Privacy Policy – Hey Cat! Studios Ltd
1. Who We Are
We are Hey Cat! Studios Ltd ("we", "us", or "our"), a game development studio based in the United Kingdom.
Hey Cat! Studios Ltd is the data controller responsible for the personal data described in this policy.
Contact email: privacy@heycat.co.uk
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you:
- play our games;
- use our websites or online services; or
- contact us for support or other enquiries.
2. Data We Collect
Depending on how you use our services, we may collect the following categories of data:
Gameplay and Device Data
- game progress, scores, achievements, and in-game activity;
- crash reports and diagnostic information;
- device information such as operating system, device model, language, and game version;
- identifiers used to operate and secure our services.
Analytics Data
We may collect pseudonymous analytics data about how players use our games and services, such as:
- levels played;
- session length;
- gameplay events; and
- general interaction data.
We may use third-party analytics providers including:
- Unity
- Firebase
Purchases and Payment Information
If you make purchases through third-party platforms such as:
- Apple App Store
- Google Play
- Steam
Those platforms may process payment and transaction information under their own privacy policies. We do not receive or store full payment card details.
Contact Information
If you contact us, we may collect:
- your name;
- email address; and
- the contents of your message or support request.
Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our websites may use:
- essential cookies required for functionality; and
- optional analytics cookies or similar technologies where permitted by law.
Non-essential cookies are only used where required consent has been obtained.
3. How We Use Your Data
We use personal data to:
- provide and maintain our games and services;
- save gameplay progress and settings;
- improve gameplay, balance, and stability;
- diagnose bugs and technical issues;
- respond to support requests and enquiries;
- protect against fraud, abuse, or security issues;
- comply with legal and regulatory obligations; and
- maintain business and financial records.
We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
4. Legal Bases for Processing
Under UK GDPR and EU GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases:
Contract
Processing necessary to provide our games and services to you.
Legitimate Interests
Processing necessary for:
- improving and maintaining our games;
- analytics and service optimisation;
- preventing fraud and abuse; and
- ensuring platform security.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider and balance any potential impact on your rights.
Consent
Where required by law, including:
- marketing communications; or
- non-essential cookies and similar tracking technologies.
You may withdraw consent at any time.
Legal Obligation
Processing necessary to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal requests.
5. Sharing Your Data
We may share data with trusted third-party service providers that help us operate our business and services, including:
- cloud hosting providers such as Amazon Web Services;
- analytics providers;
- customer support tools; and
- payment and platform providers.
These providers are authorised to process data only as necessary to provide services to us and are subject to contractual confidentiality and data protection obligations.
We may also disclose data:
- where required by law;
- to comply with legal obligations or court orders; or
- to protect our legal rights, users, or services.
6. International Data Transfers
Some of the third-party service providers we use may process personal data outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area. Specifically:
Unity Technologies processes analytics data on our behalf. For transfers of UK personal data, Unity relies on the EU Standard Contractual Clauses together with the UK Addendum issued by the Information Commissioner's Office.
Google (Firebase) processes analytics and crash reporting data on our behalf. Google relies on the EU Standard Contractual Clauses together with the UK Addendum for transfers of UK personal data outside the UK/EEA.
Steam (Valve) operates as an independent data controller for transactions and player accounts on their platform. Valve's own privacy policy governs how they handle and transfer that data.
Where we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent safeguards, we take reasonable steps to ensure those protections meet the standard required under UK GDPR and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
For more information about the safeguards in place for any specific transfer, please contact us at privacy@heycat.co.uk.
7. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy.
Typical retention periods may include:
- gameplay and analytics data: while services remain active or reasonably required for analytics and support;
- support communications: up to 24 months;
- financial and transaction records: up to 6 years where required for tax or accounting purposes.
We may retain limited information longer where required by law or for legitimate legal purposes.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the right to:
- access your personal data;
- correct inaccurate data;
- request deletion of your data;
- restrict or object to processing;
- withdraw consent;
- request portability of your data; and
- lodge a complaint with a data protection authority.
UK users may contact the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
To exercise your rights, contact: privacy@heycat.co.uk
We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests.
9. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data, including access controls, encryption, and secure service providers.
However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Children's Privacy
Our games and services are not intended to knowingly collect personal data from children in violation of applicable law.
If you believe that a child has provided us with personal data unlawfully, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete the information.
Parents or guardians may contact: privacy@heycat.co.uk
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
Updated versions will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. Material changes may be communicated through our games, websites, or other appropriate channels.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our handling of personal data, contact: privacy@heycat.co.uk