Acceptable Use

Part of the Terms. The whole thing reduces to one line: solve the puzzles yourself, and don't be cruel to anyone else doing the same.

Fair play

Not allowed:

• Solving with a script, bot or automated solver and submitting the result as yours.
• Faking or editing a time.
• Sharing an account, or holding more than one.
• Manipulating a leaderboard, including by coordinating with others.
• Circumventing the daily lock, the unlock ladder, or the ember economy.

Perfectly fine:

• Pen and paper. A spreadsheet. Thinking slowly.
• The in-app assists (Check, auto-cascade). They're part of the game — they simply earn no stars, and a solve that used them isn't ranked.
• Discussing a puzzle after you've solved it. Don't spoil today's for others.
• Giving up and revealing the answer. That's what the button is for.

How this is enforced

Solves are checked automatically. A solve whose timing could not have come from a person is set aside: it doesn't count towards leaderboards, embers or stats.

You are told when this happens, and you can ask a person to review it. A moderator looks at the recorded solve — which shows how it was actually played — and either reinstates it or explains why not.

Reporting someone

If you think a solve is cheated, you can report it.

• You must have solved that puzzle yourself.
• Up to three reports a day, and not the same player twice in a week.
• Reports can't be filed on solves older than 30 days.
• A report never removes anyone. It only asks a moderator to look. No number of reports changes a result — only a person's decision does.

Reporting in bad faith — to knock a rival off a board, or to harass someone — is itself a breach of these rules.

Behaviour

No harassment, threats, hate speech or slurs, including in your display name. No impersonation. No attacks on the service, and no scraping the puzzles.

Consequences

Depending on severity: a warning; the removal of a display name; the loss of results obtained by cheating; removal from the leaderboards (six months for three upheld cases within three months, escalating thereafter — see the Terms); or, for serious or repeated abuse, suspension or closure of the account.

Leaderboard removal can be shortened, extended or cancelled at our discretion, and you can appeal it.