Privacy policy

Earth is Optional · Effective 16 October 2026 · Release 0.49.34

Publisher and contact

Earth is Optional is published by Denis Brodschii under the creative brand Stoked Worlds, in Australia. Stoked Worlds is not a separate legal entity. For privacy, deletion or support requests, email stokedworlds@gmail.com. Identify the game and describe your request; do not send passwords, identity documents or payment credentials.

Your game and device data

The game stores progress, settings, mission evidence, generated field photographs and reward records in the app's private storage on your device. Field photographs are images of the simulated world: the game does not use your phone's camera, microphone, contacts or precise device location. There is no player account, cloud-save account, public chat or photo-upload service in this release. The developer does not receive your local flight history or photographs during ordinary offline play.

Android backup is disabled for this app. Clearing its storage or uninstalling can permanently remove local progress and photographs. The new Play application, space.earthisoptional.game, has separate storage from earlier com.solarwake.explorer test installations; their data is not automatically transferred.

Audience and local advertising choices

The 0.49.34 closed-test bundle uses clearly labelled offline draft ads. These are local screens with no advertiser connection, tracking or payment. Optional completed drafts grant 15 minutes of test Fast-track; cancelling gives no reward. Automatic drafts appear only at safe expedition debriefs after at least four minutes of active play and at least four active minutes since the last ad. No online ad or consent service is started in this draft configuration.

The game is designed and marketed for teenagers aged 13 and older and adults. It is not directed to children under 13. In this release, online ads are off by default and are unavailable for an under-18 or unknown age range. The optional advertising settings store only a selected age range and an on/off choice locally; they do not ask for a date of birth. Choosing an age range does not unlock game content or grant a reward. Offline exploration and earned progression remain available with online ads off.

Adults may choose to enable online ads in Expeditions → Journey → Privacy & ad choices. That local choice is not a substitute for Google's regional consent form. Where advertising is configured, Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) checks the current consent requirements before the game requests ads. If the required setup or consent check is unavailable, the game keeps online ads off. Privacy & ad choices also provides access to applicable Google privacy choices and lets you turn online ads off. Opening it clears previously loaded ads. Turning ads off stops further ad requests by the game; it does not erase information already received by a service.

Advertising services and SDK disclosures

The Android Play build includes Google Mobile Ads SDK 25.5.0 and Google User Messaging Platform 4.0.0. Online configurations use Google demonstration ad units until a separate revenue release is configured. In the 0.49.34 offline-draft closed-test configuration, these services are not initialized or requested. The Play upload includes labelled offline ad drafts and excludes simulated purchase checkout. Real purchases remain disabled. The separately labelled sideload purchase previews are local simulations with no payment.

When Google's online advertising or consent services are used, Google may process network information including IP address and approximate location inferred from it; device, app or account-related identifiers; app/ad interactions such as launches, taps and video views; diagnostics such as crashes, performance and energy use; and consent choices. This supports advertising delivery, measurement, service operation, security and fraud prevention. Google describes the Mobile Ads SDK as collecting and sharing these categories. Demonstration ads should not be treated as having no data processing.

This build removes the Android advertising-ID and Android AdServices advertising-ID, attribution and Topics permissions. That does not eliminate IP addresses, app-set identifiers or all service data. There are no additional mediation networks or standalone analytics SDKs configured by the developer. Google documents TLS encryption in transit for Mobile Ads SDK data. The developer does not control Google's complete retention periods or receive every device-level record processed by Google.

Google's privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Advertising information and controls: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads
Mobile Ads data disclosure: https://developers.google.com/admob/android/privacy/play-data-disclosure

Purchases and rewards

Real-money checkout and the developer's purchase-verification server are disabled in this release. The app includes Google Play Billing Library 9.1.0 for a later configured release, but it does not connect to billing while disabled. Local no-charge purchase previews are available only in the sideload test APK and are clearly identified. The app stores reward/preview receipt records locally to avoid duplicate grants. It does not ask for or store card details. Before real purchases or live advertisements are introduced, the policy and Play disclosures will be updated for the enabled services.

Support and tester feedback

If you email the developer, your email address, message and any device information or attachments you choose to send are processed to respond, investigate faults and maintain necessary records. Email is handled through Gmail/Google. Include only information needed for your enquiry. Routine support correspondence is retained while the enquiry is active and normally deleted within 12 months after resolution. Relevant records may be retained longer where needed for a dispute, security incident or legal obligation; unrelated personal details should be removed. Contact the address above to request access, correction or deletion of information held by the developer.

If you join a Google Group for testing, Google processes your Google account and group activity under its policies. Group owners/managers can see membership information needed for enrolment and moderation; other visibility depends on the group's settings. Do not post private information in group discussions. Leaving a tester group and leaving a Google Play test are separate actions.

Website and external services

Visiting earthisoptional.space sends ordinary connection information, such as IP address and browser request details, to the website's hosting provider, Cloudflare, for delivery and security. The website stores sound preferences in your browser and contains a YouTube privacy-enhanced video embed. Loading or using external video features can involve Google/YouTube processing. These website services are separate from the offline game. Cloudflare's privacy policy: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/. Google's privacy policy also covers YouTube and Google Groups. Services may process information in countries other than your own.

Storage, security and deletion

Local game data remains on the device until changed by play, cleared through Android Settings → Apps → Earth is Optional → Storage → Clear storage, or removed by uninstalling. Clearing storage resets progress, photos and local privacy choices; keep this in mind before doing so. There is no developer cloud copy from which to restore those saves. Local files are protected by Android's app storage controls; this policy does not claim separate end-to-end encryption of every save or email.

For information held by Google, use Google's account, privacy and advertising controls and any applicable request process. A deletion request to the developer does not automatically delete Google's independently held records. For a concern involving a child, contact the developer; under-18/unknown-age online ads remain disabled. Depending on your location, you may have further privacy rights or the right to contact a privacy regulator.

Changes

Material changes to services or data handling will be described in an updated policy and applicable store disclosures before the changed release is distributed. The effective date above identifies this policy. A readable copy is bundled in the game under Legal, privacy & credits.