Overview
Metro Control is a compact metro operations game that runs inside the Chrome extension popup. Players build fictional routes, operate fictional trains, move simulated passengers, manage transfers and crowding, respond to service incidents, upgrade stations, and progress through service days.
The current release is designed as a self-contained local game. Its simulation, interface, game logic, and visual assets are included in the installed extension package. Normal play does not require a Metro Control account, remote gameplay server, analytics service, advertising network, social platform, or developer-operated cloud save.
Local storage architecture
Metro Control saves its current game state in the extension's own browser origin using ordinary localStorage. The production version reviewed for this policy uses one main save key:
This key is an implementation detail for locating the saved game. It is not an account identifier, advertising ID, browser fingerprint, or identifier used to track a person across websites.
The extension reads this local state when the popup opens and saves updated state during gameplay and when the popup is being closed. This allows an active service day and network to continue across sessions.
What the game save contains
The saved state contains information required to reconstruct the fictional transit simulation. Depending on progress, this may include:
- save-format version and locally generated random simulation state;
- current service day and in-game clock;
- simulation speed, paused/running state, and service status;
- fictional credits, reliability, and score;
- metro lines, line colors, and station sequences created by the player;
- fictional trains, route position, direction, dwell time, capacity, and onboard passengers;
- station upgrade levels, passenger queues, demand and overload state;
- simulated passenger IDs and fictional destinations;
- active service incidents;
- daily service summaries and progression;
- tutorial state;
- aggregate gameplay statistics such as generated passengers, delivered riders, missed riders, transfers, upgrades, routes, trains, incidents resolved, and service days completed.
All of these values belong to the game simulation. They are not derived from real transit cards, real commuting behavior, GPS location, real maps, banking information, browser activity, or physical movement.
Passenger simulation
Metro Control generates fictional passengers internally. A simulated passenger can have an internal ID, destination station, waiting state, journey state, and transfer information. Passenger routing is calculated from the fictional metro network built by the player.
The simulation does not use the user's real location, travel history, contacts, calendar, Google Maps data, or public-transit account information.
Information collected by the developer
During normal operation of Metro Control version 1.0.0, the extension does not collect the local game save for the developer. Opening the extension, creating routes, purchasing trains, moving simulated passengers, responding to incidents, or completing service days does not automatically transmit those actions to a developer server.
The extension does not intentionally collect names, email addresses, postal addresses, phone numbers, passwords, authentication tokens, payment details, health information, biometric information, precise location, browsing history, search history, website content, private communications, or Chrome account identifiers.
Gameplay performance is also not automatically reported to the developer. Values such as ridership, reliability, route count, train count, credits, incidents, and day scores remain part of the local game state.
| Data category | Developer receives it? | Current behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Game progress | Local only | Saved in extension-origin browser storage. |
| Routes / stations / trains | Local only | Used to reconstruct the fictional network. |
| Passenger simulation | Local only | Used for fictional queues, routing, journeys, and transfers. |
| Gameplay statistics | Local only | Used for scoring, summaries, and progression. |
| Browsing history | No | The extension does not request history access. |
| Website content | No | No content script or host access is used. |
| Location | No | The fictional city is not based on the user's physical location. |
| Analytics / advertising IDs | No | No analytics or advertising SDK is included. |
Chrome permissions
Metro Control version 1.0.0 uses Chrome Manifest V3 and requests no extension permissions and no host permissions.
The manifest does not request tabs, activeTab, history, scripting, cookies, downloads, notifications, geolocation, or Chrome's extension storage permission.
The game uses ordinary web-platform functionality available inside its own popup, including HTML/DOM rendering, Canvas graphics, timers, animation frames, and extension-origin localStorage.
Website, tab, and browsing access
Metro Control does not need to inspect the website behind the popup in order to operate. The current production manifest contains no content scripts and no host permissions.
The extension does not read or modify active-tab URLs, page titles, page text, images, forms, links, cookies, website localStorage, website sessionStorage, browsing history, search history, bookmarks, or information typed into unrelated websites.
The localStorage used by Metro Control belongs to the extension's own origin and is separate from storage used by ordinary websites.
Network activity and remote services
The reviewed production package does not use fetch, XMLHttpRequest, WebSocket, or a developer API for gameplay. The extension does not need real-time transit feeds, remote maps, external JavaScript, remote CSS, remote fonts, social-login systems, online AI, analytics endpoints, or advertising resources.
Chrome itself may communicate with Google for extension installation, updates, Chrome Web Store functions, security, Safe Browsing, account features, or other browser services. Operating systems, administrators, network providers, and security products may also create network traffic independently. Those activities are not Metro Control gameplay telemetry.
Analytics, advertising, tracking, and cookies
Analytics
Metro Control version 1.0.0 does not include Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Segment, PostHog, or a comparable analytics platform.
Advertising
The extension does not display third-party advertising and does not include ad-network code, behavioral advertising technology, retargeting pixels, or advertising identifiers.
Cookies and fingerprinting
Metro Control does not request Chrome's cookies permission and is not designed to fingerprint the browser or device, correlate users across websites, or create cross-site behavioral profiles.
Crash reporting
The reviewed package does not include a third-party crash-reporting SDK that automatically uploads game state, device identifiers, or diagnostic records to the developer.
Retention, deletion, and removal
The local game save remains in the Chrome browser profile so the network can persist after the popup closes. There is no developer-side retention period for normal gameplay because the current version does not maintain a remote save database.
Local data may remain until it is replaced, cleared through browser storage controls, removed with the browser profile, affected by administrator policy, or removed when the extension is uninstalled according to Chrome's data-management behavior.
Deleting local Metro Control data removes the state required to reconstruct the network, including routes, trains, stations, passenger queues, incidents, credits, reliability, statistics, and progression.
Security and data minimization
Metro Control reduces privacy exposure by avoiding an account system, developer gameplay backend, analytics service, advertising stack, broad Chrome permissions, and access to unrelated websites.
The extension's code and visual assets are packaged locally rather than being loaded as remote executable code during normal play.
Local browser storage is not the same as encrypted vault storage. A person or process with access to the same unlocked browser profile, operating-system account, browser files, or device backups may potentially access local extension data depending on device security.
Users should keep Chrome and their operating system updated and use appropriate device security.
Chrome, the Chrome Web Store, and third parties
Metro Control runs on the Chrome platform and may be distributed through the Chrome Web Store. Chrome and the store are separate products and may process installation, update, security, account, diagnostic, or store-related information under their own terms and privacy practices.
Operating-system backup software, enterprise browser management, antivirus products, device migration tools, and other third-party software may also interact with browser-profile files independently. Metro Control does not control those products.
Children's privacy
Metro Control is a general entertainment game. It does not require a name, date of birth, public profile, user-to-user messaging, precise location, or behavioral advertising profile. Its stored objects represent fictional transit operations rather than real-world identity information.
Changes to this policy
This policy may be revised to improve clarity, reflect a new Metro Control release, address changes in Chrome Web Store requirements, or describe changes in the extension's privacy practices.
If a future version introduces a cloud save, account system, multiplayer, analytics, advertising, real transit data, remote AI, external APIs, website access, or new browser permissions, the privacy policy and relevant store disclosures should be updated accordingly.