Privacy Policy

Effective July 4, 2026

Zen Forged Garage ("the site," "we") is a private, invite-only tool run by Lowen Crusan that lets invited users ask an AI questions about video games on Steam. This policy explains what data we handle, why, and your choices. Questions: admin@zenforgedgames.com.

Who can use the site

Access is limited to people whose email address is on an invite list. If your email is not on the list, you cannot sign in.

What we collect

Your email address. When you sign in with Google, we receive your email address. We use it to confirm you are on the invite list and to identify your account. We do not receive your Google password.
Your questions and conversations. The questions you ask and the AI's responses are saved so you can return to past conversations.
A Steam ID you choose to provide. If you opt into personalized mode, you give us your Steam profile link or ID. We convert it to a numeric Steam ID so we can look up your Steam data when you ask. This Steam ID is stored with your account (and cached in your browser) while it is linked. You can remove it at any time by unlinking it on your account page.
Your account settings and acceptance records. Your preferences (default mode, email notifications), your account's first-seen date, and the Terms of Service version and age affirmation you accepted are stored with your account.
Ratings and feedback you leave. Star ratings, thumbs up/down, and comments you leave on responses are stored so we can improve the service.
Basic usage information. When the site is used, the site owner receives a notification. We may keep operational logs needed to run and debug the service.

Steam data, and how we handle it

When you use personalized mode, we use the official Steam Web API to read Steam data about you — at your request, only when you ask a question that needs it. This can include your wishlist, your owned games, and your playtime.

We treat this Steam data as follows: it is fetched at the moment you ask a question, used to shape that single answer, and then discarded. We do not store your wishlist, owned games, or playtime. The only Steam-related identifier we keep is the Steam ID described above, which stays in your browser.

Steam only returns this data when your relevant Steam privacy settings allow it. If your profile or game details are private, the feature simply will not see that data.

Where data is stored

The data we do store — your email-linked account and your saved conversations — is stored on Amazon Web Services in the United States. As noted above, Steam wishlist, library, and playtime data is not stored.

Third parties we share data with to provide the service

To answer your questions, the site sends data to these services:

Anthropic — your question, and the game data gathered to answer it, are sent to Anthropic's AI (Claude) to generate the response.
Valve / Steam — to look up game and, in personalized mode, your Steam data.
OpenCritic (via RapidAPI) — to look up critic scores and reviews. This involves game data, not your personal data.
Google — for sign-in.
Amazon Web Services — for hosting, storage, and notification emails.

We do not sell your data, and we do not use it for advertising.

How long we keep things

We keep your account, saved conversations, and ratings until you delete them or your access is removed, after which they are deleted. Your Steam ID is kept while it is linked and removed when you unlink it or delete your account. Steam wishlist, library, and playtime data is not retained beyond the request that used it.

One candid note: if an answer used your Steam data, facts derived from it (for example, "you have 200 hours in Hollow Knight") can persist inside the saved conversation text. Deleting the conversation removes them.

Your choices

On your account page you can unlink your Steam ID, delete all conversations, delete all ratings, export your data as JSON, or delete your account entirely — no email required.
You can stop using personalized mode at any time, per conversation or as your saved default.
You can also reach us at admin@zenforgedgames.com for any data request.
You control what Steam can share through your Steam privacy settings.

Children

The site is invite-only and not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13.

Changes

We may update this policy. The current version always governs, and material changes will be reflected in the effective date above.

Contact

admin@zenforgedgames.com