Privacy policy
In short. Hakoniwami has no accounts and doesn't ask for your name, email address or age. Your garden is saved on your own device. There are no ads, no analytics and no tracking.
Who we are
Hakoniwami is made by Gate_Farmer, an independent developer based in Victoria, Australia. In this policy "we" and "us" mean Gate_Farmer. You can contact us about privacy at gathika2004@gmail.com.
What is saved on your device
To give you the game you asked to play, Hakoniwami saves these things in your browser's local storage (or in the app's own storage on a phone or computer):
- your garden and progress: petals, puzzles played, ornaments, houses, pets and the names you give them, paths and settings;
- preferences for this device, such as language, sound, favourite ornaments and the last ornaments you placed.
This information stays on your device. We can't see it, and it isn't sent to us. Because it's needed for the game to work, it doesn't need a consent banner. You can delete it at any time with Settings → More → Restart & help → Start a new garden, by clearing this site's data in your browser, or by uninstalling the app.
What reaches a server
When you open Hakoniwami at https://hakoniwami.com, your browser downloads the game from our web host (Cloudflare Pages), like any website. The host's servers receive the technical details every visit includes, such as your IP address, your browser and device type, and the time of the request. The host may keep these in server logs for a short period for security and to keep the site running. We don't use them to identify you, and we don't combine them with anything else.
The game also makes one small request to the same website to read the current time. That way the daily puzzles change at midnight Japan time for everyone, whatever your device's clock says. The request contains no game data.
The app versions for phones and computers run entirely on your device and don't contact our servers.
Transfer codes
To move your garden to another device, you can make a transfer code. The code is created on your device and locked with a passphrase you choose (AES-256-GCM encryption). It's only copied to your clipboard when you press the button. We never receive transfer codes or passphrases, so we can't recover a lost passphrase.
Age
Hakoniwami is meant for people aged 13 and over, and isn't directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. If you think a child has given us personal information, for example in an email, contact us and we'll delete it.
Legal bases (European Economic Area and United Kingdom)
We rely on our legitimate interest in running a secure, working website for the host's server logs and the time check. Saving your garden on your own device is needed to provide the game you asked for.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to ask what personal information we hold about you, and to have it corrected or deleted. These rights come from, for example, the Australian Privacy Principles, the EU and UK GDPR, or US state privacy laws. We hold almost nothing about you: your game data is on your device and under your control. Email gathika2004@gmail.com and we'll answer within 30 days. If you aren't happy with our answer, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (oaic.gov.au) or your local data protection authority.
Where information is processed
Our web host may process the information described above in other countries, including the United States. Where the law requires it, they use recognised safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.
Security
The game is served only over secure HTTPS connections. Your save never leaves your device unless you make a transfer code, and transfer codes are encrypted.
Changes
If Hakoniwami gains online features such as accounts, cloud saves or a shared gallery, we'll update this policy first. We'll also ask before anything about you is uploaded. The date at the top shows when this policy last changed.