Terms of use
Last updated 10 October 2026
The short version. Play as much as you like and share it with friends. Keep the leaderboard fair and friendly. Paid items are looks only, sold through Paddle, and refundable within 14 days.
Please don't copy, re-host or resell the game or its art. It's in beta, so things can change or break.
Who we are
TideBound is made by TideBound, an independent studio in Antigua and Barbuda ("we" on this page). To reach us, email hello@tidebound.app or use Settings → Feedback in the game.
Playing
TideBound is free to play in your browser at torchhound.com/play/tidebound (the game itself is at tidebound.torchhound.com). By playing it you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please don't play.
The game is in beta. Fish, prices, regions and balance may change, and features may come and go.
Your progress is saved in your own browser. It can be lost if you clear your browser's data, switch devices or use private browsing, and we can't restore it.
The leaderboard
If you post a time:
- pick a name that's friendly: nothing hateful, sexual, threatening or rude
- don't pretend to be someone else
- don't use your real full name if you're under 16
- post only times you actually played; don't use tools, altered games or automated posts to change them
We may rename or remove any entry, reset the board, or block posting from anyone who breaks these rules.
Please don't
- Copy, re-host, mirror, embed, sell or redistribute the game, its code or any of its art, models, sounds or music.
- Take the game apart to build a copy or a competing product.
- Attack, overload or probe the site or its servers, scrape them in bulk, or get around their limits.
- Use the feedback form to send spam, abuse or anything unlawful.
Sharing links, screenshots, catch cards and videos of you playing is welcome, including monetised videos and streams.
Who owns TideBound
TideBound and everything in it belong to TideBound and are protected by copyright and other laws. All rights are reserved. That includes the game, its code, fish, characters, models, art, animation, sound and music, and the name and logo.
These terms let you play the game in a web browser for your own enjoyment. They don't give you any other right to use its parts.
TideBound is built with open-source software, such as three.js (MIT licence). Those parts stay under their own licences.
If you believe something in the game infringes your rights, or you've found a copy of TideBound somewhere it shouldn't be, tell us through Settings → Feedback.
Your ideas
We love hearing ideas. If you send one, you agree we may use it in the game, without owing you anything for it. We can't always reply to every note.
Coins
Coins are earned by fishing. They can't be bought, sold or cashed out, and have no money value.
Paid items
The game is free. Some outfits, rod skins and lure finishes can be bought with real money, one at a time or in packs. They change how your angler, rod or lure looks and nothing else: they don't catch more fish, give more coins or help on the leaderboard.
- Who sells them: our order process is run by our online reseller Paddle.com, the merchant of record for every order. Paddle handles payment, tax, receipts and customer service for orders, and returns. Paddle's buyer terms apply to the sale.
- Prices are listed on the pricing page and shown in the game before you buy, and the checkout shows the final amount with any tax for your country.
- An account keeps them. Paid items belong to the account for the email address you sign in with (or, if you weren't signed in, the one you paid with). Sign in on any device to use them there. Clearing your browser doesn't lose them; losing access to that email address can.
- What you're buying is a licence to use the item in TideBound for as long as the game runs, not ownership of it. Items can't be traded, sold or moved to another account.
- The Founder Pack may only be sold for a limited time. It includes every paid item available when you buy it, the Founder's outfit, and an anchor (⚓) beside your name on the Shelf boards for the save you use while signed in.
- Refunds: you can ask for a refund within 14 days of buying, no reason needed, through the link in your Paddle receipt or paddle.net. After that, contact Paddle or us at hello@tidebound.app if something went wrong. A refunded or charged-back order is taken off the account, along with its items.
- If you're under 18, ask a parent or guardian before buying.
We may change what's for sale and at what price. If we ever close the game, we'll say so in the game at least 30 days first. Nothing here limits refund rights your country's consumer law gives you.
No guarantees
The game is provided "as is". We work to keep it running and fair, but we can't promise it will always be available, free of bugs, or that your save will survive.
To the extent the law allows, we aren't liable for lost progress or for indirect losses from using the game. Nothing here limits rights you have under consumer law that can't be waived.
Which law applies
These terms are governed by the laws of Antigua and Barbuda. If you live somewhere else, you keep any protections your own country's consumer law gives you.
Changes
We may update these terms as the game grows. The date at the top shows the latest version. Playing after a change means you accept it.
Privacy
How we handle data is explained in the privacy policy.