Privacy Policy

Effective date: upon publication of this revised policy on playyaoku.com.

YAOKU at playyaoku.com is operated by Elijah Maxwell. This Privacy Policy explains how information is handled when you play puzzles, use shared links, or contact us. “YAOKU,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Elijah Maxwell as the operator of the service. Privacy questions and requests may be sent to privacy-policy@playyaoku.com.

1. Playing and saving progress

You do not need an account to play. The Collection contains 1,000 numbered puzzles with fixed puzzle definitions. Free Play generates new puzzles in your browser.

The game uses browser local storage to remember your puzzle, entered numbers, pencil notes, elapsed time, hints, completion records, best times, recent undo history, and color-theme preference. Free Play saves also include the puzzle definition and a locally generated puzzle identifier. These records use the storage keys yaoku-game-v1, yaoku-progress-v2, yaoku-stats-v1, and yaoku-theme. When gameplay analytics is enabled, the saved game also includes a random per-game analytics identifier and delivery counters. A separate yaoku-analytics-queue-v1 local-storage record temporarily holds unsent gameplay events for retry. The analytics identifier expires for reuse after 30 days; expiry does not erase your locally saved game.

Your entered numbers, pencil notes, undo history, and saved puzzle-progress content are not uploaded for account storage or synchronization. They remain in this browser on this device. Limited gameplay summaries are sent separately as described in section 2. Other people using the same browser profile may be able to see local records. Private browsing, browser settings, storage limits, or clearing site data may prevent saving or erase your records. YAOKU does not provide cloud backup or cross-device synchronization for these records.

2. Gameplay analytics

YAOKU uses a first-party gameplay analytics service hosted on Cloudflare Workers with a Cloudflare D1 database. Its purpose is to understand puzzle starts and completions, approximate active solving time, difficulty and mode preferences, hint use, restarts, and games that remain unfinished, so we can improve the puzzles. Loading a page alone does not count as starting a game. The game checks puzzle completion in your browser before sending a completion event; the server does not receive your entered answers as part of that event.

The collector sends a limited set of fields: event type (start, progress, completion, or restart), random per-game identifier, numbered Collection puzzle ID where applicable, difficulty, game mode, approximate active seconds, hint count, and an event sequence number used to prevent duplicates. Free Play attempts use the random per-game identifier without uploading the generated puzzle definition to the analytics service. The server records when it receives each event. Progress updates are periodic or tied to meaningful game and page-lifecycle events; the collector does not send every click, keystroke, entered digit, or pencil note.

The random identifier associates events for one puzzle attempt and helps prevent duplicate starts or completions after a reload. It is not an account or advertising identifier, is not reused to link separate puzzle attempts, and is not used to identify you. It expires for reuse after 30 days, and restarting creates a new identifier for the next attempt. These event records are pseudonymous rather than a guarantee of anonymity. The system does not measure unique people, build cross-game player profiles, or track your browsing outside YAOKU. Restart counts and resuming the same attempt are not proof of how many people return.

The gameplay database does not store raw IP addresses, player names, email addresses, precise locations, device fingerprints, advertising identifiers, browser user-agent strings, or referrer URLs. Cloudflare nevertheless processes connection and request information to deliver and secure the service. A short-lived rate-limit key derived from connection information may be processed by Cloudflare to limit event spam; it is separate from gameplay records and is not a player profile. Infrastructure processing and provider records are described further below.

Active time is an approximate browser measurement. It excludes manual pauses, hidden-page time, and extended inactivity. Client-reported events can be incomplete, blocked, delayed, or altered; the statistics are not independently verified records. Extremely short completion times are excluded from solving-time summaries. A game without a recorded completion is reported as unfinished, not automatically abandoned.

The application schedules daily deletion of raw event rows older than 30 days and per-game server summaries with no event in the preceding 30 days. Aggregate weekly statistics and report-delivery records are scheduled for deletion after 397 days, approximately 13 months. Aggregates do not contain per-game identifiers. These application deletion schedules do not guarantee immediate deletion from Cloudflare-managed recovery copies, infrastructure records, or copies already held outside the database. Unsent browser events expire from retry eligibility after 30 days and are limited to a bounded queue; clearing site data removes the local queue.

Aggregate statistics are used to prepare private weekly reports for the operator. Reports contain totals and puzzle-level statistics, not per-game identifiers or raw event records. Where report email sending is enabled, Cloudflare sends these aggregate reports to Business@playyaoku.com, with delivery and storage also involving the receiving email provider. The database retention schedule does not automatically delete emailed reports or provider-held copies.

The gameplay collector does not send events when your browser exposes an enabled Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal. Blocking these analytics requests does not prevent normal puzzle play, though browser storage restrictions may affect saving. The same minimum-age restriction described below applies to gameplay analytics.

3. Shared puzzle links

A Collection link identifies an existing numbered puzzle. Creating that link does not upload your progress or create a new server-side puzzle definition.

For a new Free Play puzzle, opening “Share this puzzle” starts a request to save the puzzle definition and create a six-digit link. Saving starts when you open that dialog, even if you do not send the link. The definition includes the puzzle layout, clues, fixed numbers, solution, Loose Cards, generation seed, and difficulty. The registry stores the definition, its share code, and a hash used to recognize duplicate definitions. It does not store your entered numbers, notes, elapsed time, hints, undo history, or local progress records as part of that definition.

Shared definitions are stored using Cloudflare Durable Objects. Anyone who has or guesses a valid code can retrieve the definition, including its solution. These links are public puzzle identifiers, not private access credentials, and are not tied to a player account. Do not use them to communicate confidential information.

The registry currently has no automatic expiration and no player-facing deletion control. Clearing browser data does not delete a shared definition. You can ask about removal at privacy-policy@playyaoku.com, including the puzzle code. A code alone does not establish who created a puzzle because the registry has no creator-ownership records. We cannot remove copies of a link or definition held outside our control.

4. Hosting, fonts, and technical information

Cloudflare hosts the website and sharing service. Delivering pages, assets, and shared puzzles involves processing connection and request information, such as your IP address, requested URL, and browser-provided headers. The puzzle-registry table does not include visitor IP-address or player-account fields; this does not mean hosting or security infrastructure keeps no technical records.

The stylesheet loads fonts from Google Fonts. Your browser sends requests to Google to retrieve the stylesheets and font files. These requests disclose your IP address, requested resource, and browser-provided headers, which can include browser, operating-system, and referring-page information. See Google’s font privacy information and Google’s Privacy Policy. Cloudflare describes its handling of information in its Privacy Policy.

The game’s application code does not include an advertising SDK, third-party advertising tracker, tracking pixel, or a command that sets browser cookies. It does use local storage and first-party gameplay analytics as described above. This description is limited to the application: hosting, security, font, and email services also process information, and their own features, settings, and policies may apply. It should not be read as a statement that no technical data is processed or that every provider operates without cookies.

5. Email and information you provide

If you email us, the information involved may include your email address, message, attachments, and message headers. The purposes of handling correspondence include responding to questions, troubleshooting, considering puzzle ideas or business inquiries, and addressing privacy or legal concerns.

The published YAOKU addresses use Cloudflare Email Routing to forward incoming messages to the mailbox used for correspondence. Email delivery and storage also involve the sending and receiving email providers. We do not publish the private forwarding destination. Please include only information needed for your request; do not send passwords, payment-card details, or unnecessary sensitive information.

6. Information use, disclosure, and retention

The application’s information flows support delivering the website, remembering games locally, making shared puzzles retrievable, and measuring aggregate puzzle performance. The game code does not send gameplay records to advertising services or include a mechanism for selling player data. This describes the game’s functionality, not an assurance about every independent practice of an infrastructure provider.

Information may also need to be disclosed where required by law or to address security incidents, abuse, or legal claims, subject to applicable law. This does not provide us with remote access to records saved only in your browser.

Local game records remain until removed or overwritten by you, the application, or your browser. Shared definitions have no programmed expiration in the current registry. There is no single fixed retention period stated in this policy for email, hosting records, or provider backups. Do not assume those records are deleted when you close the website or clear your browser. For questions about information associated with a particular message or request, contact privacy-policy@playyaoku.com. A request does not guarantee that every record or externally held copy can be deleted, and applicable legal requirements may affect the response.

7. Your choices and requests

You can remove locally saved games, statistics, and preferences by clearing YAOKU’s site data in your browser settings. YAOKU has no account-based recovery for those records. Blocking local storage may prevent saving. Clearing site data does not erase shared definitions or correspondence. Avoid opening the sharing dialog for a new Free Play puzzle if you do not want its definition saved on the server. You can prevent the gameplay analytics collector from sending events by enabling a browser setting that sends Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control, where your browser supports one of these signals. This applies to the gameplay collector, not to the technical processing needed to deliver the website, fonts, shared puzzles, or email. Clearing local storage does not delete analytics events already received on the server.

Depending on where you live and the laws that apply, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, or a portable copy of personal information, or to complain to a relevant privacy regulator. Send requests to privacy-policy@playyaoku.com. We may need proportionate information to understand the request and verify that it concerns you. Applicable exceptions may limit a request. We cannot retrieve gameplay-progress content that exists only in your browser. Because gameplay analytics has no player account, we may be unable to locate particular event records without their random per-game identifier. Do not send unrelated sensitive information to establish a connection.

8. Children under 13

YAOKU is for people age 13 and older. We do not knowingly allow children under 13 to use our services. Children under 13 must not use YAOKU or send us personal information; parental permission does not override this minimum age. Users age 13 or older who have not reached the age of legal majority where they live must have a parent’s or guardian’s permission to use the service.

If you believe a child under 13 has used YAOKU or provided personal information, contact privacy-policy@playyaoku.com. Provide only information necessary to identify the concern. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take appropriate steps to stop further collection and delete the information as required by applicable law.

The website does not currently verify ages or provide a parental-consent process. This restriction does not mean children’s access is technically prevented, and it does not replace any obligations imposed by children’s privacy law.

9. Security and policy updates

No website, browser-storage system, or email service can guarantee absolute security. Do not use puzzle links for confidential information. If you share a device, consider who can access the browser profile containing your saved games.

We may update this policy to reflect changes in the service or applicable requirements. Updates will show a revised effective date. Where additional notice or consent is legally required, posting an updated page alone will not replace that requirement.

10. Contact

Operator: Elijah Maxwell, operating YAOKU.

Privacy and children’s privacy: privacy-policy@playyaoku.com.

Help: support@playyaoku.com.

See our Terms of Service and contact page for additional information and the other YAOKU email addresses.