Terms & Conditions
Official legal terms governing the download, installation, and play of Aether Forge on mobile platforms.
1.Introduction and Acceptance of Terms
Welcome to Aether Forge (the "Application", "Game", or "Service").
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms", "Agreement") constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity ("you", "User", or "Player"), and RivalHive, concerning your access to and use of the Aether Forge mobile application and any related services.
2.Eligibility & Age Requirements
- Age of Majority: You affirm that you are either at least 18 years of age (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction of residence) or, if you are a minor (under 18 or applicable local age), you possess valid parental or legal guardian consent to download, install, and play Aether Forge under their direct supervision and review of these Terms.
- Child Protection (COPPA / GDPR-K): Aether Forge is suitable for general audiences. If you are under 13 (or under 16 in the European Union), you may only play the game with the informed consent and oversight of a parent or legal guardian.
- Territory Compliance: You represent that your access and use of the Game does not violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law or regulation.
3.Limited License Grant
Subject to your continued compliance with these Terms, RivalHive grants you a personal, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, and limited license to download, install, and execute one copy of Aether Forge strictly on devices you own or legally control, solely for your personal, non-commercial entertainment and cognitive recreation.
4.Intellectual Property Rights
1. Proprietary Rights: The Game, including all source code, algorithms, game engine components, labyrinth and level designs, mechanics, obstacle physics, visual interfaces, graphics, celestial artwork, user interface animations, synthesized audio, sound effects, lore manuscripts, trademarks, service marks, logos, and character emblems (collectively, the "Content" and "Marks"), are owned and controlled by RivalHive or licensed to us, and are protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other intellectual property and unfair competition laws.
2. Reservation of Rights: Except as expressly provided in these Terms, no part of the Game and no Content or Marks may be copied, reproduced, aggregated, republished, uploaded, posted, publicly displayed, encoded, translated, transmitted, distributed, sold, licensed, reverse engineered, decompiled, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose whatsoever without our prior express written permission.
5.Prohibited Activities & Fair Play Policy
As a condition of your use of Aether Forge, you agree not to:
- Decompilation / Reverse Engineering: Decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, decipher, or extract source code, level data, or assets from the Application.
- Cheating & Memory Exploits: Use, develop, distribute, or facilitate any unauthorized software, memory scanners (e.g., Cheat Engine, GameGuardian), automated scripts, bots, hacks, mods, or trainers designed to modify game parameters, infinite energy, unlocked levels, coin/gem counters, or score values.
- Glitch Exploitation: Intentionally exploit bugs, physics glitches, or system vulnerabilities to bypass progression gates, solve puzzles dishonestly, or manipulate leaderboards.
- Circumvention of In-App Purchases: Bypass, disable, tamper with, or circumvent Google Play In-App Billing mechanisms, receipt validation, or ad reward verification.
- Commercial Exploitation: Rent, lease, lend, sell, redistribute, sublicense, or commercially exploit the Game or any in-game assets.
- Harmful Software: Introduce viruses, worms, Trojan horses, automated scraping bots, or other malicious payloads that could interfere with the normal operation of the Game or third-party ad services.
- Impersonation & Infringement: Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation with RivalHive or Aether Forge.
Violation of this Fair Play Policy will result in immediate termination of your license and may expose you to civil and criminal liability.
6.Virtual Items, In-Game Currencies & Economy
1. Virtual Currency & Goods: Aether Forge features virtual currencies (such as Coins 🪙 and Celestial Gems 💎), energy units (Energy ⚡), consumable solving tools (Guiding Hints 💡, Auto-Fills 🔮), Ad Skip Tickets 🎟️, and Realm Relics / Charms ✨ (collectively, "Virtual Items").
2. Nature of License (No Property Rights): Virtual Items are licensed to you under a limited, personal, revocable, and non-transferable license strictly for use within the Game. Virtual Items do not constitute personal property, have no real-world monetary value, and cannot be redeemed, sold, transferred, or exchanged for fiat currency, real money, or real-world goods/services from RivalHive or any other party.
3. Non-Transferability: You may not transfer, trade, gift, buy, sell, or auction Virtual Items outside of the intended in-game mechanisms. Any attempted transfer is null, void, and constitutes a breach of these Terms.
4. Balancing & Adjustments: RivalHive reserves the absolute right to manage, regulate, control, modify, rebalance, adjust, or eliminate Virtual Items, drop rates, level costs, conversion rates, and inventory mechanics at any time in its sole discretion, without liability to you.
7.In-App Purchases (IAP) & Billing
1. Payment Processing: All in-app purchases (including Gem Bundles, Starter Packs, Champion Vaults, and Permanent Ad-Free Passes) are processed securely and directly through Google Play In-App Billing (or applicable official app distribution platform). RivalHive does not directly collect, process, or store your credit card, debit card, or financial payment details.
2. Pricing & Taxes: Prices for Virtual Items and passes are displayed in your local currency (or INR ₹) in the Shop Screen and include applicable sales tax / VAT where required by law. We reserve the right to revise pricing at any time without prior notice.
3. Finality of Sales & Refund Policy: All purchases of Virtual Items, coins, gems, and digital passes are final, digital, and non-refundable, except where required by mandatory local consumer protection law or Google Play's standard refund policies. For refund requests processed through Google Play, please consult the official Google Play Refund Policy.
4. Restore Purchases: If you purchase a non-consumable item (such as the Permanent Ad-Free Pass), you can restore your entitlement on supported devices linked to the same Google Play Account via the "Restore Purchases" button located in the Shop and Settings screens.
8.Advertisements & Sponsored Content
1. AdMob Integration: Aether Forge incorporates advertisements served by Google AdMob, including banner ads, interstitial transition screens, and optional user-initiated rewarded video ads.
2. Rewarded Ads: Rewarded advertisements provide optional in-game bonuses (such as daily bonus coins, extra energy surges, or defeat retry extensions). You are under no obligation to watch rewarded ads. Bonuses are awarded only upon verified completion of the video advertisement.
3. Ad-Free Option: Players who purchase the No-Ads Pass or qualifying Gem Bundles will permanently eliminate non-optional interstitial and banner ads while retaining full access to optional rewarded bonus opportunities.
4. Third-Party Content: Advertisements may contain links to third-party apps, products, or websites. RivalHive does not endorse, verify, control, or assume responsibility for the content, privacy practices, accuracy, or products of third-party advertisers.
9.Game Progress, Local Storage & Data Safety
1. Local Device Storage: Aether Forge is architected with privacy-first principles. Your game progress, level stars, completed zones, currency balances, charms, and user preferences are saved locally on your device storage (SharedPreferences).
2. Risk of Local Data Loss: Because we do not store your private game saves on external cloud servers, clearing your application cache/data, performing a factory reset, utilizing device cleanup utilities, or uninstalling Aether Forge will result in the permanent loss of all locally stored save files, high scores, and currency balances. RivalHive is not liable for data loss resulting from device changes, resets, or uninstallation.
3. Privacy Policy: For comprehensive details on how device diagnostics and advertising identifiers are processed, please review our Privacy Policy.
10.Updates, Patches & Game Maintenance
1. Modifications to Service: RivalHive reserves the right to update, modify, expand, patch, balance, or temporarily suspend the Game (or any part thereof) at any time, with or without notice, to resolve bugs, introduce new realms and mechanics, update security standards, or adjust economy parameters.
2. Mandatory Updates: You may be required to download and install application updates to maintain compatibility, receive security fixes, and continue uninterrupted gameplay.
11.Termination
1. Termination by RivalHive: We may terminate, suspend, or restrict your access to Aether Forge immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation if you breach any provision of these Terms or engage in fraudulent, cheating, or abusive conduct.
2. Termination by User: You may terminate your agreement with these Terms at any time simply by uninstalling the Game and discontinuing all use of the Application.
3. Survival: Upon termination, all rights granted to you under these Terms shall immediately cease. Sections 4 (Intellectual Property), 6 (Virtual Items), 12 (Disclaimer), 13 (Limitation of Liability), 14 (Indemnification), and 15 (Governing Law) shall survive termination.
12.Disclaimer of Warranties ("AS-IS" & "AS-AVAILABLE")
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:
1. NO WARRANTY: AETHER FORGE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS-IS" AND "AS-AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE.
2. DISCLAIMER: RIVALHIVE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE.
3. NO GUARANTEE OF UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION: WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE GAME WILL OPERATE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; DEFECTS OR ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY; THE GAME WILL BE COMPATIBLE WITH ALL HARDWARE, OPERATING SYSTEMS, OR SCREEN RESOLUTIONS; OR THE APPLICATION WILL MEET YOUR INDIVIDUAL EXPECTATIONS OR REQUIREMENTS.
13.Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:
1. EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES: IN NO EVENT SHALL RIVALHIVE, ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, SUPPLIERS, OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, DEVICE DAMAGE, SYSTEM FAILURE, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES.
2. CAP ON LIABILITY: IN NO EVENT SHALL RIVALHIVE'S AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU FOR IN-APP PURCHASES WITHIN THE GAME IN THE THREE (3) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT, OR TWENTY-FIVE US DOLLARS (USD $25.00), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.
14.Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless RivalHive, its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, agents, partners, and employees from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, demand, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or resulting from your use of Aether Forge, your breach of these Terms, or violation of any third-party rights.
15.Dispute Resolution & Governing Law
1. Governing Law: These Terms and your use of Aether Forge shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which RivalHive operates, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
2. Informal Resolution: Before initiating any formal legal proceeding, you agree to contact RivalHive at rivalhive26@gmail.com and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for at least thirty (30) days.
3. Jurisdiction: If an informal resolution cannot be reached, any legal action or proceeding arising under these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the courts of competent jurisdiction.
16 & 17.Severability & Changes to Terms
Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.
Changes to Terms: We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Continued use of Aether Forge following the posting of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.
18. Contact & Legal Inquiries
If you have any questions, feedback, concerns, or legal inquiries regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact us:
Publisher / Developer: RivalHive
Game Title: Aether Forge
Support Email: rivalhive26@gmail.com
Official Website: https://aetherforgeweb.netlify.app