Privacy Policy

Effective 2026-10-06

1. About this policy

This policy explains what personal information Board Game Ranker ("BGR", "we", "us") collects, why we collect it, and how you can access, change, or delete it. It covers our website and Android app. The data controller is Board Game Ranker, a trading name of an independent developer based in Australia. If you have a question, use our contact form below.

Most of the app works without an account. Your rankings, ratings, and collections stay on your device unless you connect BoardGameGeek (BGG), create an account, or subscribe. We don't describe on-device data further here. Clearing your storage or uninstalling the app deletes it.

2. What we collect and why

Account details. If you create an account (Google sign-in or username and password), we store your email, display name, and a permanent username. We also store either a Google identifier or a salted, hashed password that we can't recover, plus an optional profile image (web only).

Email verification. When you create a username and password account, we email you a confirmation link and store a hashed, single-use verification token, when it was created and last sent, and when it expires (about 60 minutes after it is sent), until it is used or expires. Our email delivery provider may record whether you open this email or click its link, for delivery reliability.

BGG connection. Your BGG password reaches our servers only when you connect BoardGameGeek. In the Android app it also reaches us when the app reconnects you after BGG ends a session. We use it only to sign in to BGG, and we never store or log it. We keep your BGG username and the session cookies BGG gives us, and we use them to read and update your ratings, collection, and plays on BGG. We delete them when you disconnect BGG in the app, when you delete your account, and automatically 28 days after you last connected or reconnected BGG. In the Android app, using a BGG feature reconnects you automatically if needed, which resets the 28 days.

On the web, your browser keeps an encrypted, HttpOnly cookie that holds a hashed reconnect token issued by BGG. It is not your password. The token stays on your device, is sent only to reconnect you, and is cleared when you disconnect BGG or log out. We never store it on our servers. Because of this token, you only re-enter your BGG password about once every 28 days of inactivity.

In the Android app, your BGG password is stored encrypted on your device by Android's secure storage so you stay connected. It is sent to our servers only to reconnect you, and it is removed when you disconnect BGG. You don't need a BGR account to connect BGG.

Content you create. This includes rankings, ratings, advanced ratings, awards, collections and share links, Rankings Decks (including invite handles for people who aren't BGR users yet), your friends list, BGG scoring formats, and any feedback you send us.

Notifications. If you turn notifications on, we store a push token and your in-app notification history. If you leave them off, we store nothing.

Billing. We never see your card details. For Premium we store a Stripe or Google Play Billing subscription ID, plus its status and renewal dates. Stripe or Google Play handles tips entirely.

Technical and anti-abuse data. We keep your IP address briefly for sign-in throttling and our bot-protection check. Our hosting provider keeps request logs. When enabled, we also receive non-identifying crash and error reports. On Android these contain only device model, OS, app version, and locale, and never an advertising ID.

Android permissions are limited to what each feature needs: internet, notifications, boot-start for reminders, and camera (only to scan a deck invite QR code). We don't collect advertising identifiers or track you across other apps.

3. What other users can see

Everything above is private by default. Sharing is opt-in. A published ranking shows your BGG username and its content through its link and your followers' feed. Anyone who has a collection share link can see that collection. A Rankings Deck's invite handle is visible only to you as organiser.

4. Who we share information with

We share information only with services that make the app work. We never share it for advertising or sale.

Verification and other emails we send come from noreply@boardgameranker.com, and replies go to alex@boardgameranker.com. We don't track whether you open them or click the links in them.

5. International data transfers

Our database is hosted in Cloudflare's Oceania (Australia) region. Some of the processors above operate in the United States, so your information may be processed there under standard contractual clauses or equivalent safeguards.

6. Data retention

We keep your account and content until you ask us to delete it (section 9). Encrypted database backups are stored in Cloudflare R2 object storage for up to 90 days and then deleted automatically. Backups deliberately leave out authentication credentials and session tokens, third-party login tokens, deck-invite tokens, subscription purchase tokens, email verification tokens, push-notification subscriptions, raw IP addresses from login-attempt rate-limiting records, inline profile and game images, and regenerable cache data. We keep IP and anti-abuse records briefly, and crash reports (when enabled) for 30 days.

Email verification tokens are short-lived. They are replaced whenever a new link is requested, deleted from our database about seven days after they are used or expire, and removed if you delete your account. They are also left out of our backups.

7. Your rights and how the law applies

We process your information under contract, our legitimate interest in keeping the service secure, your consent (for BGG and notifications), and legal obligations where they apply. You have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, port, and object to our processing, and to withdraw consent at any time. Use our contact form below and we'll respond within one month. If you have a complaint, contact us first. In Australia you can also go to the OAIC. Elsewhere, you can go to your local data protection authority.

We send and check your account verification email under our contract with you and our legitimate interest in confirming account ownership and preventing abuse.

8. Children

You must be at least 13 to hold an account. The app isn't directed at children and isn't part of the Google Play Families program (rated "Everyone"). We delete any account we learn belongs to someone under 13. Where local law sets a higher digital-consent age, a parent or guardian must consent on that person's behalf.

9. Changing or deleting your data

You can correct most information directly in the app. Deletion is by request and isn't instant. Request it through Settings, then Delete account (web or Android), or through our contact form below (choose "Account deletion"; this works even if you can't sign in). When you contact us outside the app, we confirm the request from the email address on file for your account before we act on it, and we complete it within 30 days.

We delete your account identity, rankings, ratings, advanced ratings, awards, collections and share links, published rankings, deck participation and invite handles, friends, BGG scoring formats, your BGG connection, and subscription records. We keep backups (up to 90 days) and payment records held by Stripe and Google Play. Your username is not reserved after deletion. Full details are at boardgameranker.com/delete-account.

10. Security

We salt and hash passwords, encrypt connections in transit, and lock session cookies to this site. No method is 100% secure.

11. Cookies and local storage

We use first-party cookies to keep you signed in and to remember that you passed our bot-protection check. We also store your data on your device so the app works offline and loads quickly. Google and Stripe may set their own cookies when you use those features. We run no advertising and no cross-site tracking.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app changes. The date above shows the last revision. We'll notify you of material changes in the app and by email, and prior versions are available on request.

13. Contact

Use the form below for questions about this policy, data requests, or account deletion. We reply from a real inbox.