Cookie Policy

1. What cookies are

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a site. They allow the site to remember information about your visit (for example your login session or preferences) and are widely used to make websites work.

We also use similar technologies (for example the browser's local storage) for the same purposes.

2. How we use cookies

We use cookies to make the site work, to understand how it is used (statistics) and, only with your consent, for advertising and personalised recommendations. We group them into four categories, described below.

3. Strictly necessary cookies

These are essential for the site to work and cannot be disabled. Examples:

• htp_sid — maintains your login session. • htp_consent — remembers your cookie choices. • htp_anon — an anonymous identifier used for core features and aggregate measurement.

These cookies do not require consent, as they are strictly necessary.

4. Analytics cookies

These help us understand how the site is used (pages visited, actions) in order to improve it. The data is used in aggregate form. These cookies are enabled only with your consent.

5. Advertising cookies

When advertising is active, we use Google AdSense to display ads. It may set cookies to show relevant ads and measure their performance. Consent is managed through Google's tool (Funding Choices) or through our banner.

Users without ads (for example following a contribution) do not receive these cookies.

6. Personalisation cookies

Only if you turn on the "Personalisation" category (in the cookie banner, in "Cookie settings" or from the "Turn on recommendations" card) do we use your activity on howtoplay.ro to order games and deals by what interests you: the games you view, the ones you add to your wishlist, and your clicks through to shops. These signals are linked to the anonymous identifier htp_anon (and to your account, if you are logged in), are used only for recommendations, and only those from the last 60 days. If statistics are turned off, views and saves are kept separately from analytics data and deleted after 60 days. Clicks through to shops are logged anyway for affiliate attribution, but count towards recommendations only with this consent. Personalised results are kept only in your browser, for a few minutes.

If you have an account, recommendations may also use, without this category, what you explicitly saved in your account (wishlist, lists, price alerts), as part of the service.

You can withdraw this consent at any time from the "Cookie settings" link in the page footer or from your account (Personal data). After withdrawal we no longer use your activity for recommendations and we delete the signals kept solely for personalisation.

7. How to manage cookies

On your first visit we show a banner where you can accept or reject optional cookies. You can change your choices at any time from the "Cookie settings" link in the footer of every page or from your account (Personal data). When advertising consent is managed through Google's tool, the "Personalisation" category stays available under "Cookie settings".

You can also block or delete cookies from your browser settings. Disabling necessary cookies may affect how the site works.

8. Consent and withdrawal

For analytics, advertising and personalisation cookies we rely on your consent, which you can give or withdraw at any time, just as easily, from "Cookie settings". Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out beforehand.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this cookie policy. The current version, with the last-updated date, is shown on this page.

10. Contact

Questions about cookies? Write to us at liviu@howtoplay.ro.