Privacy Policy

Effective Date: July 22, 2025

Introduction and Scope

Studio Swanworth Limited (“Studio Swanworth,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is the developer of The Home County (the “Game”) and operates the official Game website (the “Website”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share personal data when you use our Website or play The Home County. It applies to the Game (available on Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux) and the Website, collectively referred to as our “Services.” This Policy does not apply to third-party platforms or services that you may use to access our Game or Website (such as Valve’s Steam platform, Discord, or other sites we link to). Those third parties have their own privacy practices, and you should review their privacy policies separately . By using our Services, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Children’s Privacy

Our Game is intended for a general audience and is not directed at young children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under the age needed to consent to data processing in their country of residence (for example, under 13 in the United States, and under 13–16 in parts of the European Union) . If you are a child under this age threshold, do not submit any personal data to us or use our Services. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child, we will delete it. Parents or guardians who become aware that a child has provided us with personal information should contact us at contact@swanworth.com so we can remove the data .

Information We Collect

We collect various types of information about you when you use our Game and Website. “Personal Data” means any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual. We generally do not collect any sensitive personal data (such as financial information, health data, or government IDs) and limit our collection to what is relevant and necessary for the purposes described in this Policy . The categories of data we collect are outlined below:

Game (The Home County): When you play our single-player Game, we may process certain data automatically to support gameplay, analytics, and error reporting. This includes:

  • Identifiers: Your Steam ID (a numeric identifier provided by Valve’s Steam platform) when you launch the Game via Steam. We use this Steam ID to authenticate your game license and to link analytics or crash reports to your gameplay session. (Note: we do not collect personal details like your name or email from Steam – only the Steam-assigned ID, and we do not store the Steam ID beyond its use for analytics and support purposes .)

  • Usage Data (Internet or Network Activity): Information about your gameplay sessions and interactions with the Game, such as in-game events, achievements, progress, and playtime. We use an analytics service (Mixpanel) to gather gameplay event data and usage statistics. This may include basic device or system information (e.g. operating system version, game version, hardware type) and your IP address at the time of play, which is used to infer your general location (e.g. country or region) and to help us understand our player base. Note: The IP address itself is not stored in our systems – our analytics provider derives location from the IP and then discards the raw IP data . We do not keep or see your full IP address after this geolocation process is completed.

  • Diagnostics and Crash Reports: Technical information automatically collected through our error monitoring tool (Sentry) if the Game experiences a crash or bug. This can include device details (such as your operating system type and version, hardware specs like graphics card model), crash logs and error codes, and a snapshot of the game state when the error occurred (for example, what game actions were being performed). These reports are used solely to help us debug issues and improve game stability. Crash reports may be tagged with your Steam ID or a randomly generated device identifier so that we can group multiple reports from the same user session. We do not include any of your personal documents or unrelated data in these reports. Additionally, we have configured Sentry’s privacy settings so that it does not collect certain personal identifiers by default (for instance, Sentry is set not to record your IP address or any user login info in crash reports) .

  • No Player Communications: Because The Home County is currently single-player only, there are no in-game social features or public chat functions. This means we do not collect any chat messages, voice communications, or user-generated content from your gameplay. There are also no player profiles visible to others. (If multiplayer features are introduced in the future, we will update this policy to reflect any new data collection that might occur, but as of now, your gameplay data remains private to you and us.)

Website: If you browse or interact with our official Website, we may collect certain information about your device and how you use the site:

  • Identifiers: When you visit the Website, our servers automatically log your device’s Internet Protocol (IP) address. This IP address may be used to infer your general location (such as city or country). We do not ask you to create an account or provide your name/email just for browsing our site, so simply viewing our Website will not result in us collecting your name, contact info, or any directly identifying details.

  • Internet or Network Activity: Data about your interactions with the Website, such as the pages or content you view, the date and time of your visits, how long you spend on each page, your navigation clicks, and the type of web browser and device you use to access the site. We use Google Analytics (a third-party web analytics service) to collect and analyze this usage information . Google Analytics may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to recognize your browser over time and help us understand aggregate Website traffic and trends .

  • Cookies and Similar Technologies: Cookies are small text files placed on your device to store information. Our Website uses cookies for analytics and to support site functionality. For example, Google Analytics will set cookies to distinguish unique users, remember your preferences, or track your browsing behavior on our site over multiple visits . We do not use cookies for advertising or to collect sensitive information. You have control over cookies – you can set your web browser to refuse or delete cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being used. However, please note that if you disable cookies, some features of the Website (like certain interactive elements or remembering your site preferences) may not function properly .

  • Correspondence and Support: If you choose to contact us (for example, by sending an email to our support address or via an online contact form, if provided), we will collect whatever personal information you decide to share. This typically includes your email address and any other contact info you provide, as well as the content of your message. We will use this information to respond to your inquiry or support request. For instance, if you email us about a technical issue, we may keep your email address and the correspondence history to follow up with you and ensure your problem is resolved. We will not use this information for marketing – it is only used for customer service. We may retain customer communications for a period of time after resolution (to refer back to in case of related issues or for quality assurance), but we will not share this information with anyone else. Note: If you report a bug or provide feedback, and you include personal data in that report (like your name or logs with personal info), we will treat that data as voluntarily provided and will handle it in accordance with this Policy .

How We Collect Personal Data

Directly From You: In many cases, we collect data directly from you. For example, when you send us an email or submit a support ticket, you are providing your contact details and whatever information is in your message. If in the future we offer an email newsletter or beta sign-up, any information you submit in that process (like your email or name) would also be provided directly by you. Likewise, any feedback or content you provide via our Website or forums (if applicable) is data coming from you to us.

Automatically Through Technology: We also collect certain data automatically as you use our Services. When you play the Game or visit the Website, our systems (and third-party tools integrated into our Services) gather technical information without you having to type it in. This includes the usage and device data described above (e.g. IP addresses, device identifiers, cookies, gameplay telemetry, crash logs, etc.). We employ technologies such as cookies, web beacons (also known as pixel tags), and SDKs (Software Development Kits) within the Game to enable this automatic data collection . These technologies help us recognize your device, deliver the Service to you, and understand how our Services are being used. For example, a cookie might let us know that the same user visited the site twice, or an in-game SDK might log that a certain feature was used 10 times by your device. You can limit some of this automatic collection – for instance, you can disable cookies in your browser or opt out of certain analytics – but note that doing so might affect the functionality or accuracy of some parts of the Services (e.g. we won’t be able to fully gather analytics to improve the game if many players opt out).

From Third-Party Platforms and Services: We receive some information from external companies that you use in connection with our Services. Notably, because our Game is distributed via Valve’s Steam platform, we rely on Steam to authenticate your game purchase and allow access to the Game. When you launch The Home County on Steam, Steam may provide us with minimal data such as your Steam ID and basic account status to confirm you own the game . (Steam does not share your login credentials or payment information with us – purchases and user account management are handled entirely by Steam.) Similarly, our Website uses Google Analytics, which means Google as a third-party is involved in collecting site usage data (via their cookies as described). We also use Mixpanel and Sentry inside the Game as third-party processors for analytics and error reporting – these services receive game event data and crash information on our behalf. We treat any personal data we receive from third parties in line with this Policy and with any agreements we have with those providers. However, we do not control the independent data collection by such third parties. For example, Valve/Steam, Google, Mixpanel, or Sentry may collect additional information they need for their services or business operations (under their own privacy policies). We recommend that you review the privacy policies of any third-party platform or service you interact with in connection to our Game or Website (e.g. see Valve’s Steam Privacy Policy, Google’s Privacy Policy, Mixpanel’s Privacy Policy, Sentry’s Privacy Policy, Discord’s Privacy Policy, etc.) to understand how they collect, use, and share data .

How We Use Personal Data

We use the personal and non-personal data we collect for the following purposes:

  • To Provide and Maintain the Services: We process your data as needed to let you access and use the Game and Website. For instance, we use your Steam ID to verify your entitlement to play the Game (ensuring that you actually own it on Steam) and to allow core gameplay functionality (like saving your progress or unlocking Steam achievements). We use device and technical data to make sure the Game operates correctly on your system (for example, adjusting performance for your hardware or troubleshooting compatibility issues). On the Website, we use certain data to properly deliver the webpages to you and adapt the site to your device (like using your browser type to ensure compatibility). Without collecting and using this information, we might not be able to provide you with the Game experience or web content you expect.

  • To Improve and Personalize Your Experience: We continually strive to make The Home County better. Data about how players interact with the Game and how visitors use our Website is invaluable for identifying what works well and what could be improved. We analyze gameplay telemetry and aggregated player behavior using tools like Mixpanel to understand, for example, which features are most popular, how far players progress, or where they might get frustrated. This helps us balance game mechanics and add content that players enjoy. We also review crash reports from Sentry to find and fix bugs or performance issues – this makes the game more stable and enjoyable for everyone. On the Website side, Google Analytics helps us see general trends like which pages get the most visits or where users might drop off, so we can improve our web content or navigation. All of this processing is done to enhance the quality of our Services. It’s important to note that we look at this data in aggregate or anonymized form whenever possible – for example, we care about overall patterns more than any single user’s actions. The analytics and crash data we use do not include your name or contact info, and we do not use the data to make decisions about you individually; it’s used to improve the game and site for all users.

  • To Communicate with You: If you reach out to us with questions, feedback, or support needs, we will use your contact information (like your email address) to respond and help you. We may also use your contact details to send you important administrative or service-related communications. For example, we might email you to alert you of a critical game patch, changes to this Privacy Policy or our Terms, or notifications about security or account issues (if applicable). These types of communications are not marketing – they are necessary, occasional updates to keep you informed about the Services you are using. We will not send you promotional or marketing emails unless you have explicitly agreed to receive them. Currently, we do not have a marketing newsletter, but if we introduce one in the future, we will only send it to you if you opt-in, and you will be able to opt-out at any time. We might also use in-game messaging (or a news section on the Website) to convey game-related news or updates. All communications will be done in accordance with applicable law.

  • For Security and Fraud Prevention: We may process data as needed to protect our Services and users. This includes monitoring for and preventing cheating in the game, piracy, or other misuse. Although The Home County is single-player, if in the future it includes online features, we would use data (like gameplay logs or account info) to detect unfair or abusive behavior. Even now, we keep server logs (including IP addresses and timestamps) to help investigate any potential security incidents on the Website (for example, DDOS attacks or unauthorized access attempts). We also might use data to verify user identity when we receive certain requests (such as a request to delete data, we’d verify the person making the request is the owner of that data). Additionally, we will use and disclose data as required to comply with legal obligations – for instance, retaining records if law requires, or disclosing information in response to lawful requests by public authorities (as detailed below in “How We Share Data”). In summary, data is used to ensure the integrity, security, and lawfulness of our operations.

  • Business Transfers (Merger or Acquisition): In the unlikely event that Studio Swanworth Limited undergoes a business change such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or part of its assets, user data (including personal data) might be transferred to the successor entity as part of that deal. For example, if another company buys or invests in our studio, we might need to provide user information as an asset. If such a transfer occurs, we will ensure that your personal data remains subject to protections at least as stringent as those in this Privacy Policy. We will also provide notice on our Website (and/or within the Game, or via email if feasible) if a significant change in data ownership or use occurs, so you are aware of any new party handling your information. In any case, any new owner would be required to honor the commitments we have made in this Policy unless you agree otherwise.

  • Other Purposes with Your Consent: If we ever want to use your personal data for a purpose that is significantly different from the ones listed in this Policy, we will ask for your consent first. For example, if we wanted to use some of your gameplay data in a public-facing way (say, highlighting a player’s achievement on social media), we would only do so with permission. Similarly, if in the future we consider collecting additional personal information from you, we will explain why and get your consent where required. We will not surprise you with new uses of your data – any new purpose will be communicated to you and, if required by law, we will obtain your permission.

Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR/UK GDPR): For users in the United Kingdom, European Union, or other regions with similar data protection laws, we want to clarify the legal grounds on which we process your personal data. We only collect and use your data when we have a valid legal basis to do so under applicable law. This typically includes:

  • Performance of a Contract: Many data processing activities are done so we can provide you with the Services you requested. When you purchase and play The Home County, a contract (even if implicit) is formed between you and us for use of the game. We process your Steam ID, gameplay data, and other technical information as part of fulfilling our obligations to deliver the game’s functionality to you. In other words, we collect and use these data points because we have to in order to make the game work as intended (for example, saving progress, enabling features, etc.).

  • Legitimate Interests: We process some data because it is in our legitimate interests as a business – and in many cases, also in our users’ interests – to do so, provided such processing is proportionate and does not override your rights. For instance, it is our legitimate interest to collect analytics and crash data to improve our game, which benefits us (better product) and users (better experience). We also have a legitimate interest in protecting the security of our game and site (by monitoring for hacks or misuse). When relying on this basis, we carefully consider and balance our interests against your privacy rights, and we only proceed if we determine that your rights will not be unduly impacted. You have the right to object to processing done on this basis (see Your Rights below).

  • Consent: In certain cases, we may ask for your consent to process data. For example, if we eventually have a marketing newsletter or conduct surveys, we would only use your contact information for those purposes if you opt in. If we ever implement optional analytics that go beyond what is strictly necessary, we might have an in-game toggle or setting to ask for your permission. When we rely on consent, you have the freedom to decline, and if you do consent, you can always withdraw that consent later (which will stop the processing going forward). Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing that happened before you withdrew.

  • Legal Obligation: We may need to process or retain some data to comply with a legal obligation. For instance, accounting laws might require us to keep records of sales (which could include your purchase via Steam, though those records usually do not contain personal data beyond possibly your Steam username or an order ID). If we are required by law to retain certain data or disclose data to authorities (e.g., for tax, audit, or law enforcement purposes), we will do so under this legal obligation basis.

  • Vital Interests: This is unlikely to apply, but if ever there is a situation where processing your data is necessary to protect someone’s life or prevent serious harm (vital interests of you or another person), we could do so. This typically would only be relevant in emergency situations.

We will always ensure we have a valid basis for processing your data and will document our decisions. If you have questions about the legal basis for any specific processing, you can of course contact us for more information.

How We Share or Disclose Personal Data

We value your privacy. We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for their own marketing or commercial purposes . However, we do share certain data with third parties in the following circumstances, strictly as necessary to run our business and provide the Services:

  • Service Providers (Processors): We use reputable third-party companies to help us operate the Services or to perform functions on our behalf. When we share personal data with these providers, it is only for the specific purposes of their services, and they are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only as we direct . Key service providers we rely on include:

    • Analytics Providers: We share Website usage data with Google Analytics, and in-game analytics data with Mixpanel. These providers process data such as your IP address (for geolocation), device identifiers, and usage events to provide us with aggregated insights about how our Services are used . For example, Google Analytics helps us see overall website traffic patterns, and Mixpanel helps us understand gameplay trends. We do not allow these analytics providers to use your data for their own marketing or share it with other clients – the data is only used to provide analytic results to us.

    • Error/Crash Reporting: We send crash reports and error logs to Sentry (operated by Functional Software, Inc.). Sentry acts as our processor to store and organize crash data so that we can debug and fix technical issues in the Game . The information shared with Sentry includes the technical crash details described earlier (and may include the Steam ID or device ID for grouping reports). Sentry is not permitted to use this data for any purpose other than diagnosing our application issues.

    • These service providers are bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations. We have agreements or terms in place with each of them to ensure your data is handled with care. They are not allowed to divulge your data or use it for purposes outside of our instructions. We also take steps to select providers who implement strong security measures (for example, Google and Sentry have robust security programs). Where our providers are located in other countries, we ensure that appropriate data transfer safeguards are in place (see International Data Transfers below).

  • Valve (Steam Platform): As noted, our Game is distributed exclusively via Valve’s Steam platform. In some cases, we may share certain game-related data back with Steam to enable platform features. For example, Steam achievements or playtime stats might be updated on your Steam profile, which requires our game to communicate that data to Steam. We might also use Steam’s cloud save functionality (if we enable it, your game save data would be stored on Steam’s servers to allow you to access it from multiple devices). Any personal data shared with Valve/Steam will be limited to what is necessary for these features and is typically information that Steam already has (like your achievement progress). All such data exchange is also covered by Steam’s own privacy policy and user agreements. Importantly, we do not receive or handle any of your payment information – when you buy The Home County on Steam, all payment processing is done by Steam, and they do not share your credit card or billing details with us.

  • Affiliates and Business Partners: Currently, Studio Swanworth Limited does not have any parent company, subsidiaries, or joint venture partners to share data with. If in the future our corporate structure changes (for example, if we become part of a group of companies or bring on a publishing partner), we may share your information within that corporate family or partnership as needed to operate the Services. For instance, if we had a sister studio helping with development, we might share crash reports or analytics with them to improve the game. Any such affiliate or partner would be required to honor this Privacy Policy and maintain the confidentiality of your data. We might also share aggregated, non-identifying information (which cannot be linked back to you) with partners or the public, such as player demographic statistics or game performance metrics, but this would not include personal data.

  • Legal Compliance and Protection: We may disclose your personal data when we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation or request. This includes scenarios like responding to lawful subpoenas or court orders, answering government or regulatory inquiries, or reporting information required by law. We may also share information if needed to protect the rights, property, or safety of Studio Swanworth, our users, or others. For example, if we detect fraud or a cyber-security threat, we might share relevant logs or data with law enforcement investigators. If a user violates our Terms and Conditions or engages in illegal activities using our Services, we may provide data to authorities or legal counsel as part of handling that violation. Our policy is to carefully review each request and only provide information to the extent we are legally compelled or it’s necessary to meet the stated purpose.

  • Business Transfers: As mentioned earlier, if we are involved in a significant corporate transaction (such as a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or sale of assets), user data may be transferred to the acquiring or succeeding entity. If another company acquires our business, that company will possess the personal data we have collected, but it will assume the rights and obligations regarding your information as described in this Privacy Policy. We would inform users (for example, via notice on our Website or in the Game) if your personal data becomes subject to a different privacy policy or if the new owner will use the data in materially different ways. In absence of any such notice, the existing Privacy Policy will continue to govern how your data can be used by any successor.

Aside from the scenarios above, we do not share your personal data with third parties. In particular, we do not provide your information to advertisers or ad networks, and we do not engage in any kind of cross-context behavioral advertising where your data is sold or shared for targeted ad purposes . We also do not use your personal data for any automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or significant effects on you (all of our data use is as described for analytics, service provision, etc., not for profiling individuals).

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required for legitimate business or legal reasons . In practice, this means:

  • Gameplay Analytics and Crash Data: We generally keep game analytics and crash report data for as long as we continue to support and develop The Home County. Ongoing access to this historical data helps us analyze long-term trends and improve the game over its lifespan. However, we periodically review the data we have and determine if it’s still needed. If certain data becomes irrelevant (for example, telemetry from early beta versions that are no longer applicable), we will either delete it or anonymize it. If we ever discontinue the game or specific features, any associated personal data will be deleted in line with that change (subject to any legal obligations to retain records). Example: If we shut down our analytics service or move to a new system, we might purge the old analytics data rather than migrate personal identifiers over.

  • Website Analytics: Website usage data collected via Google Analytics is stored by Google according to their retention settings. We have configured our Google Analytics account to automatically delete user-level data after a certain period (e.g. 14 months, or a duration in line with Google’s offered options) unless we need to retain it longer. The data that is retained in Analytics is mostly aggregated. Any user-level identifiers (like cookie IDs or IP address data) are either anonymized (Google offers IP anonymization, which we have enabled) or purged after the retention period. We primarily look at month-to-month trends and do not need years of detailed browsing logs tied to unique users.

  • Communications: If you correspond with us via email or other channels, we will retain those communications for as long as needed to address your issue or request. Once your inquiry is resolved, we may keep the correspondence on file for some time in case follow-up is needed or for our records. Over time, we will delete or archive old correspondence that is no longer needed. For instance, we might clean out support emails that are over a couple of years old if they are resolved. If you specifically request that we delete an email thread and we have no overriding reason to keep it, we will honor that request.

  • Backup and Archival Copies: Even after we delete data from our active systems, it may persist for a while in our automated backups or archival records. We use backups to ensure we can recover from server failures or other data loss events. These backups are securely stored and only accessed if needed for restoration. We have retention limits for backups as well, so they don’t keep data forever. When backups “age out,” they are deleted or overwritten with newer backups. We will also endeavor to scrub personal data from backups if you have made a valid deletion request (where feasible).

  • Legal Requirements: If any law or regulation requires us to keep certain data for a specified period, we will adhere to those rules. For example, financial transaction records or tax-related data might be kept for the legally mandated duration. Such data may include purchase records or revenue reports from game sales, which in some cases might indirectly reference your Steam account or transactions. We only keep what is necessary for compliance.

In summary, we aim to keep your personal data no longer than necessary. The exact retention period will vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it was collected. Once the retention period expires, or if we determine that we no longer need the data, we will securely delete it or irreversibly anonymize it. If deletion is requested or required, we will also ensure that our third-party service providers erase the data they hold on our behalf, to the extent applicable.

Data Security

We are committed to protecting the security of your personal data. Studio Swanworth takes a range of technical and organizational measures to safeguard the information we hold. These measures include, for example:

  • Encryption in Transit: Our Website is served over HTTPS, meaning all data transmitted between your browser and our site is encrypted using TLS/SSL. This protects against eavesdropping on information you may enter or that is sent to you through the site. Likewise, any data sent from the Game (such as analytics events or crash reports) to our servers or third-party services is transmitted over encrypted channels. For instance, the telemetry data going to Mixpanel or crash data to Sentry is sent via HTTPS endpoints. Encryption in transit helps ensure that even if someone were to intercept the network traffic, they would not be able to read the contents.

  • Access Controls: We limit access to personal data internally to only those team members and contractors who need that information for their job roles. For example, only our developer(s) or support personnel who handle user inquiries will have access to support emails. Our analytics dashboards (Google Analytics, Mixpanel) and error report logs (Sentry) are protected with strong passwords and two-factor authentication where available, and only authorized individuals can log in to view or manage that data. We follow the principle of least privilege, meaning each person is given the minimum access necessary for their responsibilities. This reduces the risk of unauthorized or accidental access to your data.

  • Secure Infrastructure: We maintain our systems following industry best practices for security. This includes keeping all software and server operating systems up to date with security patches, using firewalls and monitoring tools to guard against intrusion, and employing anti-malware and security monitoring on our workstations. Our Website is hosted with a reputable provider that provides physical security and DDoS protection at the server level. We also regularly review our software (including the Game code) for potential security issues. In developing the Game and Website, we strive to follow secure coding guidelines to prevent common vulnerabilities.

  • Data Minimization: Part of security is also collecting only what we need (which we practice, as described in the Info We Collect section) and anonymizing data when full detail is not necessary. By minimizing the personal data in our systems, we naturally reduce the risk exposure. For example, since we don’t collect sensitive personal info like addresses or financial details, there’s no risk of that leaking. We also prefer aggregate analytics over raw personal identifiers whenever possible.

While we employ these measures and work hard to protect your data, it’s important to note that no system can be guaranteed 100% secure. The internet by its nature carries some risk, and there’s always a possibility of unforeseen events. We therefore cannot warrant absolute security of information. You also play a role in security: we encourage you to use unique, strong passwords for your Steam account and any other accounts, and to protect your own devices from unauthorized access. If you believe that the security of your personal data in relation to our Services has been compromised (for example, if you suspect someone has unauthorized access to your Steam account or to the email you’ve used to contact us), please notify us immediately so we can investigate and assist.

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal data, we will act promptly to contain the issue and mitigate harm. We have a breach response plan that involves identifying the scope of the incident, preventing further unauthorized access, and notifying affected parties and relevant authorities when required. If a breach is likely to result in a high risk to your rights (for instance, a leak of personal information), we will inform you without undue delay, as well as inform regulators like the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) or other EU data protection authorities within the timeframe required by law (typically 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach) .

International Data Transfers

Studio Swanworth Limited is based in the United Kingdom. However, we work with players and services across the globe, and the personal data we collect may be transferred to and processed in countries outside of your own. In particular, some of our third-party service providers are located in (or store data in) the United States and other jurisdictions. For example, Google Analytics, Mixpanel, and Sentry are U.S.-based companies, so the data collected through those services (website cookies, usage information, crash logs, etc.) will likely be transmitted to and stored on servers in the United States . Similarly, if you are outside the UK and you email us, your email data will pass through international servers on its way to our inbox.

The data protection and privacy laws in these countries may differ from those in your home country. For instance, the U.S. may not provide the same level of legal protection for personal data as the UK/EU does under GDPR. Despite these differences, we take steps to ensure that your information remains protected according to the standards of our home jurisdiction (UK) and applicable laws:

  • Legal Transfer Mechanisms: When we transfer personal data from the UK/EEA to a country not deemed “adequate” by regulators, we rely on approved legal mechanisms to legitimize the transfer. One common safeguard we use is signing the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) with our service providers . These are contractual commitments that bind the recipient of the data to protect it according to EU-level standards. For example, our agreements with Mixpanel or Sentry include data protection clauses that incorporate SCCs to cover EU>US data transfers. We also verify if providers participate in frameworks like the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (successor to Privacy Shield) or other certifications, and we monitor legal developments in this area.

  • Contractual and Technical Safeguards: In addition to legal contracts, we ensure that any personal data transferred is handled securely. As described in the Data Security section, data in transit is encrypted. Our providers also employ security measures to protect data on their end. We only transfer the minimum data necessary for the task. Where possible, we anonymize or pseudonymize data before transfer (for example, using unique IDs instead of real names). These practices add layers of protection even when data leaves our home region.

By using The Home County and our Website, you acknowledge that your personal data may be transferred to and stored in servers located in countries outside your own, including the United States. We will of course handle your data in accordance with this Privacy Policy no matter where it is processed, and the protections described will apply. If you have questions about international data transfers or want more details on the safeguards we use, please feel free to contact us (see Contact Us below). We understand this is an important subject and we’re happy to provide additional information as needed.

Your Rights and Choices

You may have certain rights regarding your personal data, especially if you reside in regions with robust data protection laws such as the UK, the European Union, or California. We are committed to honoring these rights and providing you with control over your information. These rights include**:**

  • Right to Access: You have the right to request confirmation of whether we are processing personal data about you, and if so, to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold on you. This is sometimes called a “Data Subject Access Request.” We will provide you with a copy of your data in a common electronic format (unless you request otherwise). For example, you can ask us to send you the gameplay and analytics data associated with your Steam ID (to the extent we can reasonably identify that data) or a summary of your support interactions with us.

  • Right to Rectification: If you believe that any personal data we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request that we correct or update it. For instance, if you contacted us and we misspelled your name or recorded the wrong email address, you can ask us to fix that. We want to have accurate data, and will promptly make corrections where possible.

  • Right to Deletion: You have the right to request that we delete your personal data (also known as the “right to be forgotten”) under certain circumstances. If you no longer want us to have your information, you can request erasure. This is subject to some exceptions – for example, we might need to retain certain data for legal compliance or legitimate interests. But if there’s no compelling reason for us to keep it, we will delete the data as requested. If you ask us to delete data that is processed by our service providers on our behalf (like Mixpanel or Sentry), we will pass along the deletion request to them as well so that your data is removed from their systems, to the extent applicable. Do note that if your data is deleted, we may not be able to recover things like game progress or be able to assist you with issues that rely on that data. Also, residual copies might remain in backups for a short period as explained under Data Retention, but these will be removed in due course through our normal backup rotation.

  • Right to Object or Restrict Processing: You have the right to object to certain types of processing or to ask us to temporarily limit processing of your data. For example, if we process your data under the legitimate interest basis for analytics, and you have a particular situation that makes you object to that, you can let us know and we will consider your objection. You can also request that we restrict processing if you contest the accuracy of the data or the lawfulness of processing, for instance. During the period of restriction, we would continue to store your data but not use it until the issue is resolved. In practice, since our data collection is fairly limited and mostly necessary for service provision, these situations may be rare – but we will absolutely respect and evaluate any requests of this nature.

  • Right to Withdraw Consent: If we are processing any personal data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. For example, if you signed up for a hypothetical newsletter and then changed your mind, you could unsubscribe (withdrawing consent to receive emails). Or if you initially opted in to an optional data collection, you can later opt out through the game settings or by contacting us. Once consent is withdrawn, we will stop the processing that was based on consent. Withdrawal does not affect the legality of what we did before withdrawal, and it doesn’t affect processing under other bases, but we will honor your choice on a going-forward basis.

  • Right Not to be Subject to Automated Decisions: We do not currently make any decisions about you that are solely by an algorithm and have significant effects (like credit scoring, etc.). All decisions related to your use of the game (like bans, etc., which currently aren’t applicable since it’s single-player) involve human oversight. If this ever changes and we introduce automated decision-making that could affect you, you would have the right to not be subject to such decisions without human intervention, as well as related rights like expressing your point of view and contesting the decision.

  • Right to Complain: If you have a concern or dispute about how we are handling your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. For UK users, this would be the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). For EU users, it would be your country’s Data Protection Authority (DPA). For example, a user in Germany could complain to the Bavarian DPA, or a user in France to CNIL. California users have the right to complain to the California Attorney General or the newly established California Privacy Protection Agency. Of course, we encourage you to reach out to us first at contact@swanworth.com so we have the opportunity to address your concerns directly – we take privacy seriously and will do our best to resolve any issues.

  • California Privacy Rights: For California residents, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide specific rights that overlap with those above, such as the right to know what personal information we collect, the categories of sources, the business purpose for collecting it, the categories of third parties we share it with, and to access or delete specific pieces of information. California law also gives residents the right to opt-out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. We want to clarify that we do not sell your personal data (as we’ve stated) and we do not share it with third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising, so there is no need for an opt-out on that front . If you have any requests to exercise California-specific rights, you can contact us and we will handle your request in accordance with state law.

To exercise any of your rights, please contact us at contact@swanworth.com with your specific request. Please be sure to provide enough information for us to verify your identity and locate your data (for example, the Steam ID or email associated with your use of the Game, and what specifically you are requesting). We may ask for additional verification information if needed – this is to ensure we don’t disclose or delete someone else’s data by mistake. For instance, if someone emails claiming to be you, we might ask them to prove it by contacting us from the email associated with your account or by some other verification method, to protect your data from unauthorized access . We will respond to legitimate requests as soon as possible and at least within the timeframe required by law (which is typically 30 days for UK/EU, and may be extendable once if necessary). There is no fee for making a reasonable request. However, if requests become excessive or unfounded (for example, extremely repetitive requests), the law does allow us to charge a fee or refuse, but we will generally try to honor all requests in good faith.

Please note that certain rights may be subject to limitations. For example, if you request deletion of data that we are required by law to keep, we might deny that request but would let you know the reason. Or if fulfilling your request would adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others (for example, deleting data that is needed as part of a group data set for research might affect others’ data), there may be exceptions. We will explain any such decisions if we have to make them.

Changes to This Policy

We may update or modify this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. If we make material changes to how we collect or use your personal data, we will notify users by posting a prominent notice on our Website and/or within the Game. In some cases, we might also notify you via email or other direct communication (for example, if you’ve provided us with your email for support, we might send an update notice). The “Effective Date” at the top of this Policy will always indicate the date of the latest revisions. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. If you continue to use the Game or Website after an updated Privacy Policy has been posted, we will take that as acknowledgment that you have read and understood the changes. If any change would retroactively apply to data we collected in the past in a way that materially affects your rights, we would either obtain your consent or provide an opportunity to opt-out (as required by applicable law).

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, you are welcome to contact us:

Studio Swanworth Limited (Attn: Privacy Team)

Email: contact@swanworth.com

Mailing Address: First Floor, 28 Whitehorse Street, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 6QQ, United Kingdom

We will be happy to answer your questions or address any issues you have regarding your privacy and our Services. Thank you for reading our Privacy Policy, and for playing The Home County! Your trust is important to us, and we are committed to keeping your personal information safe and respecting your privacy.