Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Casefile ("the Service"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provision of this agreement. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Casefile is a free, web-based multiplayer mystery game that allows 2-10 players to collaboratively solve fictional crimes in real-time. The Service includes:

• Multiple mystery scenarios and cases
• Real-time multiplayer functionality via WebSockets
• Temporary game rooms accessible via room codes
• Interactive clue-sharing and deduction mechanics

3. User Conduct

You agree NOT to:

• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any laws
• Harass, abuse, or harm other players
• Use offensive, inappropriate, or hateful usernames or language in the game
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or other users' accounts
• Exploit bugs, glitches, or vulnerabilities to gain unfair advantage or disrupt the Service
• Use automated scripts, bots, or other tools to interact with the Service
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code
• Share room codes publicly to disrupt or spam game rooms

4. Intellectual Property

All content included in the Service, including but not limited to:

• Game scenarios, storylines, and narratives
• Character names and descriptions
• Clue text and gameplay mechanics
• User interface design and graphics
• Source code and algorithms

...are the property of Casefile and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without explicit permission.

5. User Accounts

Casefile requires user authentication to access the game. By creating an account, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information during registration
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized account access

Game sessions remain temporary and session data is automatically deleted after 24 hours of inactivity. You are responsible for sharing room codes only with intended players.

6. Premium Subscription

Casefile offers a Premium subscription that provides access to additional game content.

• Free Access: The first 2 mystery cases (Lakehouse, Museum Heist) are available to all users at no cost
• Premium Access: A paid subscription ($4.99/month) unlocks all 10 current mystery cases plus all future cases
• Payment Processing: Payments are securely processed by Stripe, our payment processor. We do not store your payment card information on our servers
• Billing: Subscriptions are billed monthly and renew automatically unless cancelled. You will be charged on the same day each month
• Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or by contacting support. Access continues until the end of your current billing period
• Refunds: Refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis within 14 days of purchase. Contact martin@hughes.lol for refund requests
• Price Changes: We reserve the right to change subscription pricing with 30 days advance notice to existing subscribers. You may cancel before the price change takes effect
• Failed Payments: If a payment fails, we will retry up to 3 times over 2 weeks. If all attempts fail, your subscription will be cancelled and access to premium content will be revoked

Important: Only the room host needs a Premium subscription to create games with premium cases. Other players can join premium games for free, regardless of their subscription status.

By subscribing to Premium, you agree to these billing terms and authorize us to charge your payment method on a recurring basis.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Uninterrupted or error-free operation
• Accuracy or reliability of game content
• Fitness for a particular purpose
• Non-infringement

We do not guarantee that the Service will be available at all times or that it will be free from bugs or technical issues.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Casefile shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from your use of the Service.

9. Fictional Content Disclaimer

All content in Casefile, including but not limited to:

• Character names, personalities, and descriptions
• Company names, organizations, and institutions
• Mystery scenarios, storylines, and plot elements
• Locations, events, and circumstances
• Crimes, motives, and investigative details

...are entirely fictional and created for entertainment purposes only.

Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), real companies, actual events, or real locations is purely coincidental and unintentional. Character names are randomly generated combinations designed to represent diverse fictional individuals and do not reference, represent, or intend to portray any real people.

The game contains themes of crime, mystery, theft, and deception suitable for general audiences. All depicted crimes are fictional scenarios for gameplay purposes only.

10. Modifications to Service

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service (or any part thereof) at any time, with or without notice. We will not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the Service.

11. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including breach of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which Casefile operates, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

13. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.