GoWest Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 21, 2026
GoWest is a text-based trail survival game that runs inside the Root platform. You lead a party west along one of four historic trails, managing supplies, health and the hazards of the journey. This policy explains what information GoWest collects, how it is used, and the choices you have.
GoWest runs within a Root community. Your account, sign-in, and identity are provided by the Root platform, and Root’s own privacy policy governs the platform itself. This policy covers only the GoWest app.
Information We Collect
Identity from Root. When you play GoWest, the app receives your Root user identifier and your display name/nickname, which it uses to keep your game separate from other players’ games and to name your party leader. GoWest does not receive or store your password, email address, or phone number.
Your game. To let you continue a journey across sessions, GoWest stores the state of your game, including:
- The trail and difficulty you chose, your progress along it, and the in-game date
- Your party members and oxen, their names, health and condition
- Your supplies, money, wagon and equipment
- The identifier of the channel your game is played in
- When your game was created and last updated
Wagons left behind. If your journey ends and your wagon is abandoned on the trail, GoWest records the wagon’s location, its remaining supplies, and the player name attached to it, so that other players who pass that spot can find and salvage it.
GoWest does not ask you for contact details, and it does not collect analytics, advertising identifiers, or location data from your device.
How We Use Information
We use this information only to operate the game, including to:
- Save and restore your journey so you can play across sessions
- Show your game’s events, images and results in your game channel
- Create and manage the channel your game is played in
- Let other players discover and salvage wagons abandoned on the trail
We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not sell it.
How Information Is Shared
Your game is your own — other members of your community do not see your party, supplies or progress. The exception is deliberate and part of the game: a wagon you abandon on the trail can be found by other players, along with the player name and supplies attached to it.
Beyond your community, GoWest does not share your information with third parties, except:
- Through the Root platform, which hosts the app and delivers messages
- Where required by law
Data Storage and Retention
GoWest stores its data within the Root platform environment for your community. Your game state is retained until the game ends and is cleared, or until you start a new journey, which replaces it. Abandoned wagon records remain on the trail so other players can find them.
If you would like your game data removed, contact a GoWest administrator in your community or email us at the address below.
Children’s Privacy
GoWest is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided information through the app, please contact us so we can remove it.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Significant changes may be communicated within the app or your community.
Contact
If you have questions about this policy or how your data is handled in GoWest, contact:
Chris Tacke — ctacke@gmail.com