Website and desktop game

Privacy policy

Effective and last updated 2 November 2026

This policy explains how Valtice Center for Economic and Statistical Research (VCESR), the publisher of Boom and Bust: A Minister's Dilemma, handles personal information for this website and the desktop game. We are the controller for the processing we decide to carry out. Contact us at info@vcesr.com with privacy questions or requests.

The game is in development. Online features described here apply when they are available in your build and you use them. Epic Games, Steam and other services you choose also have their own privacy policies.

1. Visiting the website

Vercel hosts this website. Serving and protecting a page involves connection information such as your IP address, the requested page, request time, browser information and, where supplied by your browser, a referring page. Vercel processes technical and security logs to operate its hosting service.

Our pages do not use analytics scripts, advertising pixels, embedded third-party media, visitor accounts, contact forms or marketing cookies. Fonts and images are served with the site. Hosting infrastructure may use security measures to protect requests. Following a link to a store or another website takes you to a service with its own practices.

2. Playing and saving locally

The game stores settings, campaign saves, autosaves, campaign statistics, achievement records and diagnostic logs on your computer. These can contain names you choose, game decisions, progress, timestamps and multiplayer reconnection information. Local achievement records also distinguish the platform accounts and deployments to which an award has been synced.

The game does not send your single-player campaign to a VCESR save server. Local saves and logs are not automatically submitted to us for support. Store clients and operating-system backup tools may separately sync files according to their settings. If you send us a save or log when asking for help, we receive the information it contains.

Menger adviser. When the optional Ask the Economist feature is included in your build, it processes your question and selected economic figures from your campaign on your computer. The adviser does not upload these inputs to VCESR or an AI provider to produce its answer. The game does not save a consultation history, and the bundled model does not learn from your questions. Closing the consultation clears the question and answer displayed by the game. The Keep Economist Ready preference keeps the model loaded for faster access and does not enable a question history.

Windows runtime diagnostics. The adviser uses Microsoft ONNX Runtime. The included Windows runtime supports technical trace events that Windows may collect and send to Microsoft according to your Windows diagnostic-data settings and consent. This is separate from using a hosted AI service to answer your question. Microsoft explains its processing and available choices in its privacy statement. These platform diagnostics are controlled by Microsoft and your device settings.

3. Online accounts and multiplayer

Epic accounts and achievements. In a configured build, Epic Launcher sign-in or the game's Connect Epic account control authenticates you with Epic. We request the basic-profile permission shown on Epic's consent screen, which covers your account ID, display name, language and linked-account display names. The game uses your account and product-user IDs to identify the correct account, and your display name to show who is connected. It sends earned achievement identifiers to Epic and reads achievement records and unlock times back. It does not receive your Epic password or request access to your friends list, presence or email.

Steam achievements. Where the Steam integration is available, the game uses the signed-in Steam ID and achievement records to sync earned awards with Steam. Purchases, payment details and store accounts are handled by the store. We do not collect payment-card details through this website or the game.

Multiplayer. The host's computer runs the match and holds the complete campaign state. Other players receive their own country information and the shared information needed to play. Names you choose, lobby membership, player and seat identifiers, orders, match results and reconnection data are processed to connect players and keep the match consistent. The host and players may retain saves or recordings of their session.

EOS online play uses Epic's authentication, lobby and networking services. These services process identifiers and technical connection information, including IP addresses. Standalone EOS play can use a persistent device identity where the deployment permits it. LAN, direct connections and EOS peer-to-peer connections can reveal network addresses to the host or peers; Epic relays may carry traffic when a direct connection is unavailable. The game does not provide an anonymity service.

4. Why we use information

We use information to deliver the website and the game features you request, restore progress, connect multiplayer sessions, sync achievements, answer support requests and protect the services against misuse.

Where the EU or UK GDPR applies, our legal bases are performing our contract with you for requested game and online services; our legitimate interests in providing a functional, secure website and resolving support issues; and compliance with legal obligations where applicable. If we rely on consent for a particular use, you may withdraw it. Authorizing a platform connection is optional for offline play, but declining it prevents the features that need that connection.

We do not use your game decisions to make decisions about you with legal or similarly significant effects. We do not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising.

5. Who receives information

Information is handled by VCESR, the hosting and communication providers needed to run the site and answer your messages, the platforms you connect, and the host or participants in a multiplayer match. We may disclose information where required by law or necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

• Vercel privacy notice for hosting and service information.
• Epic Games privacy policy for Epic accounts, achievements and online services.
• Steam privacy policy for Steam accounts and platform features.
• Microsoft privacy statement for Windows and runtime diagnostics.

These providers operate internationally, including in the United States. Data may be processed outside your country. For transfers subject to EU or UK data-protection law, applicable safeguards can include adequacy decisions or approved contractual safeguards. The provider notices explain their international processing. You can ask us for details of the safeguards relevant to information processed on our behalf.

6. How long information is kept

On your computer. Saves and achievement records remain until you delete them or the game's applicable save rotation replaces them. Backups and multiplayer host copies may remain separately. Uninstalling a game does not always remove its user-data folder.

Online. Lobby data is used for the session. Platform account links and achievement records can outlast a session so that identity and earned awards persist. Disconnecting an account does not erase achievements already stored by Epic or Steam. Their account controls and privacy policies explain platform retention and deletion.

Support and website operations. We keep correspondence and files you send for as long as needed to resolve the request and relevant follow-up, or to meet a legal obligation or handle a dispute. Hosting and security logs follow the provider's retention settings and operational requirements. We do not set a single retention period for files stored on your device or records controlled by an independent platform. Contact us about a specific record or deletion request.

7. Your choices and rights

You can play local campaigns without using online multiplayer. In builds with Epic account controls, leave an online lobby before disconnecting the account in Achievements. You can also revoke the game's access in your Epic account settings. Stopping future syncing does not remove records already sent. You can delete local saves and user-data files, including backups, or ask us for help locating them.

Depending on the law that applies, you may request access to, correction or deletion of your personal information, restriction of processing, or a portable copy. You may object to processing based on legitimate interests and withdraw consent where consent is the basis. These rights have conditions and exceptions.

Email info@vcesr.com and describe your request and the service involved. Do not send passwords or authentication tokens. We may ask for proportionate information to verify the account or request. Where the GDPR applies, we normally respond within one month and will explain any lawful extension. We cannot directly delete files held only on your computer or another player's computer; platform-controlled records may also require a request to that platform.

You can complain to your local data-protection authority. In the Netherlands, this is the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens. You do not need to contact us before exercising that right.

8. Children and policy changes

This website and game are not directed at children under 13. Online platforms apply their own age rules and parental controls. A parent or guardian who believes a child has provided personal information to us can contact info@vcesr.com.

We will update this page when our practices change and revise the date above. If a change requires additional notice or consent, we will provide it as required. This notice describes information handling; it does not replace your rights under applicable law.