TERMS OF SERVICE

Last updated: [DATE] · TEMPLATE — have an attorney review before launch. Bracketed items need your real details.

1 · Who we are

Arcadia ("the Site") is operated by [LEGAL NAME / ENTITY, ADDRESS] ("we"). The Site lets creators write games in the Arcadia language and publish them for anyone to play, free.

2 · Playing

Playing games requires no account and no personal information. Don't attack, scrape abusively, or otherwise interfere with the Site.

3 · Creator accounts

To save or publish games you need an account (username + password; email optional, for recovery only). You must be at least 13 years old to create an account — younger creators may use the Studio without an account, or a parent/guardian/teacher may hold the account on their behalf. You are responsible for keeping your password secret and for what happens under your account. One person per account; don't impersonate others.

4 · Your games stay yours

You own every game you create. By publishing on Arcadia you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, display, distribute and promote the game on the Site and in materials about the Site (e.g. jam announcements). You can un-publish or delete a game at any time, which ends that license except for cached copies that clear in the ordinary course. You may publish the same game anywhere else — no exclusivity, ever.

5 · Content rules

Published games and their titles, descriptions and on-screen text must not contain: sexual content; hate or harassment; promotion of self-harm, violence against real people, or illegal activity; personal information (yours or anyone's); solicitations to contact you off-platform; scams, advertising, or misleading content. Every submission passes an automated check, and grey areas are reviewed by a human; we may reject, suspend or remove any game at our discretion, and our nightly audit may re-evaluate previously published games as rules improve. Repeated or serious violations end accounts. Decisions can be appealed at [CONTACT EMAIL].

6 · The Creator License (the fee)

Publishing requires a one-time Creator License ([$10 founder price / $15 standard]). It is a license to use the publishing features, not ownership of anything beyond that, and it is non-transferable. If we permanently shut down the Site within [12] months of your purchase, or you have never successfully published, you may request a refund within [14] days of purchase at [CONTACT EMAIL]. Payment processing is handled by Stripe; we never see your card number. Fees may change for future purchasers; yours never re-bills.

7 · Donations & jams

Donations are voluntary, non-refundable, and buy nothing but our gratitude. Jam and competition rules are published per event; prizes (if any) are described in the event announcement. Sponsored events are labeled as such.

8 · Copyright & DMCA

Don't publish games containing content you don't have rights to (including titles and text from others' work). Copyright complaints: send a notice with the material, its location (game URL), your contact details, and a good-faith statement to our designated agent at [DMCA AGENT NAME + EMAIL + ADDRESS — register with the US Copyright Office]. We remove infringing content and terminate repeat infringers. Counter-notices follow the DMCA process.

9 · The Service is provided "as is"

We aim for reliability but promise none: the Site may change, break, or pause. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, and our total liability to you is limited to the amount you paid us in the past 12 months. Nothing here limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

10 · Ending things

You can delete your account at any time ([CONTACT EMAIL] or in-product when available); your published games are removed with it. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms. Sections 4 (your ownership), 8–11 survive termination.

11 · Boring but important

These terms are governed by the laws of [STATE/COUNTRY]; disputes go to the courts of [VENUE]. If we change these terms materially we'll post the change on this page with a new date, and continued use after [14] days is acceptance. If any clause is unenforceable, the rest stands. Questions: [CONTACT EMAIL].

⚠ This is a working template written for Arcadia's actual mechanics (creator-owned games, display license, one-time fee, automated + human moderation). It is not legal advice. Before charging real money, have a lawyer adapt it — especially §3 (age), §6 (refunds) and §11 (venue), which vary by jurisdiction.