Effective date: 31 October 2026. Last updated: 5 November 2026. This notice explains how the BoardGame Archive Companion app (at boardgamearchive.com/app/) handles personal information. It supplements the website’s general Privacy Policy.

Who operates this service and how to contact us

BoardGame Archive is the name under which this website and the Companion service operate. The data controller for BoardGame Archive Companion is MCA Hospitality Consultants Limited (registered in England and Wales, company number 11157363). Its registered office is 53C Unimix House, Abbey Road, London NW10 7TR, United Kingdom. For private data-access, correction and deletion requests, use Profile → Your Data & Privacy inside Companion or email social@boardgamearchive.com. For general enquiries, you can also use the contact form. When emailing about a privacy request, use “Companion privacy request” in your subject line. Do not include passwords or government identification documents in the initial request.

Information handled in Companion

• Sign-in and accounts: information connected to your Companion sign-in account and Google sign-in, including your account name, email address, login status and a Google-linked identifier. Companion does not receive or store your Google password.
• Player profiles: your chosen display name, optional player photo, motto, preferred statistics colour, and game statistics.
• Games and scores: personal collections and wishlists, scorecards, named players, results, winners, dates and group history.
• Social features: group membership, roles and invitations; friend requests and friendships; and recent app activity used to show whether accepted friends are online.
• Technical data: cookies necessary for sign-in, requests made to the application and security-related server information. The main website may also use analytics or advertising technologies, as discussed in the general Privacy Policy, subject to applicable consent rules.

Automated content filtering

To reduce abusive language, Companion automatically replaces some offensive words with asterisks in new text submissions and when displaying older player or group records. This does not change numeric scores or player identifiers. Automated filters cannot detect every harmful phrase and do not review images; users can report concerns through the contact form.

Why we use the data

We process information to sign users in, provide personal and shared scorekeeping, maintain profiles and groups, enable invitations and friend requests, prevent misuse, investigate reports and keep the app secure. Depending on the activity, the relevant legal basis may be performance of the service you request, our legitimate interests in securely operating a social scorekeeping service, or compliance with legal obligations. Non-essential advertising and analytics technologies require separate consideration under applicable cookie and privacy rules; sign-in is not consent to unrelated advertising tracking.

Who can see information

Other signed-in users may be able to discover a claimed player profile by searching for a player name and view information the app makes visible, such as a display name, picture, motto and permitted game statistics. Group members can view shared scorecards, group membership and relevant player details in their groups. Accepted friends may see whether each other has recently used Companion. Group administrators can manage membership and group settings. Personal email addresses are not intended to be publicly displayed by the Companion profile interface.

Think before uploading: do not use private images, another person’s identifying information or a child’s personal details without an appropriate basis and permission. Guest profiles created for scorekeeping can include a player’s display name and game results even before that player creates their own Google-connected account.

Who receives data

Data is processed using the website platform and hosting services. Google/Site Kit is involved in authentication. Other necessary service providers may support storage, security, delivery or analytics and advertising on the website. We will update this notice with verified provider and international-transfer details after completing a service inventory. We do not ask for your Google password.

Retention and deletion

We generally keep an active Companion account’s profile, personal collection and scores while the service is being used, unless the information is deleted or a lawful retention need applies. Under Profile and settings → Your data, you can request deletion of your Companion data using the in-app control. Private Companion scores and collections are removed, but shared-group results may remain with personal identity references anonymised so other members retain their game history. In some cases you must first transfer group ownership. This control does not delete the underlying website sign-in account or your Google account. For a broader erasure or access request, use our contact form.

Your choices and rights

You can update aspects of your profile, delete a custom photo, manage friendships and leave groups using app features where available. Depending on applicable law, you may also request access, correction, erasure, restriction, portability, or object to processing. For requests, use the contact form with “Companion privacy request” in your message. You may be asked to verify that you control the relevant account; never send your Google password. You may complain to the relevant data-protection authority if your concerns are not resolved.

Cookies, children and changes

Login and security cookies are used to operate the service. Optional analytics or advertising cookies and similar technology require appropriate information and consent controls where the law requires it. Companion is a general-interest board-game scorekeeper, not designed specifically for children. Parents and guardians should supervise use by younger players; any child-access requirements will be reviewed before broader public launch. We may update this notice as the app develops and will communicate material changes when required.

Ongoing compliance review: the precise service-provider and international-transfer inventory, security-log retention periods, and age-appropriate-use procedures are being reviewed. This notice will be updated as those details are confirmed.