames by hand. We may hide runs or remove codenames that cheat or break the rules.

Gameplay analytics

To balance and fix the game, it sends what happens as you play: levels started and finished, deaths, the skills and gear used, tutorial steps, ads shown and purchases made in the game, crashes and errors, game performance (frame rate), basic device details (phone model, operating system version, graphics chip, memory, screen size) and replays of levels played (where you moved and what you did). It is tied to the same random player ID, not to your name, and used only by us, to improve the game.

Ads

Ads are served by Google AdMob. To show and measure ads and to prevent fraud, AdMob collects your device's advertising ID, basic device information, your IP address (from which an approximate location can be worked out) and how you interact with the ads. Google's use of this data is described in How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services. The game asks AdMob for ads suitable for teenagers.

Where the law requires it (the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland), the game first shows Google's consent form, and you can change your choice any time in Settings > Privacy options. On Android you can reset or delete your advertising ID in your phone's settings (Privacy > Ads). Buying "Remove ads" stops the ads between levels; reward videos stay available if you choose to watch them.

On an iPhone, the game also asks once whether you allow tracking (Apple's own question). Allowed, AdMob may use your advertising ID to show ads picked for you; refused, it can't, and the ads are chosen without it. The game plays the same either way, and you can change your answer any time in your iPhone's Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking.

Purchases

Purchases are made through Google Play (or Apple's App Store), under its own terms. We never see your card or payment details. We receive and keep a record of each purchase (the product, the store's order or transaction number, and the time), tied to your random player ID, so we can deliver what you bought, restore it, and deal with refunds and fraud.

Where it is kept, and for how long

Contract data, analytics, purchase records and save backups are stored with Supabase, which hosts our database. It processes the data for us and may not use it for anything else. Like any online service, its servers see your IP address when the game connects; we do not store it in our data. Everything is sent over encrypted connections (HTTPS).

We keep this data until you ask us to delete it, or until we clear it (leaderboards are reset from time to time). Purchase records may be kept as long as the law requires for tax and accounting.

Deleting your data

Email sharchoggames@gmail.com with the subject "Delete my Holdout data" and tell us your recovery code (Settings > Save backup) or your Contract codename, so we can find your data. We will delete your save backup, your analytics, your codename, your runs, their replays and your reports within 30 days and reply when it is done. Data saved on your device is removed when you uninstall the app.

Children

The game contains combat and is not made for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe a child has used the game, email us and we will delete their data.

Your rights

You can ask us what data we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it, at the address above. Where the law where you live gives you further rights, we will honour them.

Changes

If this policy changes, the new version will be posted here with a new date. A change to what the game collects will be posted before the version of the game that makes it is released.