Terms of Use &
Privacy Policy

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the VAST CITY website and game (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to all of these terms, you must not use the Service.

These Terms of Use form a legally binding agreement between you ("Player" or "User") and the creators of VAST CITY ("we," "us," or "our"). Your continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance of any updates to these terms.

About VAST CITY

VAST CITY is an interactive alternate reality game (ARG) distributed across multiple websites at the domain vast.city and its subdomains. Each subdomain represents a fictional institution within a fictional Victorian-era city.

The Service is intended purely for entertainment and storytelling. All content — including characters, institutions, events, documents, data, images, and narratives — is entirely fictional and has no connection to real-world events, persons, or organisations.

Eligibility

The Service is intended for users who are at least 13 years of age. By using the Service, you confirm that you meet this requirement. Users under the age of 16 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your country) should not create an account or submit personal data without verifiable parental or guardian consent.

We reserve the right to terminate access for any user we believe to be under the minimum age without prior notice.

Accounts & Registration

Some features of VAST CITY — including earning experience points (XP), unlocking badges, and tracking mission progress — require registration through our platform. When you register, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and truthful information.
• Keep your login credentials confidential.
• Not share your account with other users.
• Not create multiple accounts to gain unfair advantage.
• Notify us promptly of any unauthorised use of your account.

We are not responsible for any loss resulting from your failure to keep your credentials secure. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.

Intellectual Property

All content on the Service — including but not limited to text, graphics, images, logos, audio, video, game mechanics, puzzles, clues, and the overall VAST CITY world design — is the exclusive property of VAST CITY and its creators, and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other applicable intellectual property laws.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Service for personal, non-commercial entertainment purposes. This licence does not permit you to:

• Copy, reproduce, or redistribute any content without express written permission.
• Modify, adapt, or create derivative works from the content.
• Use any content for commercial purposes.
• Publicly post or publish puzzle solutions, spoilers, or game-breaking information in ways that damage other players' experience.
• Scrape, harvest, or programmatically extract game content or data.

Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to engage in any of the following activities when using the Service:

• Attempting to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Service, including server-side systems, databases, or other users' accounts.
• Using automated tools, scripts, or bots to interact with the Service in ways not intended by the gameplay.
• Exploiting bugs, glitches, or vulnerabilities rather than reporting them to us.
• Sharing or selling case keys, agent codes, or puzzle answers for commercial gain.
• Harassing, threatening, or abusing other players or members of the game community.
• Impersonating VAST CITY staff, game characters, or other users.
• Using the Service in violation of any applicable law or regulation.
• Attempting to reverse-engineer game systems or extract content beyond normal gameplay.

We reserve the right to suspend or permanently ban any user found to be in violation of these rules, without refund of any purchases made.

Fictional Content Disclaimer

VAST CITY is a work of interactive fiction. The following must be understood at all times:

• All city institutions, departments, agencies, personnel, records, documents, and events depicted within the game are entirely fictional.
• Fictional medical records, police reports, legal documents, newspaper articles, or data files appearing in the game do not represent real information and should not be treated as factual.
• The name "Division 7" and all associated characters and organisations are fictional creations and are not affiliated with any real government, law enforcement, or intelligence agency.
• Any resemblance to real persons (living or deceased), real events, or real organisations is entirely coincidental.

Purchases & Rewards

Certain VAST CITY experiences — such as case files, mission briefs, or starter kits — may be distributed through third-party platforms (including but not limited to itch.io). Purchases made through those platforms are subject to the respective platform's terms of service and refund policies, in addition to these terms.

In-game rewards including XP, badges, and ranks are virtual items with no monetary value. They are not transferable, not redeemable for cash, and may be modified or reset by us at any time without liability.

We reserve the right to modify, add, or discontinue any in-game reward system without prior notice.

External Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or platforms that are not operated by us. These links are provided for convenience and gameplay purposes only. We have no control over the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party site and accept no responsibility for them.

We strongly recommend that you read the terms and privacy policies of any external site you visit.

Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free from viruses or harmful components. We make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any game content.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall VAST CITY, its creators, contributors, or affiliates be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

• Your use of or inability to use the Service.
• Loss of game progress, XP, badges, or other in-game assets.
• Unauthorised access to or alteration of your data.
• Any other matter relating to the Service.

Our total aggregate liability to you for any claims arising from these terms shall not exceed the total amount you have paid us in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, for any reason including — but not limited to — breach of these Terms of Use.

Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination shall remain in effect, including intellectual property rights, disclaimers, and limitations of liability.

You may discontinue using the Service at any time. If you wish to request deletion of your account and associated personal data, please contact us at the address provided in the Contact section.

Governing Law

These Terms of Use shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the European Union and, where applicable, the national laws of Greece, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Greece.

If you are accessing the Service from outside the EU, you are responsible for compliance with your local laws.

Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

We recommend that you review this page periodically to stay informed of any updates.

Data Controller

This Privacy Policy describes how VAST CITY ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects personal data when you use our Service. We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and all applicable data protection laws.

Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

Account Data

When you register, we collect your username, email address, and a hashed version of your password. We do not store passwords in plain text.

Game Progress Data

We store your in-game progress including: solved cases, earned XP, unlocked badges, and redeemed agent keys. This data is tied to your account and is necessary to provide the game experience.

Technical Data

When you access the Service, our web servers may automatically log standard technical information including: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, and timestamps. This data is used for security, performance, and analytics purposes.

Communications

If you contact us directly (by email or otherwise), we retain the content of that communication and any personal data it contains for the purpose of responding to you and maintaining records.

Data We Do Not Collect

We do not collect payment card data (purchases are handled entirely by third-party platforms). We do not collect precise location data, biometric data, or any special categories of sensitive personal data as defined under GDPR Article 9.

How We Use Your Data

We do not use your personal data for automated decision-making or profiling. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under the GDPR, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to provide you with the Service you have registered for — including account management, game progress, and badge/XP systems.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): Processing for security, fraud prevention, and service improvement, where your interests and fundamental rights do not override our legitimate interests.
• Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Processing required to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): Where we have asked for your consent (e.g. optional communications). You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

Cookies & Local Storage

We use cookies and browser local/session storage to operate the Service. The following types may be used:

Essential cookies are strictly necessary for the Service to function and cannot be disabled without breaking core features. Non-essential cookies are only set with your consent, provided via our cookie notice on first visit.

You can manage or delete cookies at any time via your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the Service.

Third-Party Services

The Service uses the following third-party services that may process data on your behalf:

These third parties are data processors or independent data controllers. We select service providers who comply with GDPR and provide adequate data protection guarantees. We do not authorise them to use your data for their own purposes beyond service delivery.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy:

• Account data: Retained for the duration of your account. Deleted within 30 days of an account deletion request.
• Game progress data: Retained for the duration of the active game season or campaign, unless you request earlier deletion.
• Server logs and technical data: Retained for up to 12 months for security and diagnostics purposes.
• Support communications: Retained for up to 3 years to maintain a record of correspondence.

After the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymised.

Your Rights

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• Right of access (Art. 15): You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification (Art. 16): You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to erasure (Art. 17): You have the right to request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten"), subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to restriction (Art. 18): You have the right to request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability (Art. 20): You have the right to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format and to transfer it to another controller.
• Right to object (Art. 21): You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority — in Greece, this is the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA).

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include password hashing, HTTPS encryption for all data in transit, and restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority as required by law.

Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

Users between the ages of 13 and 16 should obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent before providing any personal data. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided us with personal data without their consent should contact us at [email protected].

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The updated version will be posted on this page with a new revision date. If we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify registered users (for example, by posting a notice on the game platform or sending an email).

Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Contact

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to these Terms of Use or this Privacy Policy, please reach out to us: