Terms of Use

1. Scope & agreement

These Terms of Use govern your use of cosmicrealmgames.com and the games, physical materials, online content, hints, and related services offered by Cosmic Realm Games (“we,” “us,” or “our”). Please read them before using the services or placing an order. By accepting these terms at account registration or checkout, you agree to them. If you do not agree, do not create an account, purchase, or use restricted game content.

Product-specific terms presented before purchase form part of your order. They control if they expressly differ from these terms for that product. Nothing here limits rights or remedies that applicable law does not allow us to exclude.

2. Current availability

The website is currently in prelaunch. Checkout, player accounts, promotional codes, and purchases of additional hint points are not yet active. Pricing and planned features are previews until ordering opens. Demonstration hints and balances are not purchased credits, may reset when a page reloads, and do not create an entitlement to paid content.

The purchase, subscription, shipping, and paid-access provisions below apply when those services become available. Publishing these terms does not activate checkout or start a subscription.

3. Age, accounts & security

You must be at least 18 and legally able to enter a contract to place an order or open an account. Our games are generally recommended for ages 14 and up; an adult should review each game’s age and content guidance and supervise younger players. The website is not directed to children under 13.

Provide accurate account, billing, and shipping information and keep it current. Keep your password and access codes secure, and notify us through Contact Us if you suspect unauthorized access. Do not sell or publicly share accounts, passwords, or access codes. You are responsible for activity you authorize; this does not make you responsible for unauthorized charges where applicable law provides otherwise.

4. Mysteries, seasons & group play

A One-Box Adventure is a complete standalone mystery delivered in one box, purchased once without a subscription. A Season Adventure is one complete mystery told across 12 connected installments, not 12 separate standalone games. For seasons, play in order and retain earlier materials, which may be needed later. Each purchased copy supports personal solo or cooperative play; we recommend 1–4 players. Your group may use the included materials and online content together without buying a copy for each player.

Playing times are estimates and vary by game and group. Season installments generally take 60–120 minutes each. Standalone game descriptions will identify the estimated playing time for the complete game before ordering opens. Internet access and a compatible smartphone, tablet, or computer are required for online content and hints. Any additional requirements will be identified on the product page.

5. Orders, prices & payment

Prices are in U.S. dollars. The checkout will show the selected product, total price, applicable taxes, and any expressly selected additional charges before you authorize payment. Standard shipping within our shipping area is included. A payment method must be yours or one you are authorized to use.

We may decline an order for unavailable products, suspected fraud, or an obvious pricing or listing error. If a correction changes your order’s price or material terms, we will ask you to accept the correction or cancel and receive a refund; we will not charge a higher amount without consent. If we cancel an order, we will refund amounts paid for the canceled items.

Changes in advertised prices apply to future purchases. We will not retroactively change the price of paid installments. Before changing a recurring price, we will provide notice and an opportunity to cancel, and obtain further consent where required by law.

6. Subscriptions, renewals & gifts

One-Box Adventures are one-time purchases. Buying a standalone game does not enroll you in a subscription, authorize recurring charges, or commit you to future games. The subscription and installment-schedule provisions in this section apply to Season Adventures.

A recurring subscription renews for the billing period disclosed at checkout until canceled or the selected 12-installment mystery is complete. Before you subscribe, checkout will disclose the amount and frequency of charges, the installments covered, any minimum commitment, and how to cancel. Recurring charges require your express agreement; these terms alone do not authorize them.

Prepaid packages end after the purchased installments unless you expressly select automatic renewal. Completing a mystery will not automatically enroll you in another mystery. Gift purchases do not renew automatically unless the purchaser expressly chooses that option.

Billing and shipping schedules may differ and will be disclosed before payment. Science Fiction dispatches and Fantasy chapters ship monthly; Legal case files ship weekly. Prepayment does not accelerate the release schedule or cause all installments to ship together.

7. Cancellation & pauses

You may cancel before your next billing date to stop future recurring charges, or request a pause of future billing and shipments. Use the online subscription controls when available, or submit your request through Contact Us with enough information to identify your order. Do not send full payment-card details. A timely cancellation request will be honored based on when it is received, rather than when support finishes processing it.

Canceling renewal of a prepaid package stops future renewal charges; installments already paid for continue on schedule unless you request a delivery pause or a refund of eligible unshipped installments. We will confirm the cancellation or pause and explain any effect on your schedule. Cancellation does not by itself request a refund for installments already shipped.

8. Shipping, delays & replacements

We ship within the contiguous United States, including Washington, D.C. Standard shipping is included. Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and international destinations are not currently served.

For available games, a standalone game or the first season installment ships within 3–5 business days of ordering. Preorders identify an expected shipping date on the product page. Carrier transit time is separate from processing time. Keep your delivery address current and contact us promptly about a missing delivery or address change.

If we cannot ship within the promised time, we will notify you, provide a revised estimate, and offer the cancellation and prompt refund options required by law. Where consent to a delay is required, we will obtain it or cancel and refund the affected order.

We replace missing or damaged game materials at no additional charge. Send your order number and a description through Contact Us; photographs may help resolve damage claims. When available, we may provide a digital copy while a replacement is on its way.

9. Returns & refunds

Unopened standalone games and unopened season boxes may be returned within 30 days of delivery. Contact us within that period for return instructions. Players pay return shipping, except where the return results from our error or applicable law requires otherwise. Opened games are nonreturnable for a change of mind; missing or damaged materials remain eligible for replacement, and statutory rights for defective or misdescribed products remain unaffected.

For prepaid season packages, you may request a refund for installments that have not yet shipped. Any prepaid discount will be adjusted to reflect the installments already received. The refund equals the package amount paid minus the cost of the shipped installments at the undiscounted per-installment price disclosed when you purchased, with applicable taxes adjusted. The refund cannot be less than zero, and this calculation will not create an additional charge. We will explain the calculation before processing your request.

Approved refunds are returned to the original payment method where possible. Processing time may depend on the payment provider. Contact us about duplicate charges, failed digital delivery, or incorrect hint deductions so we can investigate and provide a correction or refund where appropriate. These terms do not waive lawful payment-dispute rights.

10. Hint points & online access

Each purchased Season Adventure includes 50 hint points for the entire 12-installment season. Each purchased One-Box Adventure includes 20 hint points for that standalone game, with 12 numbered hints offering three levels each: A Nudge (1 point), A Lead (2 points), and A Breakthrough (3 points). Each level unlocks separately, and selecting a stronger level does not automatically unlock the other levels. Points are shared by everyone playing that copy. Three levels offer increasing help. The point cost is shown before you unlock a hint; stronger hints may reveal significant parts of a puzzle. Additional points will be available for purchase when that feature launches, with the price and quantity shown before payment.

Points are deducted only the first time a hint is unlocked. An unlocked hint may be revisited without another deduction while the mystery’s online content remains available. Points belong to the mystery for which they were issued or purchased, cannot be transferred to another mystery or person, and cannot be sold or redeemed for cash except where required by law. Unused points remain available for as long as that mystery’s online content is accessible.

Online game content and unlocked hints will remain available for at least two years after your standalone game ships or your final season installment ships. If we later retire that content, we will provide at least 90 days’ notice before access ends. Temporary maintenance or technical outages may occur; contact us if you cannot access purchased content.

Online access and hint points are nontransferable. You may pass along your physical materials, but doing so does not transfer an account, access code, or digital license. Separate online access is not available for secondhand copies.

11. Game content & intellectual property

Our stories, puzzles, artwork, text, evidence designs, logos, software, hints, and other original content belong to Cosmic Realm Games or its licensors and are protected by applicable intellectual-property law. Purchasing a game transfers ownership of the physical copy, not copyright or other intellectual-property rights.

We grant the authorized purchaser or designated gift recipient a limited, nonexclusive, nontransferable license to access and use the associated digital content for personal, noncommercial play with their group, for the access period described above. You may make personal notes and use downloads or printables as instructed.

Except as permitted by law or our written permission, do not reproduce, publish, distribute, sell, or commercially exploit game content, upload scans of materials, or post restricted hints, solutions, passwords, or access codes. Honest reviews and lawful commentary are welcome; please clearly label spoilers and avoid reproducing substantial game materials. Contact us about classroom, institutional, public-event, or commercial licensing.

12. Acceptable use & submissions

Do not use the services unlawfully, harass others, impersonate another person, introduce malicious code, interfere with the site, bypass access controls, obtain content you have not been authorized to access, or manipulate purchases or hint balances. Do not use automated tools to extract restricted game content or personal information.

You retain ownership of feedback or other material you send us. You authorize us to use it as reasonably necessary to respond to your inquiry or provide the requested service. General product suggestions may be used without an obligation to pay you. This does not transfer ownership of a submitted game manuscript, artwork, or other creative work; any broader use requires a separate agreement. Do not send confidential third-party information or material you lack permission to share.

13. Fiction, safety & legal mysteries

Our games are fictional entertainment. Game documents, identities, correspondence, and evidence are props or story elements unless expressly stated otherwise. Do not use them as genuine legal documents, identification, credentials, or evidence in a real proceeding.

Legal mysteries do not provide legal advice, establish an attorney-client relationship, or promise professional education credit or legal accuracy for a particular jurisdiction. Game rules and legal procedures may be simplified or fictionalized. Do not rely on them for a real legal matter or send confidential case information through the contact form.

Game instructions do not authorize trespassing, unsafe conduct, contacting real people portrayed as fictional characters, or interference with emergency services. Follow applicable law and ordinary safety precautions.

14. Privacy & third-party services

Promotional emails. By accepting these Terms of Use when registering for a player account or placing an order, you agree that Cosmic Realm Games may send promotional emails to the email address you provide about our current and future games, new releases, offers, and related game announcements. You may opt out at any time using the unsubscribe instructions in any promotional email or by contacting us through Contact Us. We will honor opt-out requests within 10 business days, or sooner where required by law. Opting out does not affect your purchases or game access and does not stop necessary account, order, security, or support messages. This provision does not override a prior opt-out or authorize marketing texts or calls. Where separate marketing consent is required by law, we will obtain it before sending promotional messages.

Our Privacy Policy explains how information submitted through the website is handled. Third-party sites and services may have their own terms and privacy practices. Links do not imply that we control or endorse all third-party content. Third-party terms do not eliminate our obligations concerning your order or rights under applicable law.

15. Service limitations & responsibility

We aim to provide accurate descriptions and reliable services, but cannot guarantee uninterrupted or error-free website access, compatibility with every device, or a particular level of enjoyment or puzzle-solving success. Except for express product descriptions, our delivery, replacement, refund, and access commitments, and warranties that cannot lawfully be excluded, the website and digital services are provided “as is” and “as available.” To the extent permitted by law, we disclaim other implied warranties, including merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

To the extent permitted by law, Cosmic Realm Games will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential losses arising from use of the services. Our aggregate liability for claims arising from a particular mystery or order will not exceed the greater of $100 or the amount you paid for that mystery or order.

These limits do not reduce our express refund, replacement, or paid-access obligations and do not apply to fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence, personal injury caused by our negligence, or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. Where your state does not permit a stated exclusion or limit, it applies only to the extent allowed.

16. Suspension & service changes

We may restrict access reasonably necessary to address fraud, unlawful activity, a material breach of these terms, or a security threat. Where practicable, we will notify you of the reason and provide an opportunity to resolve the issue. You may contact us to request review. Suspension will not erase refund rights or other remedies required by law.

We may improve features or discontinue future offerings, but will honor existing paid-order and minimum-access commitments or provide an appropriate remedy. Delays caused by events beyond our reasonable control do not eliminate applicable cancellation or refund rights.

17. Questions, disputes & changes to these terms

Please use Contact Us to raise a concern so we can try to resolve it. This is not a required step before exercising a statutory right, seeking urgent relief, filing an eligible small-claims action, or contacting a regulator. These terms do not require arbitration or waive jury-trial or class-action rights. Applicable law determines the governing law and proper court for a dispute.

We may update these terms and will identify the effective date on this page. Material changes affecting existing players will be communicated before taking effect, and we will obtain consent where required. Changes will apply prospectively and will not retroactively reduce paid-order or minimum-access commitments. If any provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply to the extent permitted by law. A failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver.

For questions about these terms, orders, subscriptions, access, or permissions, use the Contact Us page.