The Broken Tavern (thebrokentavern.com) is the official site of author BAAL P. H. This policy explains what data we handle and what choices you have. Questions: baalcomicbooks@gmail.com.
1. What we collect
Very little. We do not run accounts or logins. Two things live only in your own browser (localStorage) and are never sent to us:
- Your book-shop cart and cookie-consent choice.
- Game progress and high scores for the tavern games.
If you use the newsletter signup (including the welcome popup), the email address (and first name, if you give one) you enter goes to our email provider (Kit) so we can send you The Tavern Post. If you use the contact form, the name, email address, and message you enter are sent to us via our form service (FormSubmit) so we can reply. We use that information only for those purposes — we do not sell it, share it, or add you to anything you didn't ask for. Unsubscribe from the newsletter anytime with the one-click link in any issue.
Our hosting provider (Cloudflare) processes basic technical data needed to serve the site, such as IP addresses in server logs. We do not buy, sell, or share personal data.
2. Anonymous gameplay statistics
Our games can report anonymous gameplay events — things like which game was played, how far a run went, which boss ended it, or how long a session lasted. This helps us design better games and decide what to build next.
- Opt-in only. Nothing is collected unless you tick "Anonymous gameplay stats" in the cookie banner (or enable it later via Cookie Settings).
- Truly anonymous. Events carry a random session number generated fresh on each visit — no name, no email, no account, no IP address stored by us, and nothing that follows you across visits.
- Aggregates, not individuals. We look at totals and trends (e.g. "60% of players quit at depth 4"), never at any one person's play.
- You can switch it off anytime via the Cookie Settings link in the footer; already-collected aggregates can't be traced back to you.
3. Cookies and advertising
We show a small number of ads served by Google AdSense. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your visits to this and other sites (including the DoubleClick cookie). You can opt out of personalized advertising at Google's Ads Settings.
On your first visit we ask for your consent before any advertising scripts or analytics load. You can accept all, take the essentials only, or customize (advertising and anonymous gameplay stats separately). If you decline, no ad or analytics cookies are set — the site works exactly the same, minus the ads. You can change your mind anytime via the Cookie Settings link in the footer.
First-party storage we use on your own device (never sent to us unless noted):
bt-cookie-consent— your consent choices.bt-book-cart,bt-cart-meta— your book-shop cart.- Game saves and high scores (per-game keys) — your progress.
bt-news-popup— whether you've seen the newsletter popup.bt-profile-v1, bt-codex-v1 (codex unlocks), bt-radio-v1 (radio preference), bt-karma-v1 (karma score and deed log)— your tavern profile (display name, avatar, theme, game preferences). Stored only on your device; there are no accounts yet, so nothing is transmitted.
Embedded live streams. When BAAL is live, the site may show YouTube and Facebook video players. Those companies may set their own cookies and collect data per their own privacy policies when the players load.
4. Region detection
The book shop reads your browser's language/region setting (on your device only) to point you at your local Amazon storefront. Nothing about your location is collected or transmitted by us.
5. Affiliate links
Book and music "check out" buttons take you to third-party retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Bookshop.org, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube). Purchases happen entirely on their sites under their own privacy policies and terms. Some of these links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you — that's how the tavern keeps its candles lit.
6. Children's privacy
This site is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
7. Your rights
You can ask us what personal data we hold about you (newsletter email, contact-form messages), ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it entirely. Email baalcomicbooks@gmail.com from the address you signed up with and we'll handle it. Game progress and settings live only in your own browser — clearing site data removes them.
8. Changes
We may update this policy as the site grows. The "last updated" date above will change, and material changes will be noted here.
This policy is a plain-language template, not legal advice. For regulated questions, consult a qualified attorney.