Last updated: 21st February 2022
Please read this Privacy Policy, our Terms and Conditions, End User Licence Agreement, Cookies Policy and Acceptable Use Policy before using our games and services.
Who we are
We are RailSimulator.com Limited (trading as Dovetail Games), a company registered in England and Wales whose registered office is 3rd Floor, Fitted Rigging House, Anchor Wharf, The Historic Dockyard, Chatham ME4 4TZ. We are an award winning games development and publishing studio.
Please read this policy carefully and if you need to contact us about anything that is in here, or for anything else related to your personal information, you can reach us by email at: dataprotectionofficer@dovetailgames.com.
About this policy
This privacy policy explains how and why we use personal data (also known as personal information, personally identifiable information or PII) for the purposes of providing, promoting and developing our games and services.
This policy also provides contact details and important information about your data protection rights.
What personal data do we collect?
Players
We collect personal data directly from players via registration and gameplay. If you link your account to or access it via a third-party service (for example, Facebook, Xbox, Steam, PlayStation and Switch) we collect personal data from that service. The personal data we collect and generate relating to players includes:
User name and account details
User date of birth
User email address
User gender and profile photo
Game profile (including basic details, game progress and usage)
Game profile ID (a randomly generated identifier)
Analytics ID (used to track game usage)
Third party account ID (if you link your account to or access it via a service such as Facebook, Xbox, Steam or PlayStation)
Device information (including ID, type, time zone settings and location, IP address)
Marketing and communications data (including preferences)
Website users
This Privacy Policy applies to all the websites we own and/or operate (our websites) which includes, but is not limited to:
https://dovetailgames.com/
https://live.dovetailgames.com/
https://forums.dovetailgames.com/
https://store.dovetailgames.com/
The information we collect from individuals that visit our websites includes:
IP address
Device information (including ID, type, browser type and version, plugins, operating system and platform, time zone setting and location, IP address)
Website usage
Personal data entered into webforms
Purchase and order history
Marketing and communications data (including preferences)
Cookie data (please see cookies section below)
People we work with
We collect personal data directly from individuals we work with. We collect personal data from their employers or the organisations they represent. We also collect personal data relating to people we work with from other organisations we work with (for example, industry conferences, gaming media, social media, platforms and stores.
The personal data we collect relating to people we work with includes:
Name
Address
Contact details (including telephone and email)
Social media
Professional employment details
Personal data in correspondence
How we use your personal data
Players
We mainly use personal data relating to players to provide, develop and promote our games and wider business. More specifically, we use personal data relating to players to:
Improve our games (including by providing personalised content, language, help and instructions)
Allow players to participate in certain website features
Account verification and clearance
Direct marketing to let players know about relevant products and services
Provide customer service assistance
Administer surveys and opinion polls
Manage alpha, beta or early access tests (including collecting feedback)
Administer promotions for products, services, news and events
Better understand how our games are used (including checking traffic patterns and what types of content are most popular)
Receive and respond to correspondence
Detect and address hacking, cheating and other activities that harm the experience of our games
Display in-game profiles
Engage with players on third-party social networks (please check the privacy notices of social networks)
Display leader boards, nicknames and any clan/guild information
Detect and address security risks
Detect fraud and other unlawful activity
Exercise legal rights and comply with legal obligations
Website Users
We use personal data relating to users of our websites mainly to provide, develop and promote our websites, games and wider business. More specifically, we use personal data relating to website users to:
Provide customer service assistance
Better understand how our websites are used (including checking traffic patterns and what types of content are most popular)
Website analytics and improvements
Detect and address security risks
Detect fraud and other unlawful activity
Exercise legal rights and comply with legal obligations
People we work with
We use personal data relating to people we work with mainly to provide, develop and promote our games and wider business. More specifically, we use personal data relating to people we work with to:
Manage services provided by our suppliers
Arrange meetings, calls and events
Manage business and professional relationships
Exercise legal rights and comply with legal obligations
Our legal grounds to use personal data
Players
Contract
Our main legal ground for the use of personal data relating to a player is for the performance of our contract with them under a game's terms of use.
Legitimate interests
We will also use personal data relating to players where necessary for the purpose of legitimate interests pursued by us and organisations we work with.
However, we will only use personal data relating to players for the purposes of legitimate interests where players' interests, rights and freedoms do not override our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of the organisations we work with.
Our legitimate interests include for the purpose of providing, developing and promoting our games and our wider business.
Consent
Our legal ground for sending players users direct marketing is consent. Consent for direct marketing may be withdrawn at any time.
Website Users
Legitimate interests
We use personal data relating to website users where necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by us. Our legitimate interests include for the purpose of providing, developing and promoting our games and wider business.
We will only use personal data relating to website users for the purposes of legitimate interests where website users' interests, rights and freedoms do not override our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of the organisations we work with.
Consent
Our legal ground for sending website users direct marketing is consent. Our legal ground for non-essential cookies is consent. Consent for direct marketing or non-essential cookies may be withdrawn at any time.
People we work with
Contract
Where we have a contract in place with the people we work with, our legal ground for the use of personal data relating to such a person is for the performance of such contract.
Legitimate interests
We use personal data relating to people we work with where necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by us. Our legitimate interests include for the purpose of providing, developing and promoting our games and wider business.
We will only use personal data relating to the people we work with for the purposes of legitimate interests where their interests, rights and freedoms do not override our legitimate interests.
Automated decision-making
We do not make any legally significant decisions about individuals based solely on automated decision making.
Sharing your information
Players
We share personal data relating to players with other players, our staff and the following types of service providers:
Platforms
Distributors of our games
Payment processors
Marketing partners
Analytics service providers (see cookies section below)
IT providers
Group companies
Business partners
Professional service providers (for example accountants and lawyers)
Website users
We share personal data relating to website users with our staff and the following types of service providers:
Analytics service providers (see cookies section below)
Payment processors
IT providers
Marketing patterns
Group companies
Professional service providers (for example accountants and lawyers)
People we work with
We share personal data with our staff and the following types of service providers:
Online stores
Payment processors
IT providers
Marketing partners
Group companies
Sister studios
Business partners
Professional service providers (for example accountants and lawyers)
We will share personal data with potential buyers, group companies and/or business partners where necessary for a reorganisation, restructuring, merger, sale or transfer of assets involving Dovetail Games or our games.
We will share personal data where necessary to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights. We will also share personal data where required by the courts, regulators or law.
International transfers
We routinely transfer personal data outside of the UK. Where we transfer personal data outside the UK to a country that has not been recognised as providing an adequate level of data protection we use the standard contractual clauses unless we have identified another appropriate safeguard or relevant exemption.
Rights
Everyone has the right to:
Information about how we use personal data (which is what this notice is for)
Access to personal data
Erasure of personal data
Portability of personal data
Withdraw consent where our use of personal data is based on consent
Rectification of personal data
Restriction of personal data
Complain to your supervisory authority
Please be aware that these rights are not absolute and there may be some situations in which they cannot be exercised or are not relevant. The Information Commissioner's Office provides more information about data protection rights at the following URL: www.ico.org.uk
You will not be treated differently or discriminated against for exercising any of your rights.
Marketing
If you are one of our customers or have otherwise agreed to be contacted for marketing purposes we may use your personal information to send you information about us and our services. You can unsubscribe from receiving them at any time and details of how to unsubscribe will be included in any marketing communications we send you. You also have the option of "unsubscribing" from our mailing list at any time thereby disabling any further such e-mail or other communication from being sent to you by emailing dataprotectionofficer@dovetailgames.com.
We will action any opt out request from you as soon as we can.
Data retention
Players
We keep personal data relating to players for the period that the game is available to play. Once we make a game unavailable, we will delete all personal data relating to players of that game. We will also delete personal data relating to a player when we receive a specific request for erasure (see rights section above)
Website users
We keep personal data relating to websites for as long as necessary for our games or wider business purposes.
People we work with
We keep personal data relating to websites for as long as necessary for our games or wider business purposes.
If you do not provide personal data
Where we need personal data for an agreement with you and you do not provide personal data, we may not be able to perform the agreement. In this case, we may have to cancel your access to our games.
Security
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect. Such measures will be appropriate to the nature of the data concerned and the level of risk. If you have been provided with a password to access any of our services you should not share that password with anyone else.
Links to Other Sites
Our websites may contain links to other sites, including via our social media buttons. While we try to link only to websites that share our high standards and respect for privacy, we are not responsible for the content, security, or privacy practices employed by other websites and a link does not constitute an endorsement of that website. Once you link to another website from our website you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including, but not limited to, its internet privacy policy and practices. Please check these policies before you submit any data to these websites.
Complaints
Questions, comments and requests regarding this policy are welcomed and should be addressed to dataprotectionofficer@dovetailgames.com.
If you have any concerns about our use of your information, you also have the right (as a UK resident) to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office, which regulates and supervises the use of personal data in the UK, via their helpline on 0303 123 1113.
Cookies and similar technologies
A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site.
Essential cookies
Our websites will not work properly without essential cookies. For example, we use cookies for security purposes.
Analytics cookies
We use Google Analytics to learn about how people use our website. For example, which pages uses visit most often and where users encounter error messages.
For information on what cookies we use and for what purpose, and how to opt out of cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.
Children
We do not knowingly collect or use any personal data relating to children under the age of 13.
Changes to this policy
Any changes we make to our policy in the future will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, notified to you by e-mail. Please check back frequently to see any updates or changes to our policy.