Privacy Policy
This policy explains what Vowels LLC ("we") does and does not collect when you play TasteBuddy at tastebuddy.dev.
The short version
There are no accounts, no advertising and no cookies. We count visits and keep a record of the foods people type, without anything that identifies you, so we can improve the game. Your own progress and scores are saved only on your device. If you buy the unlock, Stripe handles the payment.
What is saved on your device
The game uses your browser's local storage, which stays on your device, to remember:
- your answers and score for each daily, so a daily is one attempt and your result is still there when you come back;
- your best score for each daily, shown in the archive;
- if you bought the unlock, an unlock pass that tells our server this browser has paid.
We cannot see what is saved on your device. Clearing your browser's site data removes all of it, including the unlock pass, which you can restore with the email you paid with.
The answer log
Each time you submit an answer, the game sends our server the food you typed, which round and which game it was for, whether the game accepted it, corrected it or did not recognise it, and the score. We use this to add foods the game is missing, fix corrections and tune how answers are scored.
These records are not linked to you. We do not store your IP address, your unlock pass, a device or visitor identifier, or anything else with them that says who typed the answer. Please do not type personal information into the answer box.
The player ranking
When you finish a daily, the game sends your seven answers to our server once more so it can work out your total and tell you how you did against other players. The server adds one to a count of how many players reached that total. That count is all it keeps: it is a tally of scores, with nothing about who the players were.
Visit statistics
We use PostHog, an analytics service, to see how many people visit, which pages they open, how they arrived, and how far they get, for example whether a game was started or finished, or the unlock page was opened. We run it without cookies and without saving anything on your device. To count visitors without cookies, PostHog briefly combines your IP address and browser type into an anonymous code that changes every day and cannot be turned back into your IP address; the IP address itself is then discarded. We do not record your screen, and we do not use this information for advertising.
The answer log described above is also kept in PostHog, as records that are not attached to any visitor.
We also use Vercel Web Analytics, from the company that hosts this site, to count page views. It uses no cookies and saves nothing on your device; it identifies a visit with a code built from your request that resets every day and is not stored, and it reports only totals such as pages viewed, referring sites, country and device type.
What our server receives
To load a daily, your browser asks our server for that day's shapes. If you have an unlock pass, it is sent with requests for past dailies so the server can check it. The pass is a signed code; it does not contain your name, email or card details, and it is not stored with the answer log.
The site is hosted by Vercel Inc. Like any web host, Vercel's servers receive standard technical information with each request, such as your IP address, browser type, the address requested and the time. This is used to deliver the site and keep it secure, and it appears in server logs that Vercel keeps for a limited time. We do not use these logs to identify individual players.
Purchases
Payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. When you buy the unlock, you give your payment details and email address to Stripe, not to us; we never see or store your card number. Stripe shares with us a record of the purchase, including your email address, the amount and the date, which we use to provide the unlock, deal with refunds and support requests, and keep the financial records the law requires. Stripe's privacy policy describes how it handles your information.
When you finish paying, or restore your unlock by entering your email, our server asks Stripe whether there is a paid unlock for that purchase or that email address. We use the answer to unlock your browser and do not keep a copy of it or of the email you typed.
What we do not do
- No accounts or profiles. There is no sign-up to play.
- No advertising and no cookies. The game loads no advertising scripts and sets no cookies. Its font is served from our own site.
- No selling of personal information.
If you email us
If you write to hello@tastebuddy.dev, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use it only to reply and to handle your request, and we keep it only as long as needed for that.
Children
The game is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, email us and we will delete it.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct or delete personal information held about you. For us that means purchase records and emails you have sent. To make a request, email hello@tastebuddy.dev.
Changes
If what we collect changes, for example through accounts or advertising, we will update this policy before that change takes effect, and change the date at the top.
Contact
Vowels LLC
Email: hello@tastebuddy.dev