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Privacy

Privacy Policy

Last updated 30 October 2026

This policy explains what personal information Hidden Thread collects, why, and what you can do about it. We collect as little as we need to run a game, and we don't sell it to anyone.

Hidden Thread is run by Hidden Thread Games Pty Ltd (ABN 65 703 693 681), based in Western Australia. In this policy, "we" and "us" means Hidden Thread. We handle personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Questions or requests: hello@playhiddenthread.com.

When you book. Your name, email address and, if you choose to give it, your mobile number. We also record the game, date, time and number of teams, any invite or promo code you used, when you accepted our terms, and whether you asked to hear about new games.

When you pay. Once paid bookings open, payments are handled by our payment provider. We see the amount, the payment status and a reference. We never see or store your full card details.

When someone invites you. If the host adds your email to invite you to their team, we use it to send you that invite and the game details. We don't add you to any mailing list unless you ask us to.

When you play. You don't need an account or an email address to play. We collect the display name you type when you join a team, and what your team does in the game: answers submitted, Nudges taken, times, progress and any feedback you give at the end. Your phone keeps a small sign-in token so the game remembers which team you are on.

If you use My Threads. My Threads is an optional account where you can see your bookings and the games you've played. You sign in with your email and a one-time code we send you, or with a link in one of our emails; there's no password. We keep your email, the name you give us, whether you want news from us, and which teams you played on. If you sign in on a phone you've already played on, the games played on that phone are added to your account. If you give us your email on the finish screen, it creates or signs you in to a My Threads account so your result is saved.

When you contact us. Your name, email or phone number and whatever you tell us, whether by email, the contact form, WhatsApp, a call or a text.

Technical information. Our servers record your IP address and basic device and browser details when you use the site. We use this to keep the service secure, for example to limit repeated attempts at invite codes.

Counting visits. We count pages viewed and steps through booking so we can see where the site could be clearer. We do this ourselves, without cookies: a random number lives only in your open browser tab and disappears when you close it, so we never know who you are. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track signal, we don't count you at all. These counts are kept for 13 months.

We don't track your location, and the game doesn't ask for location access. We don't use advertising cookies, and we don't sell or share information for advertising.

  • To take and manage your booking, and to send your confirmation, host link, reminders and after-game email.
  • To send the invites a host asks us to send.
  • To run your My Threads account: sign you in, show your bookings and results, and send your sign-in codes.
  • To run the game: keep your team together, check answers, keep time and produce the standings.
  • To answer your questions and deal with changes, cancellations and refunds.
  • To improve our games, using gameplay data such as where teams get stuck or take hints. We look at this across teams, not to single anyone out.
  • To send you news about new games and places, but only if you ask us to. Every marketing email has an unsubscribe link.
  • To keep the service secure and meet our legal and tax obligations.

The host and other players. The person who booked can see team names, the display names of players on each team, who has accepted an invite, and each team's progress and results once the standings are revealed. Where several teams play together, including teams that joined a group, the standings show team names and results to everyone in that group. Other players only ever see display names, never email addresses.

Our service providers. We use trusted providers to run Hidden Thread: website and database hosting, email delivery, messaging (WhatsApp, if you contact us that way) and, once paid bookings open, payment processing. They handle your information only to provide their service to us.

No one else, unless the law requires it. We don't sell, rent or trade personal information.

Some of our providers store or process information outside Australia, including in the United States. We choose providers that protect information to a standard comparable with the Australian Privacy Principles.

  • Booking and payment records: 7 years, for tax and accounting.
  • Gameplay data: 2 years, then deleted or anonymised.
  • My Threads account: until you delete it. You can delete it yourself in My Threads, or ask us to. Booking records stay for the 7 years above.
  • Invite emails a host gave us: as long as the booking record, and only used for that game.
  • Marketing list: until you unsubscribe or ask us to remove you.
  • Enquiries: 2 years after our last contact.

Your information is stored on secure, access-controlled systems. Only people who need it to run Hidden Thread can see booking details. Host links are stored encrypted. Sign-in codes and sign-in links are stored only in a form that can't be read back; codes expire after 10 minutes and links after 14 days.

The person who books must be 18 or over. Younger players can join a team, and we only collect the display name they choose and their team's gameplay. We suggest children use a first name or a nickname. My Threads accounts are for people aged 16 and over.

You can ask to see the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it where we don't need to keep it. Email hello@playhiddenthread.com and we'll reply within 30 days. You can change your name and news setting, or delete your account, at any time in My Threads. You can unsubscribe from marketing at any time using the link in any email.

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, tell us first and we'll try to put it right. If you're still not satisfied, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.

If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. If a change affects how we use information you've already given us, we'll tell you by email.