📋 Terms of Service

Effective Date: August 3, 2025

🎮 About Our Game

Dots and Boxes Classroom Edition is a free educational game designed for:

• Students: To learn strategy and have fun
• Teachers: To engage students in mathematical thinking
• Families: To enjoy quality time together
• Everyone: Who loves classic strategy games

✅ Acceptable Use

You MAY:

• Play the game for educational purposes
• Use it in classroom settings
• Share room codes with friends and classmates
• Chat respectfully during gameplay
• Enjoy local and online multiplayer modes

You MAY NOT:

• Use inappropriate language in chat
• Attempt to cheat or exploit the game
• Share personal information in chat
• Disrupt other players' games
• Reverse engineer or copy the game code

🔐 Account Responsibilities

When using Google Sign-In:

• Age Requirements: Follow Google's age requirements for accounts
• Account Security: Keep your Google account secure
• Shared Devices: Remember to sign out on shared computers
• Parental Consent: Students under 13 need parental permission

🎓 Educational Use Guidelines

For Teachers:

• Monitor student interactions during classroom use
• Ensure students understand appropriate chat behavior
• Consider using local mode for younger students
• Review privacy policy before classroom implementation

For Students:

• Follow your teacher's guidelines for game use
• Be respectful to all players
• Ask for help if you encounter any issues
• Remember that chat messages may be visible to teachers

💬 Chat and Communication

Our in-game chat is designed for game-related communication:

• Keep it Game-Related: Discuss moves, strategy, and encouragement
• Be Respectful: Treat all players with kindness
• No Personal Info: Don't share real names, locations, or contact details
• Report Issues: Contact us if you encounter inappropriate behavior

🛡️ Privacy and Data

Please review our Privacy Policy for detailed information about:

• What information we collect
• How we protect your data
• Your rights and choices
• COPPA compliance for educational use

🚫 Prohibited Conduct

The following behaviors are not allowed:

• Harassment: Bullying, threatening, or intimidating other players
• Inappropriate Content: Offensive language, images, or behavior
• Cheating: Using exploits, bots, or unfair advantages
• Spam: Flooding chat with repetitive or irrelevant messages
• Impersonation: Pretending to be someone else

⚖️ Liability and Disclaimers

• Educational Tool: This game is provided as-is for educational purposes
• No Warranties: We don't guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service
• User Responsibility: You're responsible for your conduct and content
• Third-Party Services: We use Google services for authentication

🔧 Service Availability

While we strive for reliable service:

• We may temporarily suspend service for maintenance
• Internet connectivity issues may affect online play
• Local mode is always available as a backup
• We'll notify users of planned maintenance when possible

📝 Changes to Terms

We may update these terms to:

• Reflect changes in our service
• Comply with legal requirements
• Improve user experience
• Address new features or functionality

📞 Contact and Support

Need help or have questions?

• Technical Issues: support@dotsandboxes.education
• Educational Questions: teachers@dotsandboxes.education
• Privacy Concerns: privacy@dotsandboxes.education
• General Feedback: feedback@dotsandboxes.education

🌍 Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws applicable to educational software and online services. For educational institutions, please consult your legal department regarding compliance with local regulations.

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