Legal & Privacy

1. License Grant

1.1 The Game is licensed to you, not sold. Subject to your compliance with this Agreement, we grant you a personal, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to install and play the Game for your own personal, non-commercial entertainment on devices you own or control, as permitted by the store you obtained it from.

1.2 Store terms. If you obtained the Game through Steam or another store, your purchase, refunds, account, and download are also governed by that store's terms (for Steam, the Steam Subscriber Agreement and Valve's refund policy). Refund requests are handled by the store, not by us.

1.3 DLC. DLC is licensed on the same terms as the Game and works only with a valid license to the base Game.

1.4 Updates. We may release updates, patches, and new content, and may change, add, or remove features, including in response to player feedback. Some updates may be required to keep playing online features. We have no obligation to provide updates or to keep any particular feature available, though we intend to keep supporting the Game.

1.5 Offline play and online services. The single-player game, and co-op over a local network or a direct connection, never need our servers. Online room codes and problem reports use services we run. We may change, suspend, or end an online service (for example, if it is abused or can no longer be run), and for a permanent shutdown we will give at least 90 days' notice in the Game, in its patch notes, or on our website. Ending a service does not end your license to the rest of the Game.

1.6 In-game items. In-game items, currencies, credits, trophies, agency rewards, and other virtual items have no monetary value, cannot be bought or sold for real money through us, cannot be redeemed or exchanged for money or anything of value, and are part of the licensed Game, not property you own. Removing or changing them in an update is not a breach of this Agreement.

2. Restrictions

You agree not to, and not to help anyone else to:

• (a) copy, sell, rent, lease, lend, sublicense, distribute, or otherwise transfer the Game or any part of it, except as the store's own features allow;
• (b) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to derive source code from the Game, or unpack, extract, or modify its files (including Godot .pck archives and .NET assemblies), except to the extent applicable law expressly permits this despite this restriction;
• (c) extract, rip, reuse, or redistribute any art, models, textures, animations, sounds, music, or other assets from the Game, including third-party assets licensed to us;
• (d) create or distribute cheats, exploits, bots, or tools that interfere with another player's game, the co-op mode, or our servers;
• (e) attack, overload, probe, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to our servers, the co-op room service, the problem-report service, or another player's computer;
• (f) use the Game for any commercial purpose (for example, in an internet cafe or paid event) without our written permission, other than the content creation allowed in Section 4;
• (g) remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or other notice in the Game; or
• (h) use the Game in violation of any law, including export control and sanctions laws. By using the Game you confirm you are not located in a country subject to a comprehensive U.S. embargo and are not on a U.S. government list of restricted persons.

3. Co-Op and Player Conduct

3.1 The co-op mode connects your computer directly to one other player's computer (peer to peer). Text chat and push-to-talk voice go directly between the two players' computers; we do not record, store, or monitor them.

3.2 You are responsible for what you say and share in co-op. Do not harass, threaten, or abuse other players, share illegal or sexually explicit material, impersonate others, or share another person's private information. Only play co-op with people you choose to trust: when you connect directly to another player, that player's computer necessarily learns your IP address, and yours learns theirs.

3.3 You can end a co-op session at any time by leaving it. If another player abuses co-op, you can report it to us at the contact address in Section 20. We may block access to our room service for anyone who misuses it.

4. Content Creation, Screenshots, and Streaming

We love seeing the Game shared. You may take screenshots and record, stream, and publish videos of you playing the Game, and you may monetize those videos and streams through the platforms you publish them on, provided that: you do not distribute the Game itself or assets extracted from its files; you do not suggest that GodWinds Studios endorses you or your content; and the content does not violate the law or the platform's rules. We may withdraw this permission for specific content that is unlawful, abusive, or harmful to the Game or the studio.

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 The Game, including its code, story, characters, names, places, dialogue, artwork, animation, sounds, music, user interface, and all copies, are owned by GodWinds Studios or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. "Hazzard Hearth," "GodWinds Studios," and their logos are our trademarks. All rights not expressly granted to you are reserved.

5.2 Third-party content. The Game includes content licensed from others, including the Godot Engine (MIT License), the Steamworks SDK (Valve Corporation), character assets adapted from MakeHuman (CC0), and 3D models, textures, and sounds licensed from third-party creators and marketplaces. These remain the property of their owners and are licensed to you only as part of the Game. The notices and licenses for this content, including the Godot Engine's license and the licenses of the libraries built into it, are shown in the Game after this Agreement (title screen, [EULA]).

5.3 Feedback. If you send us ideas, suggestions, bug reports, or other feedback, you allow us to use it freely to improve and promote the Game, without obligation to you. We are grateful for it, and we read it.

6. Saved Games and Your Device

The Game stores saved games, settings, achievements earned, and a random co-op player identifier in its user data folder on your computer. Hardcore mode deletes that mode's save when your character dies; this is part of the mode and cannot be undone. Keep your own backups of saves you value. Game updates may occasionally affect compatibility with older saves; we try hard to avoid this.

7. Health and Safety Warning

PHOTOSENSITIVE SEIZURE WARNING: A very small percentage of people may experience seizures when exposed to certain visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games (for example, lightning, muzzle flashes, and meteor showers in this Game). Even people with no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed condition. If you or anyone in your family has an epileptic condition or has had seizures, consult a doctor before playing. Stop playing immediately and consult a doctor if you experience dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of awareness, disorientation, involuntary movements, or convulsions. Take regular breaks, play in a well-lit room, and sit at a comfortable distance from the screen.

The Game contains depictions of hunting, animal death and blood, firearm violence, and frightening creatures. It is intended for a mature audience.

8. Termination

This Agreement lasts until it ends. Your license ends automatically if you materially breach this Agreement. You may end it at any time by uninstalling the Game and deleting your copies. When it ends you must stop using the Game. Sections 5, 9 through 13, and Part B (as to data already collected) survive termination.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE GAME AND ALL ONLINE FEATURES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND QUIET ENJOYMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE GAME WILL BE ERROR-FREE OR UNINTERRUPTED, THAT ONLINE FEATURES WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE, OR THAT SAVED GAMES WILL NEVER BE LOST. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THESE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. If you are a consumer in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, or another place with mandatory consumer guarantees, you have legal rights if digital content is faulty or not as described, and this Section does not affect them.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, GODWINDS STUDIOS AND ITS LICENSORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, SAVED GAMES, GOODWILL, OR USE, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE GAME OR THIS AGREEMENT, HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THEIR POSSIBILITY. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATED TO THE GAME WILL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR THE GAME (OR THE DLC THE CLAIM CONCERNS) IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE. Nothing in this Agreement limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot be limited by law.

11. Indemnity

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify GodWinds Studios against claims, losses, and costs (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your breach of this Agreement or your misuse of the Game or its online features.

12. Governing Law and Disputes

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Indiana, United States, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. Before filing any claim, you agree to contact us first so we can try to resolve it informally within 30 days. Any dispute that is not resolved informally will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Indiana, and you and we consent to their jurisdiction; either party may instead bring an individual claim in small-claims court where it qualifies. If you are a consumer living in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or another place whose law gives you the right to bring claims in your local courts or under your local law, you keep that right. To the extent the law allows, any claim relating to the Game or this Agreement must be brought within one (1) year after it arises, or it is permanently barred.

13. General

This Agreement (with the store's terms for your purchase) is the entire agreement between you and us about the Game and replaces earlier versions. If any part is found unenforceable, it will be enforced to the maximum extent possible and the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it. You may not assign this Agreement; we may assign it in connection with a sale or transfer of the Game. The Game is subject to applicable export laws, and you agree to comply with them. Neither of us is responsible for a failure or delay caused by events beyond reasonable control (for example, natural disasters, outages of internet or hosting providers, or acts of government). Our licensors are intended third-party beneficiaries of the protections in this Agreement that apply to their content; otherwise no one else has rights under it. Valve Corporation and other stores are not parties to this Agreement and are not responsible for the Game. We may give you notices in the Game, in its patch notes, on our website, or by email if you have written to us. If this Agreement is translated, the English version controls where the law allows. Nothing in this Agreement creates a partnership, agency, or employment relationship. Headings are for convenience only.

14. Changes to This Agreement

We may update this Agreement, for example when we add features or when the law changes. We will change the date at the top and, for material changes, tell you in the Game, in the Game's patch notes, or on our website before they take effect. If you keep playing after a change takes effect, the updated Agreement applies. If you do not agree to a change, you may stop playing and uninstall the Game.

15. Who We Are and What This Covers

GodWinds Studios, based in Indiana, United States, is responsible for the personal data described here (the "controller" under data protection laws). This Privacy Policy explains what information the Game collects, why, who it is shared with, how long it is kept, and your rights. It covers the Game and its online services (the co-op room service and the problem-report service). Our website and the stores you buy from have their own privacy policies.

The short version: the Game has no advertising, no analytics or tracking, no hardware fingerprinting, and no account with us. We do not sell or rent personal data, and we do not share it for targeted advertising. The Game sends information to us only when you use co-op online room codes or choose to send a problem report.

16. Information the Game Collects and Why

16.1 Stored and checked only on your computer (we never receive it unless you send a problem report): the Game checks your PC hardware specifications locally (such as graphics card, processor, memory, and display resolution) to recommend graphics settings and run benchmarks, and stores your saved games, settings, earned achievements, benchmark results, and a randomly generated co-op player identifier that is not linked to your name, Steam account, or hardware. These stay in the Game's user data folder unless you delete them.

16.2 Problem reports (only when you choose to send one). From the "Report a problem" screen, or after a crash, you can write a note and choose whether to include (a) your computer's specifications (operating system, processor, graphics card and driver, memory, display) and (b) the Game's error logs. Before anything is sent you can read every line of what will be sent, and nothing is sent unless you press Send. Your Windows user name is removed from file paths in the logs. When a report is sent, our server also receives your IP address and the time, as any website does. Do not put personal information you do not want to share into the note. Purpose: to find and fix bugs and crashes. Legal basis (where the GDPR applies): your consent, given by choosing to send the report, and our legitimate interest in keeping the Game working.

16.3 Online co-op room codes (only when you host or join with a room code). To let two players find each other, the Game sends our room service the display name you chose for co-op, the network port of your session, a random session identifier, and the Game's co-op version; our server uses your IP address to tell the joining player where to connect. Room entries are temporary: they are deleted automatically within about three minutes after the host stops sending updates, and they are never used for anything else. Purpose: to connect co-op sessions. Legal basis (where the GDPR applies): performance of the service you asked for. The Game may also ask your home router (via UPnP, on your local network only) to open a network port for the session while you host; it closes when you stop.

16.4 Direct co-op connection. During co-op, your computer and your partner's exchange game data, your co-op display name and appearance, your random co-op player identifier, text chat, and push-to-talk voice directly. This necessarily shares your IP address with that player. We do not receive, record, or store this traffic. Your partner's computer stores the shared expedition save if they are the host.

16.5 Steam. If you play through Steam, Steam provides the Game's ownership check, achievements, and (if enabled) cloud saves. Valve processes this information under its own privacy policy; the Game does not send your Steam account details to us, and we do not receive personal data about you from Steam beyond aggregate sales and achievement statistics that Valve provides to developers.

16.6 Contacting us. If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you write, and use it only to answer you and to fix what you report.

16.7 Links. Links in the Game (for example, to the guide or the contact page) open our website in your web browser, which has its own privacy policy.

16.8 What we never collect: payment or card details (the store handles purchases), your real name unless you write it to us, contacts, precise location (we do not look up where you are from your IP address), recordings of your voice or chat, biometric data, or any "sensitive" personal data as defined by privacy laws. The Game contains no cookies, advertising identifiers, or third-party analytics or advertising code.

16.9 Summary by category. In the categories used by the California Consumer Privacy Act and similar laws, in the last 12 months:

• Identifiers (IP address, co-op display name, random session identifier, and your email address if you write to us). Source: your device and you. Purpose: connecting co-op sessions, receiving problem reports, answering you. Disclosed for a business purpose to: our hosting providers. Kept: room entries about 3 minutes; reports up to 24 months; emails as long as needed.
• Internet or other electronic network activity and device information (computer specifications and the Game's error logs, only if you include them in a report). Source: your device, when you choose. Purpose: finding and fixing bugs and crashes. Disclosed to: our hosting providers. Kept: up to 24 months.
• The content of messages you send us (a report's note, emails). Source: you. Purpose: as above. Kept: as above.
• Sensitive personal information, precise geolocation, audio or biometric data, commercial or financial information: none collected.

We have not sold or "shared" (for cross-context behavioral advertising) any personal data, and we have no actual knowledge of selling or sharing the data of anyone under 16. Providing data is always voluntary: if you don't, the only effect is that the room code or report isn't sent. We make no decisions about you by automated means, including profiling.

17. Sharing

We share personal data only: (a) with service providers that host our website, room service, and report service on our behalf, under obligations to protect it and to use it only for us; (b) if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety, rights, or property of our players, ourselves, or others; or (c) as part of a sale or transfer of the Game, in which case this Policy continues to apply to the data. We do not sell personal data, share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, or use it for profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

18. Retention, Security, and Transfers

Room service entries are deleted automatically within minutes. Problem reports are kept only as long as needed to investigate and fix the issue, and no longer than twenty-four months, after which they are deleted. Emails are kept as long as needed to deal with the matter. We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect data, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections to our services, but no method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure. If a security breach affecting your personal data occurs, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as the law requires. Our services are hosted in the United States; if you are outside the United States, your data will be transferred there, as described in Section 19.5.

19. Your Rights and Choices

19.1 Choices: you can play the whole Game without sending us anything. Do not use online room codes (play solo, or co-op over your local network) and do not send problem reports, and the Game sends us nothing.

19.2 Rights: depending on where you live (including under the EU and UK GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended, the Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act, and similar U.S. state laws), you may have the right to know and access the personal data we hold about you, to correct it, to delete it, to receive a portable copy, to object to or restrict certain processing, to withdraw consent at any time (without affecting earlier processing), and to opt out of sale, targeted advertising, and profiling (we do none of these). We will not treat you differently for exercising your rights. To exercise a right, email us at the address in Section 20; we may need to verify your request, for example by asking for the report ID or approximate date. Because we keep so little, we often will not be able to link data to you without such details. Requests are free (we may decline or charge a reasonable fee for requests that are manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repeated more than the law requires us to answer). We respond within 45 days of receipt and may extend that once by a further 45 days where reasonably necessary, telling you why; where the GDPR applies, within one month, extendable by two further months. You may use an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf, and we may ask the agent for proof of authority and ask you to verify your identity.

19.3 Appeals. If we decline to act on your request, we will tell you why. You may appeal by replying to our decision with "Appeal" in the subject within a reasonable time. We will respond to an appeal in writing within 60 days, explaining what we did or did not do and why. If we deny your appeal, you may contact your state attorney general (in Indiana, the Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/) or, in the EU and UK, lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (in the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office); you may also do so at any time.

19.4 Signals and California notices. The Game does not track you across other sites or services, so it does not respond differently to "Do Not Track" or Global Privacy Control signals; we already do not sell or share personal data. California residents may request information about disclosures of personal data to third parties for their direct marketing purposes (California Civil Code Section 1798.83); we make no such disclosures.

19.5 EU and UK. Where the GDPR applies, the controller is GodWinds Studios (contact below). Because our processing is occasional, small in scale, and low-risk, we have not appointed a representative in the EU or UK (GDPR Article 27(2)). Transfers to the United States rely on the grounds the law provides for them, such as the transfer being necessary to provide the service you asked for (sending a report or hosting a room).

19.6 Children: the Game is not directed at children under 13 (or under 16 where that is the age for consent), and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

20. Contact

For questions about this Agreement or privacy, or to exercise your rights, contact GodWinds Studios:

Email: contact@GodWindsStudios.com

Website: https://GodWindsStudios.com (contact page: https://GodWindsStudios.com/contact)

1. License Grant & Scope

When you purchase or download direct desktop software from GodWinds Studios—including General Winter: Desktop Edition, the GodWinds Installer, and the GodWinds Launcher—we grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and run the software on one Windows PC for your personal, non-commercial entertainment and use.

2. Machine Binding & Hardware Identifiers

To enforce single-machine activation and prevent unauthorized distribution, GWS Proprietary DRM reads and generates hardware and system identifiers (such as machine/motherboard IDs, operating system user identifiers, and system configuration hashes) to bind your purchased product key and license token to your authorized computer.

3. Windows Registry & Local Storage

The Installer, Launcher, and game create, read, and maintain local entries in the Windows Registry (under GodWinds Studios keys) and local AppData folders on your PC. These entries store your activation status, encrypted license tokens, installation directories, and version info required for the software to launch and verify authenticity.

4. Server Verification & Periodic Check-ins

The software connects to GodWinds Studios’ secure license and update servers during installation, first activation, at launch, and occasionally while running to verify your product key, token validity, hardware identifier, and IP address, and to deliver updates. Single-player matches play offline after initial activation.

5. Anti-Tampering & Circumvention Restrictions

You agree not to remove, disable, emulate, spoof, reverse engineer, decompile, or bypass GWS Proprietary DRM, modify Windows Registry keys or local license tokens to circumvent activation limits, or share or publish product keys. Keys used concurrently across multiple computers or obtained fraudulently may be revoked.

6. Hardware Upgrades & Transferring to a New PC

We believe in fair ownership. If you upgrade your computer, reformat Windows, or buy a new PC, you do not need to buy the game again. Simply open a Purchase ticket with your order number or purchase email, and we will gladly reset your key so you can activate it on your new computer.

7. Information Collected by GWS DRM

When you activate or run GWS DRM-enabled software, we collect only the minimal data required to authenticate your license:

• Product Key & Order Reference: To match your license to your purchase.
• Hardware / Machine Identifier: A non-reversible hardware hash to ensure the single-seat activation limit.
• IP Address & Timestamp: Sent automatically over HTTPS during license check-ins to prevent brute-force attacks and abuse.
• Software Version & Token: To verify that your build is genuine and check if updates are available.

8. What We Never Collect

GWS Proprietary DRM is strictly a license verification system. It does not scan your personal files, does not track your browsing or applications outside our software, does not log keystrokes, and contains no third-party telemetry, spyware, or advertising trackers.

9. Data Storage, Security & Retention

License tokens and activation records are transmitted exclusively over encrypted HTTPS connections to our secure servers in the United States. Activation records are retained while your license is active so that your software continues to operate and to enable support ticket resets. We do not sell, rent, or share DRM data with third parties.