Privacy
Last updated: November 6, 2026
Nightcrossing is a crossword game by Jameson MacArthur. You do not need an account to play. Where enabled, optional Google sign-in lets you save progress to an account.
Your puzzle progress
The game stores puzzle answers, completion history, hint balances, and game preferences on your device. Guest progress stays on that device. Your browser or operating system may back up local data according to your device settings. Clearing site or app storage removes local saves.
Optional accounts and cloud saves
When account features are enabled, Google verifies your identity. Nightcrossing receives your Google account identifier, email address, and profile name and stores them with an internal account ID in a database on its hosting service. Your profile name or email is displayed while you are signed in. The game never receives your Google password and does not request access to your contacts, email messages, or calendar.
Nightcrossing uses an essential, HttpOnly session cookie to keep you signed in. It normally expires after 30 days and is refreshed while you use the account. A local profile identifier lets the game reopen your cached account progress when offline; it does not authorize access to the server.
Signed-in progress is stored in a database on the hosting service for jamesonmacarthur.com. It includes saved letters, puzzle editions, completed puzzles, hint balances and reward history, unlocked hints, revealed cells, achievements, and relevant game preferences. Different saved puzzle editions may be retained so that merging devices does not discard an older grid. The server permits access only to the account associated with the signed-in session.
Signing in automatically combines existing browser progress with your account while retaining the original browser copy. A browser save already linked to another account is not automatically copied into a different account. The game also keeps a local safety copy before adding browser progress to an account. Signing out returns to separate guest progress. Changes made while offline remain local until a successful sync; another device can restore only changes that have reached the cloud. The account controls show save status and let you sync, download a backup, or delete your account and cloud save after confirming with Google. Successful deletion also removes that account's cached save and local recovery backup from the device where you delete it. Copies or downloaded backups on other devices are not remotely erased. Hosting backups may retain deleted information until they expire according to the hosting provider’s backup schedule. Signing out while offline switches this device to guest mode; the server session cannot be ended until the server is reachable or the session expires.
Google processes connection and device information to provide sign-in. See Google's privacy policy. Account features can be unavailable in some builds, including Android builds awaiting native sign-in integration.
Website and puzzle downloads
Your device requests game files and puzzle updates from jamesonmacarthur.com. As with other websites, the hosting service receives connection information, including your IP address and browser request information. This is separate from the puzzle progress saved on your device.
Website analytics
The web version includes Google Tag Manager to load analytics tags configured for Nightcrossing. When Google Analytics is enabled in that configuration, it measures visits, traffic sources, and interactions to help us understand how people find and use the game. Google Analytics may use cookies and process browser and device information, referring pages, page URLs, and interaction data. Analytics is separate from your account and saved puzzle progress. The web analytics tag is not included in the Android app. See how Google uses information from sites and apps that use its services.
Game analytics events describe puzzle starts, resumes and completions, including the puzzle identifier, theme and difficulty, and successful account creation or sign-in using Google. These game and account events do not include your email address, profile name, account identifier or entered puzzle answers. Local analytics markers help avoid counting the same start, completion or sign-in repeatedly on this browser.
Fonts
The game loads Exo and Inter fonts from Google Fonts. Font requests send Google your IP address and request information. See Google Fonts privacy information.
Optional advertisements
Some versions may offer an optional advertisement when you have run out of hints. You can continue playing without watching an ad. Where enabled, Google AdMob serves Android ads and Google AdSense H5 Games Ads serves web ads. The game does not request personalized ads. Android ad requests use a general-audience ad-content rating.
When advertising is enabled and an ad is requested, Google may process connection and device information and information about ad interactions to deliver ads, prevent fraud, and report performance. See how Google uses information from sites and apps that use its services. Ad availability can vary by version and location.
Audience and notifications
Nightcrossing is designed and marketed for adult crossword players. It does not require you to enter your age or prove your identity to play.
The game does not ask for a date of birth and does not include chat. Optional account information and website analytics are described above. On Android, you can choose whether to allow local bonus-hint notifications and can turn them off in system settings.
Contact
For support or privacy questions, email nightcrossing@jamesonmacarthur.com.