Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 20, 2026
This Privacy Policy describes the policies and procedures of Sandzone (developed and published by Yogurt Studios) regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you download, install, and play our game, and explains your privacy rights and protections under applicable privacy laws.
🎮 Family-Friendly Puzzle Gameplay: Sandzone is an offline-first, physics-based sand block puzzle game designed for fun, relaxation, and cognitive challenge. We respect your privacy: we do not collect real personal identities, physical locations, phone numbers, contact books, or private photos. All core puzzle gameplay runs seamlessly on your device.
📢 Advertising & Monetization Notice: Sandzone uses Google AdMob to show non-intrusive banner ads and optional rewarded video ads (e.g. to double daily bonuses or earn in-game revive tokens). Players can permanently disable third-party ads at any time via an in-app purchase processed securely through Google Play In-App Billing.
Interpretation and Definitions
Definitions
- Application — refers to Sandzone (Package Name:
com.yogurtstudios.sandzone), the mobile game application provided by Yogurt Studios.
- Company — refers to Yogurt Studios ("We", "Us", "Our").
- Country — Turkey.
- Device — any internet-capable mobile device that can run the Application (Android smartphone, tablet, or foldable).
- Personal Data — any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual. Sandzone collects minimal, non-identifying gameplay data.
- Usage Data — data collected automatically generated either by playing the Application or through third-party services (such as Google Play Services or AdMob).
- You — the individual accessing, downloading, or playing the Application.
Information We Collect and How We Collect It
1. Information You Provide Directly
When you play Sandzone, you can customize your gameplay profile:
- Player Nickname: An optional nickname of your choice (defaulting to a randomized guest ID such as
Guest_12345678). You are free to change this at any time in the Profile popup. Please do not use your real full name as a nickname.
- Avatar Selection: Your selected animal avatar (e.g., Lion, Fox, Panda, Wolf, Owl, Cat, Bear, Eagle, Tiger, Rabbit, Monkey, Dragon) chosen from in-game presets.
- Settings Preferences: Audio toggle (SFX, Music), vibration haptic feedback, colorblind accessibility mode, and language preference (16 supported languages).
2. Information Collected Automatically
- Gameplay Progress & High Scores: High scores, game stage, stars earned, current level, difficulty mode, daily streak count, in-game gem balance, and milestone achievements. Stored locally on your device and optionally synchronized with global leaderboard services.
- Device & Diagnostic Information: Device model, operating system version, screen resolution, app version, language/locale, and anonymous technical diagnostics (e.g. crash reports) to optimize rendering and frame rates.
- Country Flag: A two-letter ISO country code detected from device locale to display your national flag on global leaderboard entries.
3. Third-Party Services & SDKs
Sandzone integrates with industry-standard, trusted third-party services:
- Google Firebase (Cloud Firestore & App Check): Used to maintain online global and league leaderboards, verify fair play, and protect game integrity against abuse. (Firebase Privacy Policy)
- Google AdMob: Used to display banner advertisements, interstitial ads, and optional rewarded video ads. Google AdMob may use device advertising identifiers (GAID) in accordance with Google's policies. (Google AdMob Privacy Policy)
- Google Play In-App Billing: Used to process purchases (such as "Remove Ads" or virtual gem packs). All payments and sensitive credit card details are handled strictly and securely by Google Play. Yogurt Studios never receives, sees, or stores your financial or billing information. (Google Play Privacy Policy)
Device Permissions We Request
To provide a smooth puzzle experience, Sandzone requests only minimal, non-intrusive permissions on your Android device:
- Internet Access (
android.permission.INTERNET): Required for online leaderboards, cloud score syncing, daily bonus time checks, and serving ads.
- Network State (
android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE): Required to check if an active internet connection is available before attempting cloud sync.
- Vibration (
android.permission.VIBRATE): Used exclusively to trigger optional tactile haptic feedback during line clears, block placement, and combo bonuses. Can be disabled at any time in Settings.
Permissions We DO NOT Request: Sandzone does NOT request access to your Camera, Microphone, Photo Gallery, Storage, Contacts, Phone Calls, GPS Location, or any sensitive hardware.
How We Use Your Information
- To deliver responsive sand physics and enjoyable puzzle gameplay.
- To save your progress, high scores, earned gems, and unlockable levels.
- To display your anonymous nickname, avatar, and score on global and league leaderboards.
- To manage daily rewards, streaks, and milestone progression.
- To provide personalized game settings including 16-language localization and colorblind mode.
- To serve advertisements and rewarded video experiences via Google AdMob.
- To facilitate secure in-app purchases via Google Play Billing.
Data Retention & User Data Deletion
We respect your right to control and erase your game data at any time:
- In-App One-Click Data Deletion: You can permanently clear all local game data, high scores, nickname, and preferences directly inside the game by opening Settings → Data & Privacy → Delete Data. This instantly wipes all local PlayerPrefs from your device.
- Leaderboard Removal Request: To request removal of your anonymous entry from the Firebase leaderboard database, you can contact us at askyogurtstudios@gmail.com with your Nickname or Device ID (found in Settings → Game Information). We process deletion requests within 30 days.
Children's Privacy (COPPA & Family Policy)
Sandzone is an all-ages family-friendly puzzle game. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal identifiable information from children under 13 (or under 16 in the European Union). The game does not require account registration, email submission, or social logins. If you believe that a minor has provided personal data without parental consent, please contact us immediately at askyogurtstudios@gmail.com and we will promptly remove such information.
Security of Your Data
We implement industry-standard technical and organizational security measures to protect game data. Cloud communication with Firebase and Google services is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS/HTTPS). However, please note that no electronic transmission or digital storage method is 100% impenetrable.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect game updates, new features, or statutory requirements. Any changes will be published on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage players to periodically review this page.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, feedback, or privacy-related requests regarding Sandzone or this Privacy Policy, please reach out to us: