Terms of use and Development Support

1. About these terms and your purchase

These terms govern the SteamDream account and permission to use the game. SteamDream is independently developed software, not an investment or a promise of a finished product on a particular date. A subscription purchases the access described at checkout; calling it Development Support does not remove consumer rights. Paddle is the planned Merchant of Record for future paid purchases. The particular Paddle entity and purchase terms are identified at checkout and in your confirmation. These game-use terms do not replace Paddle’s purchase terms, transfer its responsibilities to the player, or remove obligations Julian Schuller has as the game provider. Live subscriptions are not yet offered.

2. Eligibility and younger players

An adult aged 18 or over must purchase and manage a subscription. Younger players may participate under a lawful parent or legal guardian arrangement and the applicable account, privacy-consent and content restrictions. The adult purchase rule is not a game age rating. A parent should contact support before arranging child access. Contact support before arranging access for a child. Payment alone is not proof of every required permission. Provide accurate information. Do not impersonate another person or use someone else’s payment method without permission. A parent’s involvement does not make that parent automatically responsible for every act of a child beyond applicable law.

3. Accounts, security and access

Keep your login credentials and access code private. Contact support promptly if you believe they have been compromised. Reasonable security checks or temporary restrictions may be needed to protect an account. We will not ask for your password or complete card details by email. Creating an account does not grant game access. Access requires a valid invitation or paid entitlement. One concurrent game session per access code is supported. Do not sell, rent or transfer an account or share access beyond an expressly supported guardian/player arrangement. Your duties do not excuse a security failure for which the provider is legally responsible.

4. Licence to use the game

For the duration of valid access, you receive a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable permission to download, install and play the available game for personal use on compatible devices. This is a licence to use the game, not a transfer of its code, assets or trademarks. Independent third-party components remain subject to their applicable licences, which this agreement does not override. Do not redistribute game packages or extracted assets, sell copies, operate an unauthorized commercial service using the game, bypass paid access, or use its branding to suggest official endorsement. Nothing here restricts mandatory rights, including any legally protected software backup, observation, testing, error correction or interoperability activity. No blanket prohibition on lawful reverse engineering is intended.

5. Development Support prices and scope

Monthly options are Supporter (€5), Backstage (€10), Explorer (€20), Patron (€50) and Champion (€100), including applicable VAT. Optional higher support tiers Benefactor (€250) and Visionary (€500) per month include Explorer benefits, direct communication with the developer, and optional priority consideration for feature ideas. All options include access to the available development game and updates supplied during the paid period. Backstage and higher also include behind-the-scenes development posts; Explorer and higher include experimental DevLab access during a qualifying paid period. No fixed posting schedule is promised. We aim to release at least one update with new features each week. Updates may arrive more frequently. This is a development target; specific delivery dates and features are not guaranteed. Cancellation preserves already paid qualifying access; moving below €20/month ends DevLab access when the tier change takes effect. DevLab does not grant administrative controls. Higher payments do not buy gameplay advantages, guaranteed response times, promised feature implementation or decision-making rights. This is not a charitable donation, equity purchase or investment.

Accumulated successfully completed, non-refunded payments of at least €100 across any support tiers qualify for an optional in-game Development Supporter credit. A supporter must opt in and choose a public name; an account name or email is never published automatically. The credit remains after cancellation. A supporter may remain unlisted or request removal. Refunds and payment reversals reduce the qualifying total. This credit does not grant permanent game or DevLab access.

The offer does not include permanent game access, ownership of a final release, a guaranteed roadmap, a fixed amount of new content each month or authority over development decisions. Statements expressly included in the offer and mandatory conformity requirements remain binding. Any future checkout will show the selected recurring amount, billing schedule and material access requirements before payment. Paid subscriptions and these membership benefits are not available yet.

6. Renewal, tier changes and failed payments

Subscriptions renew monthly until canceled. The next billing date and amount are shown in the billing interface or purchase confirmation. A change of support tier must be confirmed through the supported billing process, including any immediate charge or credit; a higher tier never grants a gameplay advantage. A price change for existing customers requires a separate lawful notice and change process. These terms do not authorize a silent increase. A pending checkout, return to the website or client-side success message does not itself establish entitlement; payment is verified by the billing service. A failed renewal does not buy an additional paid period. Previously paid access is not removed solely because a later renewal attempt fails, subject to fraud, reversal, refunds or another lawful restriction. No extra grace period is promised unless it is expressly displayed.

7. Cancellation and refunds

Cancel future renewal through the subscription-management facility made available with your purchase, or contact support for help. Cancellation normally takes effect at the end of the paid period. You retain access until then unless another lawful ground applies. Cancel before the next renewal to avoid the next charge. Subscription management becomes available with the paid offer; there is no live checkout at present. Request a full refund of the first subscription payment within 14 days of initial purchase, without a playtime limit. This additional first-payment promise does not automatically restart on every renewal and does not reduce statutory rights. See Refunds and cancellation for requests and withdrawal information. Where a payment is fully refunded or validly reversed, the entitlement purchased with it may end; independent valid invitations are considered separately. We will not knowingly continue charging after an effective cancellation. If you believe a billing error occurred, contact SteamDream or Paddle. Nothing requires you to contact us before exercising a lawful bank, payment-provider or statutory remedy.

8. Manual playtest invitations

A manual invitation is a separate access grant. It creates no recurring charge and is not automatically replaced by a subscription. Its stated duration and conditions apply. Free invitations may be changed or withdrawn for playtest management, safety, capacity or closure, subject to applicable law. Such a change does not extinguish rights arising from a separate paid purchase. Creating an account or receiving an invitation does not promise access to all future versions.

9. Development decisions and feature changes

The developer determines creative direction, priorities, schedules and technical implementation. Features may be experimental, postponed, rebalanced, replaced or removed. A roadmap or informal discussion describes intentions rather than a guarantee unless expressly offered as a binding commitment. Feedback does not require implementation. This discretion does not allow us to remove the core paid service or avoid statutory rights. Changes to an ongoing digital service beyond those needed for conformity require a valid contractual basis and reason, such as security, compatibility, legal requirements or technical improvement. Where permitted, they will be made without additional cost and explained clearly. Where a change adversely affects access or use more than minimally, applicable advance notice on a durable medium and termination/remedy rights will be provided. Any statutory deadline or right to retain an unchanged conforming version remains unaffected.

10. Compatibility, updates and saves

The published system requirements, supported operating systems and any required internet connection form part of the offer. Do not purchase for an unsupported setup in reliance on an unofficial assumption. Technical requirements may evolve only consistently with the contract and applicable law. Security or compatibility updates may be necessary to continue connecting; we will provide required information and legally required updates. Development versions may contain bugs, crashes, balance changes and incompatible saves. Keep separate backups of important saves before updating or using experimental content. No cloud-save backup or recovery service is promised unless explicitly offered. These precautions and development warnings are not a blanket waiver of responsibility for defective software, lost data or mandatory conformity obligations.

11. Online services and maintenance

Online authorization, multiplayer and downloads depend on service availability, compatible software and network connectivity. Maintenance, security incidents, provider faults, capacity limits or events outside reasonable control can interrupt them. No fixed uptime percentage or guaranteed support response time is promised. Signed offline access is reserved for a future verified paid offer and is not granted by account signup, a manual invitation or a sandbox payment. It is not active in the current playtest. Where expressly provided with a future paid offer, offline solo access lasts only through the verified paid period; renewal needs an online refresh. Multiplayer requires online authorization. Expiry locks access and does not delete the installation or existing saves. An offline device cannot immediately receive a refund, ban or other entitlement change. We may schedule maintenance and take urgent protective action. Where practical, material planned interruptions will be announced. We will take reasonable steps appropriate to the circumstances to restore the service and inform affected users. A third-party outage or event outside our control does not automatically extinguish a player’s rights to price reduction, termination, refund or another mandatory remedy. We cannot charge indefinitely for an unavailable service merely by referring to this clause.

12. Conduct and service security

Do not harass, threaten, discriminate against or dox other people; post unlawful material; impersonate staff; steal credentials; exploit payment or access systems; distribute malicious code; or deliberately disrupt the service or other players. Use names and submitted content you have a right to use. Reporting a vulnerability responsibly is not treated as malicious abuse merely because it describes a defect. The developer may moderate names and submitted content, investigate reports, preserve necessary evidence and restrict harmful activity. There is no promise to monitor every interaction or prevent every user misconduct. Moderation and evidence handling must still respect applicable privacy and consumer law.

13. Restrictions, termination and review

A warning, content removal, session restriction, temporary suspension or account termination may be used proportionately for a material breach, fraud, a legal obligation or an immediate safety/security risk. Where appropriate, the reason will be explained and an opportunity to correct the issue provided. Urgent action may precede notice; information may be limited where disclosure would compromise an investigation, security or a legal restriction. You may ask support to review a restriction. Paid access will not be permanently removed merely because a player criticizes the game or requests a lawful refund. Permanent termination and any amount retained must have a lawful, proportionate basis. There is no automatic forfeiture of every payment and no arbitrary contractual penalty. Statutory remedies and independent manual grants must be considered as applicable.

14. Discontinuing paid access

The developer may decide to stop developing the game or retire a service. This does not create a duty to complete an unfinished final release, but it does not cancel existing paid obligations without an appropriate remedy. Before a planned closure, we will stop accepting charges for service periods we will not provide, arrange the end of renewal, and communicate the closure and its effect on access. Unprovided paid time will be refunded or otherwise resolved as required by law. Reasonable notice will be given where feasible; urgent legal or security situations may require faster action. No permanent offline build, source-code release or migration to another service is promised. Necessary records and user-content rights will be handled under applicable law and the privacy notice.

15. Player content and feedback

You retain rights in original content you submit. By sending a report, attachment or suggestion, you permit its use to the extent reasonably necessary to operate support, investigate the issue and improve the game. Suggestions may be implemented without an obligation to pay for unsolicited feedback, subject to rights that cannot lawfully be waived. This does not grant an unlimited right to publish private correspondence or personal information. For content intentionally submitted to a shared player feature, the permission is limited to hosting, displaying and technically processing it for that feature. No unrestricted sale, AI-training licence or ownership transfer is included. Do not submit third-party material without the required permission. Rights to retrieve or have content removed when the contract ends remain subject to applicable law.

16. Screenshots, streaming and modifications

These terms do not establish a general streaming, monetization, modding, fan-merchandise or asset-reuse programme. Any express permission or published policy supplied with a build applies to its stated scope. Ask support where permission is needed and no policy exists. Do not imply endorsement or disclose another player’s personal information. Modifications, unofficial software and third-party servers are not supported or endorsed unless stated. A problem caused by an unrelated modification does not make the developer responsible for that modification; equally, installing a modification does not automatically remove unrelated statutory rights. Mandatory legal permissions remain unaffected. Any broader creator permission will be stated in a separate published policy.

17. Defects and mandatory remedies

Report faults with useful details such as version, platform and reproduction steps; never send credentials. We will assess a request under the applicable contract and consumer law. A consumer may be entitled to restoration of conformity, price reduction, termination, reimbursement or other remedies under the relevant conditions. The applicable legal hierarchy and exceptions govern; support cannot require endless attempts to fix a serious defect. The development label does not itself waive these rights. Any specific departure from objectively required characteristics must meet applicable separate information and express agreement requirements. The additional 14-day first-payment promise is not the only situation in which a refund may be due.

18. Responsibility and liability

The provider is responsible in accordance with applicable law. No exclusion applies to liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including intentional or grossly negligent misconduct and protected personal-injury claims. Mandatory warranty/conformity, consumer and data-protection rights remain unaffected. No blanket exclusion for loss of data, third-party failures or interruption, or automatic cap at the amount paid, is imposed by these terms. Liability depends on applicable legal requirements, including responsibility, causation and proof of loss; development participation does not make the provider responsible for every unrelated device or network problem.

19. Billing disputes and misuse

If a charge appears incorrect, contact SteamDream or Paddle with the transaction reference. Do not send complete card details. We may investigate suspected fraudulent payments and restrict the entitlement associated with a disputed or reversed transaction where lawful. A genuine complaint or good-faith payment dispute is not automatically fraud and does not justify a punitive charge or permanent ban. No blanket indemnity for all losses, automatic collection fee or contractual fine is imposed.

20. Ending an account and privacy

You may request account closure through support. Cancel renewal as well; if a closure request indicates you want all paid service ended, we will assist with cancellation rather than knowingly continue unwanted billing. Explain whether you want access to continue through the paid period. Closure does not itself entitle a player to extra refunds beyond the applicable policy and law, nor remove an existing entitlement to a remedy. Personal data is handled under the separate privacy notice. Some accounting, dispute or security records may have to be retained lawfully after closure. A request will not be rejected merely because an account has an unresolved issue; the applicable rights and exemptions will be assessed.

21. Terms changes, notices and governing law

These terms apply to the version accepted for your relationship. We may propose updated terms for future use, but these terms do not authorize unilateral removal of accrued rights or a price change by posting a new page. Material changes will be communicated and any necessary agreement, notice and cancellation rights respected. Continued silence is not assumed to accept any change where law requires more. Required notices will be sent through the appropriate account/email or purchase-confirmation channel. Austrian law applies subject to mandatory consumer protections applicable in the consumer’s habitual residence. No exclusive court venue or compulsory arbitration is imposed on consumers. An invalid clause will not be rewritten automatically into the broadest enforceable restriction; statutory rules govern the effect on the rest of the contract.

22. Optional game-view sharing (ScreenView)

With your permission, ScreenView lets the developer see periodically updated images of your SteamDream game window to help investigate an issue. For player accounts it requires an in-game acceptance and can be stopped through the sharing control. Accepting these Terms alone does not enable sharing, and declining a sharing request does not itself remove your access.

See Optional game-view sharing in the Privacy Notice for capture scope, consent, access and handling of images.

23. Provider and contact

The SteamDream provider is identified in the Legal notice. Contact: account@steamdream.space.