Terms of Service

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to create an account on IndiForge. The Platform is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

If you are between the ages of 13 and 17, you may create an account and use the Platform's free features (including browsing projects, following developers, and viewing public content). However, you must have the permission of a parent or legal guardian to make purchases (such as subscribing to a project or sending a tip) or to create a monetized project on the Platform. By using these financial features, you represent that you have obtained such permission.

To receive payouts as a Project Owner through Stripe Connect, you must be at least 18 years old, as required by our payment processor's terms of service.

2. Account Registration

2.1 Account Creation

To use certain features of IndiForge, you must create an account. Account authentication is managed through our third-party authentication provider, Clerk. By creating an account, you agree to provide accurate and complete information and to keep this information up to date.

2.2 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must notify us immediately at hello@indiforge.io if you become aware of any unauthorized use of your account.

2.3 Account Types

IndiForge supports the following user roles:

• Developers/Project Owners: Users who create and manage game development projects, publish development updates, and may receive financial support from Supporters.
• Studio Members: Users who are invited to collaborate on projects by Project Owners and contribute to development through assigned tasks and workspace tools.
• Supporters: Users who financially support projects through subscription tiers, tips, and donations.

A single account may function in multiple roles simultaneously.

3. Platform Description

IndiForge provides the following services:

• Project Creation and Management: Tools for creating game development projects, including media galleries, project descriptions, and team management.
• Studio Collaboration: Workspace tools including task assignment, messaging, development logs, and team coordination features.
• Development Updates: A system for project owners to publish updates to their supporters and the public.
• Monetization: Subscription tier systems that allow supporters to financially back projects, as well as tipping and donation functionality.
• Discovery: Tools for discovering projects and developers on the platform.

4. Creator Subscription Plans

4.1 Plan Types

IndiForge offers two subscription plans for project creators who wish to monetize their projects:

• Starter Plan: Available at no cost. Subject to a 10% platform fee on subscription revenue and a 12% platform fee on tips and donations.
• Pro Plan: Available as a paid subscription (monthly or annual billing). Subject to a 5% platform fee on subscription revenue and a 7% platform fee on tips and donations.

Platform fees are calculated on gross revenue after payment processor fees are deducted.

4.2 Billing and Renewal

Pro Plan subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring basis (monthly or annually, depending on the plan selected). Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled before the end of the current billing period.

4.3 Cancellation

You may cancel your Pro Plan subscription at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You will retain access to Pro features until the plan expires. Upon expiration, your account will revert to the Starter Plan, and the corresponding fee structure will apply to all future transactions.

4.4 Launch Badges and Promotions

During the initial launch period, IndiForge may offer promotional badges and fee incentives, including but not limited to the Founder Badge and Ember Badge. The terms, eligibility, and duration of these promotions are determined solely by IndiForge and may be modified or discontinued at any time. Promotional badges, once earned, are permanent and remain on the recipient's profile regardless of future plan changes.

5. Supporter Subscriptions and Payments

5.1 Subscribing to Projects

Supporters may subscribe to projects by selecting a subscription tier created by the Project Owner. Subscription tiers have a minimum price of $3.00 per month. Each tier provides access to specific benefits as defined by the Project Owner.

5.2 Payment Processing

All payments on IndiForge are processed through Stripe, our third-party payment processor. By making a payment on IndiForge, you agree to Stripe's terms of service and privacy policy. IndiForge does not directly store your full payment card information.

5.3 Recurring Billing

Supporter subscriptions are billed on a monthly recurring basis. Stripe will automatically charge your payment method on the same day each month. If a payment fails, Stripe's retry logic will attempt to process the payment up to three times over a two-week period. If all retries fail, your subscription will be paused and access to subscriber-only content will be revoked.

5.4 Tips and Donations

Supporters may send one-time tips or donations to projects. Tips may include an optional message (up to 500 characters) and may be designated as public, anonymous, or private at the Supporter's discretion.

5.5 Refunds

Refund policies for supporter subscriptions are set by individual Project Owners. IndiForge recommends, but does not enforce, a 7-day full refund policy. IndiForge is not responsible for refund disputes between Supporters and Project Owners. For disputes related to payment processing, Stripe's dispute resolution process applies.

6. Creator Payouts

6.1 Stripe Connect

To receive payouts, Project Owners must complete Stripe Connect onboarding, which includes identity verification and linking a bank account. IndiForge uses Stripe Connect to facilitate payouts and does not directly hold or manage creator funds outside of the Stripe ecosystem.

6.2 Revenue Split

When a Supporter makes a payment, the revenue is allocated as follows:

1. Payment Processor Fee: Stripe's processing fee (approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) is deducted first.
2. Platform Fee: IndiForge's platform fee is deducted based on the Project Owner's current plan (Starter or Pro) and the payment type (subscription or tip).
3. Creator Net: The remaining amount is credited to the Project Owner.

6.3 Reserves and Payout Delays

To protect against chargebacks and fraud, IndiForge implements payout delays and a reserve system. A percentage of each transaction may be held in reserve for a set period, and payouts may be subject to a processing delay before funds become available for withdrawal. The specific reserve percentages, hold periods, and payout delays are determined by IndiForge based on factors including account age, verification status, transaction history, and risk assessment, and may be adjusted at any time at IndiForge's sole discretion.

6.4 Minimum Payout

The minimum payout threshold is $25.00. Balances below this amount will accumulate until the threshold is met. Payout requests are limited to one request per 24-hour period.

6.5 Chargebacks

If a chargeback is filed against a transaction, the full gross amount of the original transaction plus an approximate $15.00 dispute fee will be deducted from the Project Owner's balance. If the dispute is resolved in the Project Owner's favor, the deducted amounts will be restored. IndiForge is not responsible for chargeback fees imposed by payment processors.

6.6 Negative Balances

If chargebacks or refunds cause a creator's balance to go negative, the negative amount will be deducted from future earnings until the balance is restored to zero. Project Owners with a negative balance may not request payouts until the balance is resolved.

7. User Content

7.1 Ownership

You retain ownership of all content you create and upload to IndiForge, including but not limited to project descriptions, development updates, media (images, videos, audio), comments, and messages ("User Content"). IndiForge does not claim ownership of your User Content.

7.2 License Grant

By uploading User Content to IndiForge, you grant IndiForge a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, display, reproduce, and distribute your User Content solely for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform. This license continues for as long as your content remains on the Platform and terminates when you delete your content, except to the extent that content has been shared with or distributed to other users (e.g., development updates delivered to subscribers).

7.3 Content Responsibility

You are solely responsible for your User Content. You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to upload and share your content, and that your content does not infringe on any third party's intellectual property rights, violate any law, or breach these Terms.

7.4 Content Visibility

Development updates may be designated as "public" (visible to all users) or "subscribers" (visible only to users with an active subscription to the project). Project Owners are responsible for setting the appropriate visibility level for their content.

8. Content Standards & Prohibited Content

8.1 Content Standards

All content uploaded to IndiForge — including profiles, projects, development updates, media, and messages — must comply with the content standards set out in this section.

8.2 Game Development Content

IndiForge is a platform for game developers. Game development content — including but not limited to gameplay footage, concept art, trailers, screenshots, design documents, and development updates — may depict violence, combat, mature themes, historical subject matter, horror, strong language, and other content typical of the game development industry. Such content is permitted when it is clearly part of a game development project and presented in a professional development context.

8.3 Prohibited Content

The following content is prohibited on the Platform regardless of context:

• Content that sexualizes minors in any form. IndiForge maintains a zero-tolerance policy for such content, which will result in immediate and permanent account termination and, where appropriate, referral to law enforcement.
• Content intended to promote real-world violence against specific individuals or groups, as distinct from fictional violence depicted within a game development project.
• Hate speech, real-world extremist ideology, or content promoting discrimination against individuals or groups outside of a legitimate game development context.
• Sexually explicit or pornographic material (see Section 8.4 below).
• Malware, phishing, spam, or other deceptive content.
• Content that violates applicable law.

8.4 Mature & Adult Game Projects

IndiForge recognizes that mature and adult-themed games are a legitimate part of the game development industry. Support for adult (18+) projects containing explicit sexual material is planned for a future update to the Platform, which will include appropriate age verification, content tagging, and filtering systems. Until that infrastructure is in place, projects involving explicit sexual content are not permitted on the Platform.

Projects with mature themes — including violence, horror, strong language, drug references, and dark or controversial subject matter — that do not include explicit sexual content are welcome on the Platform.

8.5 Enforcement

IndiForge reserves the right to:

• Remove any content that violates these standards without prior notice.
• Suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly or egregiously violate these content standards.
• Determine, at its sole discretion, whether content falls within or outside an acceptable game development context.
• Modify these content standards as the Platform evolves, with reasonable notice to users.

8.6 Reporting

Users who believe that content on the Platform violates these standards may report it through our support channels at hello@indiforge.io. Reports will be reviewed by the IndiForge team.

9. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable local, state, national, or international law.
• Upload, post, or transmit content that is defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening, harassing, or that promotes violence, discrimination, or illegal activity.
• Upload content that infringes on any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, or other intellectual property right of any party.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely represent your affiliation with any person or entity.
• Interfere with or disrupt the Platform's infrastructure, servers, or networks.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other users' accounts, data, or Platform systems.
• Use automated scripts, bots, or scrapers to access the Platform without our express written permission.
• Manipulate engagement metrics, create fake accounts, or engage in any form of fraudulent activity.
• Use the Platform to distribute malware, viruses, or any other harmful code.
• Harass, bully, or intimidate other users.
• Create projects or content designed to deceive supporters about the nature or progress of game development.
• Use the monetization features for money laundering, fraud, or any illegal financial activity.

IndiForge reserves the right to remove content and suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms at our sole discretion.

10. Intellectual Property

10.1 Platform IP

The IndiForge name, logo, branding, and all Platform software, design, and functionality are the intellectual property of IndiForge LLC and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not use our branding without our prior written consent.

10.2 DMCA and Copyright Complaints

IndiForge respects the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that your copyrighted work has been copied and is accessible on the Platform in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, you may submit a notice to our designated agent at:

Email: hello@indiforge.io
Subject: DMCA Takedown Request

Your notice must include: (a) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed; (b) identification of the allegedly infringing material and its location on the Platform; (c) your contact information; (d) a statement that you have a good faith belief that the use is not authorized; (e) a statement under penalty of perjury that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf; and (f) your physical or electronic signature.

11. Third-Party Services

IndiForge integrates with third-party services to provide Platform functionality. By using IndiForge, you acknowledge and agree that:

• Clerk provides authentication services and is subject to its own terms of service and privacy policy.
• Stripe provides payment processing and is subject to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement and Stripe's terms of service.
• Vercel provides hosting services.

IndiForge is not responsible for the practices, terms, or policies of third-party services.

12. Disclaimers

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

IndiForge does not guarantee that the Platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free. IndiForge does not guarantee any particular level of revenue, supporters, or engagement for creators. IndiForge does not endorse, verify, or guarantee the quality, accuracy, or completion of any project listed on the Platform.

13. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, INDIFORGE LLC, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM.

INDIFORGE'S TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE PLATFORM SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO INDIFORGE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless IndiForge LLC, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Platform; (b) your User Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; or (d) your violation of any third party's rights.

15. Dispute Resolution

15.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

15.2 Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal dispute resolution, you agree to first contact us at hello@indiforge.io and attempt to resolve any dispute informally for at least thirty (30) days.

15.3 Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, any dispute arising from these Terms shall be resolved through binding arbitration conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. Arbitration shall take place in the State of Texas. You agree that any arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis and not as a class action.

15.4 Exceptions

Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief in court for matters related to intellectual property rights or unauthorized access to the Platform.

16. Termination

16.1 By You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us at hello@indiforge.io. Termination of your account does not release you from any obligations incurred prior to termination, including outstanding payments or negative balances.

16.2 By IndiForge

We may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms or engaged in conduct that is harmful to other users, the Platform, or IndiForge. In the event of termination for cause, any pending balances may be forfeited.

16.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to access the Platform ceases. Content you have shared with subscribers may remain accessible to those subscribers for a reasonable wind-down period. Any outstanding payout balances above the minimum threshold will be processed in accordance with our standard payout schedule, provided there are no outstanding disputes or negative balances.

17. Modifications to Terms

IndiForge reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by posting a notice on the Platform or by sending an email to the address associated with your account. Your continued use of the Platform following the posting of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

18. Miscellaneous

18.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and IndiForge regarding your use of the Platform.

18.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

18.3 Waiver

IndiForge's failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

18.4 Assignment

You may not assign your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. IndiForge may assign its rights and obligations without restriction.

19. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

IndiForge LLC
Email: hello@indiforge.io
Website: https://indiforge.io