Legal & Policies - Words Am What

1. Terms of Service

Welcome to Words Am What. By playing our game, you agree to these rules. Basically: play nice, don't be a jerk, and remember—cheating at a single-player vocabulary game only robs you of the fun of learning something new.

Disclaimer

                    *Results not guaranteed. Your brain may or may not expand. Your boss may remain
                    unimpressed. Your attractiveness to potential partners is beyond our control. We accept no liability
                    for heated dinner party debates, prolonged smugness from winning streaks, or the insufferable person
                    you might become. We're just here to give you weird words and see what happens.
                

Intellectual Property

We own the code, the game design and engine, and the fake definitions. You now co-own the words along with the rest of humanity. Use this power wisely.

You can play the game, share your results, and talk about us online. You cannot hack the game, copy our content, reverse-engineer our system, scrape our database, or be a jerk. Our intellectual property is protected by copyright, trademark, and the kind of lawyering we'd rather not deploy. If you find a bug or security issue, please contact us at hello@wordsamwhat.com so we can fix it. Thank you for helping us make the game better.

If you want to use our content for something legitimate (education, research, media coverage), contact us at hello@wordsamwhat.com. We're reasonable people who like words. We can probably work something out.

2. Privacy Policy

                    The Short Version: We don't sell your data. We don't even want your data.
                    It sounds like a lot of paperwork. But here is the long version for completeness.
                

What We Collect

We collect minimal data to make the game work:

Anonymous Player ID: To track your streaks and stats (stored in a cookie).
Game Activity: Which words you played, if you won or lost, and anonymous analytics about which features are used.
Email Address: Only if you explicitly subscribe to our newsletter (handled securely by Beehiiv).

What We DO NOT Collect

We do not store IP addresses, names, precise locations, browsing history, or device fingerprints in our game database. Our infrastructure provider (Cloudflare) may process standard web traffic logs for security, but we don't use this to track you.

Third-Party Services

We work with a few trusted partners to keep the lights on:

Cloudflare: For hosting and security.
Beehiiv: For sending our newsletter (if you subscribe).

Data Storage & Retention

We store your game data in the US using Cloudflare's infrastructure.

How We Use Cookies

We use cookies to remember your game sessions and track your progress between visits. These cookies let you close your browser and pick up where you left off.

For Subscribers: Your data is tied to your email and syncs across all your devices. You get full stats tracking, streak history, and the ability to play on your phone at lunch and check your progress on your laptop at home.
For Non-Subscribers: Your streak data lives in browser cookies that last one year. You'll see your current streak on share cards, but detailed stats require a subscription. Clear your cookies and you start fresh.

Data Deletion

If you want your data deleted, email us at hello@wordsamwhat.com. Be aware that deleting your data means permanently losing all stats, streaks, and game history.

Children

Words Am What is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@wordsamwhat.com and we will delete it promptly.

3. Do Not Sell My Information

We do not sell your personal information.

In fact, because we don't require accounts, we don't even have personal information (like your name or address) to sell.

If you are a California resident (CCPA), you have the right to request that we not sell your data. Since we don't sell it anyway, you're already all set. However, if you would like to make a formal request or have questions, please email us at hello@wordsamwhat.com.

4. Cookie Policy & Settings

We use cookies solely to make the game work. We don't use them to follow you around the internet.

The Cookies We Set

Name	Purpose	Duration
waw_player	Remembering your streak/stats	1 year
waw_session	Your current game progress	24 hours

                    Settings: Since all our cookies are "essential" for the game to function (saving
                    your streak), there are no optional cookies to toggle. If you disable cookies in your browser, the
                    game simply won't save your progress.
                

5. Affiliate Disclosure

We participate in affiliate programs. If you click a link to a book or product and buy it, we might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the game free and banner-ad free.

Our Promise

We match recommendations to the word of the day, not your personal browsing history. If today's word is "Coffee," you might see a coffee subscription link. We don't track what you looked at yesterday or follow you around the web.

Third-Party Sites

Once you click an affiliate link, you're on their site with their privacy policies and tracking practices. We have no control over what they do from there.

Contact

Questions about any of this? Email us at hello@wordsamwhat.com.