Terms of Service

By accessing or using Squibz ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Service.

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. We will update the revision date above. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

Squibz is a free, browser-based multiplayer gaming platform. It allows users to create or join game rooms using a 6-character code and play real-time games with other users. No account registration is required. The Service is provided free of charge and is supported by advertising.

The Service is provided on a best-effort basis. Game rooms are temporary — they exist only while players are connected and are permanently deleted after 2 hours of inactivity or when all players leave.

The Service is intended for users aged 13 and older (or 16 and older in the European Economic Area). By using the Service, you confirm that you meet the applicable minimum age requirement. If you are under the applicable minimum age, you must not use the Service without verifiable parental or guardian consent.

You agree to use the Service only for lawful, non-harmful purposes. You must not:

• Harass, threaten, bully, or abuse other users
• Use offensive, hateful, defamatory, or sexually explicit usernames or in-game content
• Impersonate any person, organisation, or Squibz staff
• Use automated bots, scripts, or tools to interact with the Service unfairly
• Intentionally exploit software bugs, glitches, or vulnerabilities to gain an unfair advantage or disrupt other users
• Interfere with the proper functioning of the Service or its servers
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Service or its systems
• Circumvent any rate limiting, abuse prevention, or security measures
• Use the Service to distribute malware or engage in phishing
• Use the Service for any commercial purpose without our prior written consent

We reserve the right to block access to any user who violates these rules, at our sole discretion and without prior notice.

You choose a temporary display name ("username") stored only in your own browser. You do not create an account, password, or persistent profile on our servers. Your in-game identity is non-persistent and is not associated with any registered user.

You are solely responsible for your chosen username and any content you submit during gameplay. Usernames and in-game content must not violate Section 4 above.

Some games (e.g. Draw & Guess, Hive Mind) allow you to submit drawings or typed responses. This content is transient — it is never stored on our servers beyond the active game session. You retain any rights you may have in such content, and by submitting it you grant other players in the room a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to view it during the session.

You must not submit content that is unlawful, hateful, sexually explicit, defamatory, or that infringes any third party's intellectual property rights.

The Squibz name, logo, website design, original game concepts, and all associated intellectual property are owned by Squibz and its creators. You may not:

• Copy, reproduce, or redistribute any part of the Service without written permission
• Create derivative works based on the Service's design or game mechanics without authorisation
• Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices

The Service is funded in part by advertising served by Google AdSense. By using the Service, you acknowledge that advertisements may be displayed on the pages. We comply with Google AdSense programme policies. You agree not to attempt to circumvent, block, or interfere with advertisements displayed on the Service through automated means.

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or use third-party services (such as Google AdSense for advertising and Supabase for contact form storage). We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of any third-party services. Use of those services is at your own risk and subject to their own terms.

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free operation
• Availability of game rooms at any specific time
• Appropriate behaviour of other users
• Accuracy or completeness of trivia questions or word lists
• Persistence of game rooms or scores across sessions

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Squibz and its creators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

• Your use of or inability to use the Service
• Any conduct or content of other users
• Unauthorised access to or alteration of your data
• Loss of game progress due to disconnection or server restart
• Any other matter relating to the Service

In no event shall our total aggregate liability to you exceed the greater of £0 (zero) or the amount you have paid to use the Service in the 12 months preceding the claim — as the Service is provided entirely free of charge.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Squibz and its creators from any claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your submitted content, or your misuse of the Service.

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time without notice or liability. We may update game rules, add or remove games, or change features at our discretion. We will endeavour to provide reasonable notice of significant changes where practicable.

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising under or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, except that:

• If you are a consumer resident in the EEA, mandatory consumer protection laws of your country of residence also apply and cannot be waived by these Terms.
• If you are a consumer resident in the United States, you may bring claims in the courts of your state of residence.

We encourage all disputes to be resolved amicably first — please contact us before initiating formal proceedings.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Squibz regarding use of the Service and supersede any prior agreements or understandings.

Questions about these Terms? Contact us via our contact page. We aim to respond within 14 business days.