Terms of Service

1) Who we are

GridRank is a logic-puzzle platform with competitive rankings and creator tools. Our websites include gridrank.games and app.gridrank.games. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle data.

2) Accounts & eligibility

• No real name or email is required; we assign a random nickname and authenticate with a device identifier.
• Birth year may be requested to tailor features (e.g., Kids Mode on web). See the privacy page for details.
• You’re responsible for activity on your account and for complying with applicable laws.

3) Fair play, rankings & cheating

GridRank values fair competition. We use automated and manual signals to detect suspicious play (“cheating”). Examples include, without limitation: impossible solve patterns, unnatural timing distributions, tampering with the client, or submitting externally solved puzzles.

• Per-puzzle action: If cheating is determined for a specific puzzle, that result is excluded from the rankings for that puzzle.
• Tournament action: If cheating is determined in a tournament, the account is excluded from all rankings in that tournament.
• Serial cheating: Accounts with repeated cheating will be excluded from all rankings platform-wide. We do not otherwise block gameplay; you may continue to play for personal use.
• Offline solving note: Solving a puzzle off-platform (e.g., on paper) and later entering the solution may be flagged as cheating because our detectors rely on solve-path signals.
• Appeals: If you believe we made a mistake, contact hello@gridrank.games with your nickname and the puzzle/tournament ID. We may at our discretion review and restore rankings.

We may update detection methods over time and do not disclose full details to preserve their effectiveness.

4) Gameplay recordings & replays

To enable learning and fair competition, GridRank records solve paths and timing for puzzles. We may display replays alongside leaderboards (e.g., “watch #1”). Replays reflect how the puzzle was solved in-app; entering an externally solved grid may appear as an anomalous replay and can be flagged by our cheat detection.

• What is captured: move sequences, timestamps, device/client metadata, and outcome metrics.
• What is shown: the puzzle state over time, your nickname, and timing information. We do not show your real name or contact info.
• Kids Mode: Replays may still appear under a nickname. We avoid personalized ads around Kids Mode replays.
• Visibility: We may curate or feature notable replays. Contact hello@gridrank.games if you have concerns; operational copies may persist.

5) Platform IP & limited license to users

GridRank and its licensors own the Service and all content we provide, including puzzle formats, difficulty scores, curated collections, leaderboards, replays, ratings, anti-cheat signals, datasets, and the compilation/selection/arrangement of user submissions (“Platform Content”).

We grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license to access and use Platform Content only within the Service for personal, non-commercial gameplay and creation. Except as expressly allowed by us in writing, you must not:

• copy, download, scrape, spider, crawl, cache, archive, or export Platform Content (including puzzles, puzzle data, solutions, replays, or rankings);
• publish, resell, redistribute, or create derivative datasets from Platform Content;
• use Platform Content to train, fine-tune, or evaluate machine learning or AI models, or to build competing products;
• bypass or interfere with access controls, rate limits, or anti-scraping measures;
• use automated means to access the Service, except through an official API we provide and only under its separate terms.

Creators’ carve-out: As between GridRank and a puzzle’s original creator, the creator retains rights to their own puzzle and may use it outside the Service. This carve-out does not grant any rights to other users over content they did not create, nor to curated collections, difficulty scores, leaderboards, replays, or other Platform Content.

We reserve all rights not expressly granted. Unauthorized use may result in access restrictions and other remedies.

6) Automated access & API

No automated access (bots, scrapers, crawlers) is permitted without our prior written consent. Search engines that comply with our robots rules may index public landing pages for discoverability, but may not copy or republish puzzles, solutions, replays, or datasets. Any official API will be governed by separate terms, including rate limits and usage restrictions.

7) Copyright policy

We respect intellectual property rights and respond to notices under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and similar laws.

Report alleged infringement: Email our designated agent at dmca@gridrank.games with:

• your contact info;
• identification of the copyrighted work;
• the URL(s) of the material you claim is infringing;
• a statement of good-faith belief that use is not authorized; and
• a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the notice is accurate and you’re authorized to act, plus your physical or electronic signature.

Counter-notice: If your content was removed and you believe this was a mistake, you may send a counter-notice to the same address with the information required by 17 U.S.C. §512(g). We may restore content in our discretion consistent with applicable law.

We may terminate or restrict repeat infringers.

8) Database & compilation rights

The selection, coordination, and arrangement of Platform Content constitute a protected compilation and database. You must not extract or reutilize substantial parts of the database without our written permission.

9) User content, gameplay data & creator license

“User Content” means puzzles you create, titles/descriptions, comments, and other material you submit. “Gameplay Data” means data generated by your use of the Service, including solve paths, timing events, actions/clicks/touches, replays, performance metrics, device identifiers, and similar telemetry.

• You own your User Content. These Terms do not transfer ownership.
• License you grant to GridRank (User Content): You grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, and sublicensable license to host, store, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, publicly perform and display, and otherwise use your User Content in connection with the Service and GridRank’s business (including promotion and discovery of puzzles, moderation, and availability across current and future GridRank products).
• Gameplay replays & solve paths: You agree that GridRank may record, generate, host, and publicly display replays of gameplay—including solve paths and timing—from your sessions (for example, showing how a top player solved a puzzle on a leaderboard page). Replays are shown under your nickname and may be featured, remixed into tutorials, or used to compare strategies. You may contact us if you want your nickname removed from featured materials; operational copies may persist.
• Use of data for development & AI training: You agree that GridRank may use User Content and Gameplay Data (de-identified where feasible) to develop, train, evaluate, and improve algorithms and machine-learning models related to puzzle generation, difficulty scoring, hinting, anti-cheat, recommendations, and other features of the Service. This usage is without compensation, and we do not claim ownership of your User Content.
• Creator puzzles: If you create or upload puzzles, you represent that you have the necessary rights and you grant GridRank the license above so we can host, adapt, rank, promote, and reuse those puzzles permanently, including in collections, events, and training datasets.
• Moral rights: To the extent permitted by law, you waive and agree not to assert any moral rights (e.g., attribution or integrity) with respect to uses permitted by the above license.
• Removal: Deleting a puzzle may remove it from public view, but the license survives for prior uses and for operational copies (backups, moderation records, training snapshots already created, and similar).

10) Acceptable use

• Don’t reverse engineer, interfere with security, spam, or disrupt the Service.
• Don’t submit unlawful, defamatory, or infringing content.
• Don’t try to manipulate rankings (botting, collusion, data tampering). Cheating consequences are described above.

11) Purchases & refunds

• Payments are processed by Stripe. We don’t store card numbers.
• Purchase records (item, amount, timestamps) are kept for accounting and compliance.
• Refunds: Unless stated otherwise, purchases are final where permitted by law. If something goes wrong, contact hello@gridrank.games.
• Kids Mode: On the web, purchases are disabled for users who self-report a birth year under 13.

12) Ads & third-party services

• We may show ads via providers such as Google or Amazon. See Privacy » Ads & measurement for details and controls.
• In Kids Mode, we request non-personalized, contextual ads and set child-directed flags where applicable.
• Third-party services are governed by their own terms and privacy policies.

13) Leaderboards & public information

Leaderboards and social features may display your nickname, country, and—if provided—age/gender brackets, plus gameplay stats. We don’t display real names or emails because we don’t collect them.

14) Changes & availability

We may change or discontinue features at any time. We strive for high uptime but the Service is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

15) Warranty disclaimer

To the fullest extent permitted by law, GridRank disclaims all warranties, express or implied (including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement). We don’t guarantee that rankings are error-free or that cheat detection will catch all abuse or avoid all false positives.

16) Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, GridRank and its owners, officers, and employees won’t be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages, or for lost profits, data, or goodwill, arising from or relating to your use of the Service. Our aggregate liability for all claims relating to the Service is limited to the greater of (a) the amounts you paid to GridRank in the 12 months before the claim, or (b) USD $50.

17) Termination

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access, remove content, or exclude results from rankings if you violate these Terms or we detect abuse. Unless we state otherwise (e.g., for security or legal reasons), you may continue to play even if you’re excluded from rankings.

18) Governing law & disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of California, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts located in San Francisco County, California for any dispute not subject to arbitration (if applicable). If you prefer a different jurisdiction, contact us; we can localize this section.

19) Definitions

• User Content: puzzles and other materials you submit (e.g., titles, descriptions, comments).
• Gameplay Data: data generated by using the Service, including solve paths, moves, timings, device identifiers, telemetry, leaderboards, replays, and anti-cheat signals.

20) Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email hello@gridrank.games.