Terms & conditions

This is a translation, provided so that you can read these terms in your own language. The Dutch text is the authoritative one: where a translation and the Dutch differ, the Dutch applies. Read the Dutch text.

Article 1 - Definitions

In these terms and conditions the following definitions apply:

Cooling-off period: the period within which the consumer can exercise their right of withdrawal;
Consumer: the natural person who is not acting in the exercise of a profession or business and who enters into a distance contract with the trader;
Day: calendar day;
Extended-duration transaction: a distance contract relating to a series of products and/or services, the obligation to supply and/or purchase of which is spread over time;
Durable medium: any means that enables the consumer or the trader to store information addressed to them personally in a way that allows future consultation and unaltered reproduction of the stored information.
Right of withdrawal: the option for the consumer to waive the distance contract within the cooling-off period;
Model form: the model withdrawal form which the trader makes available and which a consumer can complete when they wish to exercise their right of withdrawal.
Trader: the natural or legal person who offers products and/or services to consumers at a distance;
Distance contract: a contract in which, within the framework of a system organised by the trader for the distance selling of products and/or services, exclusive use is made of one or more techniques for distance communication up to and including the conclusion of the contract;
Technique for distance communication: a means that can be used to conclude a contract without the consumer and the trader having come together in the same room at the same time.
General Terms and Conditions: the present General Terms and Conditions of the trader.

Article 2 - Identity of the trader

Hidden Sector Online
Utrechtsestraat 78
8312BM Creil
Nederland
Website https://hiddensector.online
Email webmaster@hiddensector.online
Chamber of Commerce (KVK) 97112011
VAT number NL005249214B27

Article 3 - Applicability

These general terms and conditions apply to every offer made by the trader and to every distance contract and order concluded between the trader and the consumer.
Before the distance contract is concluded, the text of these general terms and conditions is made available to the consumer. If this is not reasonably possible, it will be indicated before the distance contract is concluded that the general terms and conditions may be inspected at the trader’s premises and that they will be sent free of charge as soon as possible at the consumer’s request.
If the distance contract is concluded electronically, then notwithstanding the previous paragraph and before the distance contract is concluded, the text of these general terms and conditions may be made available to the consumer electronically in such a way that the consumer can easily store it on a durable medium. If this is not reasonably possible, it will be indicated before the distance contract is concluded where the general terms and conditions may be consulted electronically and that they will be sent free of charge electronically or otherwise at the consumer’s request.
In the event that specific product or service conditions apply in addition to these general terms and conditions, the second and third paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis and, in the event of conflicting general terms and conditions, the consumer may always invoke the applicable provision that is most favourable to them.
If one or more provisions of these general terms and conditions are at any time wholly or partly void or annulled, the contract and these terms and conditions remain otherwise in force and the provision concerned will be replaced without delay, by mutual agreement, by a provision that approximates the purport of the original as closely as possible.
Situations not governed by these general terms and conditions are to be assessed ‘in the spirit’ of these general terms and conditions.
Any lack of clarity about the interpretation or content of one or more provisions of our terms and conditions is to be interpreted ‘in the spirit’ of these general terms and conditions.

Article 4 - The offer

If an offer has a limited period of validity or is made subject to conditions, this is expressly stated in the offer.
The offer is without obligation. The trader is entitled to alter and adapt the offer.
The offer contains a complete and accurate description of the products and/or services offered. The description is sufficiently detailed to allow the consumer to assess the offer properly. If the trader uses images, these are a truthful representation of the products and/or services offered. Obvious mistakes or obvious errors in the offer are not binding on the trader.
All images and specification details in the offer are indicative and cannot give rise to compensation or dissolution of the contract.
Images accompanying products are a truthful representation of the products offered. The trader cannot guarantee that the colours shown correspond exactly to the real colours of the products.
Every offer contains such information that it is clear to the consumer what rights and obligations are attached to accepting the offer. This concerns in particular:

the price including taxes;
any shipping costs;
the way in which the contract will be concluded and what actions are required for it;
whether or not the right of withdrawal applies;
for digital content not supplied on a tangible medium: that supply begins immediately at the consumer’s request and that the right of withdrawal lapses as soon as supply has begun;
the method of payment, delivery and performance of the contract;
the period for accepting the offer, or the period within which the trader guarantees the price;
the level of the rate for distance communication if the costs of using the technique for distance communication are calculated on a basis other than the regular base rate for the means of communication used;
whether the contract is archived after conclusion and, if so, how the consumer may consult it;
the manner in which the consumer, before concluding the contract, can check and if desired correct the details they have provided under the contract;
any other languages in which, besides Dutch, the contract may be concluded;
the codes of conduct to which the trader has subjected itself and the way in which the consumer can consult these codes of conduct electronically; and
the minimum duration of the distance contract in the case of an extended-duration transaction.

Article 5 - The contract

Subject to the provisions of paragraph 4, the contract is concluded at the moment the consumer accepts the offer and meets the conditions attached to it.
If the consumer has accepted the offer electronically, the trader immediately confirms receipt of acceptance of the offer electronically. As long as receipt of this acceptance has not been confirmed by the trader, the consumer may dissolve the contract.
If the contract is concluded electronically, the trader takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure the electronic transfer of data and ensures a safe web environment. If the consumer can pay electronically, the trader will observe appropriate security measures for this purpose.
The trader may – within legal frameworks – inform itself as to whether the consumer can meet their payment obligations, as well as of all those facts and factors that are important for responsibly entering into the distance contract. If, on the basis of this investigation, the trader has good grounds not to enter into the contract, it is entitled to refuse an order or request with reasons, or to attach special conditions to its performance.
The trader will send the consumer the following information with the product or service, in writing or in such a way that the consumer can store it in an accessible manner on a durable medium:

the visiting address of the trader’s establishment where the consumer can go with complaints;
the conditions under which and the manner in which the consumer may exercise the right of withdrawal, or a clear statement concerning the exclusion of the right of withdrawal;
for digital content not supplied on a tangible medium: an express statement that the consumer consented to supply beginning immediately and thereby declared that they waive their right of withdrawal;
information about guarantees and existing after-sales service;
the details included in article 4 paragraph 3 of these terms and conditions, unless the trader has already provided these details to the consumer before performance of the contract;
the requirements for terminating the contract if the contract has a duration of more than one year or is of indefinite duration.

In the case of an extended-duration transaction, the provision in the previous paragraph applies only to the first delivery.
Every contract is entered into subject to the suspensive condition of sufficient availability of the products concerned.

Article 6 - Right of withdrawal

On delivery of products:

When purchasing products, the consumer has the option of dissolving the contract without giving reasons during 14 days. This cooling-off period commences on the day after receipt of the product by the consumer or by a representative designated in advance by the consumer and made known to the trader.
During the cooling-off period the consumer will handle the product and its packaging with care. They will only unpack or use the product to the extent necessary to assess whether they wish to keep it. If they exercise their right of withdrawal, they will return the product with all delivered accessories and – where reasonably possible – in its original condition and packaging to the trader, in accordance with the reasonable and clear instructions provided by the trader.
Where the consumer wishes to exercise their right of withdrawal, they are obliged to make this known to the trader within 14 days of receipt of the product. The consumer must make this known by means of the model form or by another means of communication such as e-mail. After the consumer has made known that they wish to exercise their right of withdrawal, the customer must return the product within 14 days. The consumer must prove that the goods delivered were returned in time, for example by means of proof of dispatch.
If, after expiry of the periods referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3, the customer has not made known that they wish to exercise their right of withdrawal, or has not returned the product to the trader, the purchase is a fact.

On delivery of services:

On delivery of services the consumer has the option of dissolving the contract without giving reasons during at least 14 days, commencing on the day the contract is entered into.
To exercise their right of withdrawal, the consumer will follow the reasonable and clear instructions provided by the trader with the offer and/or at the latest on delivery.

Article 7 - Costs in the event of withdrawal

The consumer bears the direct cost of returning the product.
If the consumer has paid an amount, the trader will refund this amount as soon as possible, but at the latest within 14 days of the withdrawal. This is subject to the condition that the product has already been received back by the web retailer or that conclusive proof of complete return can be provided. Refunds will be made using the same payment method used by the consumer unless the consumer expressly consents to another payment method.
In the event of damage to the product through careless handling by the consumer themselves, the consumer is liable for any reduction in the value of the product.
The consumer cannot be held liable for any reduction in the value of the product where the trader has not provided all the legally required information about the right of withdrawal; this must be done before the purchase contract is concluded.

Article 8 - Exclusion of the right of withdrawal

The trader may exclude the consumer’s right of withdrawal for products as described in paragraphs 2 and 3. The exclusion of the right of withdrawal applies only if the trader has clearly stated this in the offer, or at least in good time before the contract is concluded.
Exclusion of the right of withdrawal is only possible for products:

created by the trader in accordance with the consumer’s specifications;
that are clearly personal in nature;
that by their nature cannot be returned;
that can spoil or age quickly;
whose price is tied to fluctuations on the financial market over which the trader has no influence;
for individual newspapers and magazines;
for audio and video recordings and computer software whose seal the consumer has broken;
for hygiene products whose seal the consumer has broken.
Supply of digital content not delivered on a tangible medium, in so far as supply has begun with the consumer’s express prior consent and the consumer has declared that they thereby waive their right of withdrawal.

Exclusion of the right of withdrawal is only possible for services:

concerning accommodation, transport, catering or leisure activities to be performed on a particular date or during a particular period;
whose delivery has begun with the consumer’s express consent before the cooling-off period has expired;
concerning betting and lotteries.

Article 9 - The price

During the period of validity stated in the offer, the prices of the products and/or services offered will not be increased, except for price changes resulting from changes in VAT rates.
Notwithstanding the previous paragraph, the trader may offer at variable prices those products or services whose prices are tied to fluctuations on the financial market over which the trader has no influence. This tie to fluctuations and the fact that any prices stated are target prices are stated with the offer.
Price increases within 3 months of the conclusion of the contract are only permitted if they result from statutory regulations or provisions.
Price increases from 3 months after the conclusion of the contract are only permitted if the trader has stipulated this and:

they result from statutory regulations or provisions; or
the consumer has the power to terminate the contract with effect from the day on which the price increase takes effect.

The prices stated in the offer of products or services include VAT.
All prices are subject to printing and typesetting errors. No liability is accepted for the consequences of printing and typesetting errors. In the event of printing and typesetting errors the trader is not obliged to deliver the product at the incorrect price.

Article 10 - Conformity and guarantee

The trader warrants that the products and/or services comply with the contract, with the specifications stated in the offer, with the reasonable requirements of soundness and/or usability and with the statutory provisions and/or government regulations existing on the date the contract was concluded. If agreed, the trader also warrants that the product is suitable for other than normal use.
A guarantee provided by the trader, manufacturer or importer does not affect the statutory rights and claims the consumer may assert against the trader under the contract.
Any defects or wrongly delivered products must be reported to the trader in writing within 2 months of discovery of the defect.
The trader’s guarantee period corresponds to the manufacturer’s guarantee period. The trader is, however, never responsible for the ultimate suitability of the products for each individual application by the consumer, nor for any advice regarding the use or application of the products.
The guarantee does not apply if:

the consumer has repaired and/or modified the delivered products themselves or has had them repaired and/or modified by third parties;
the delivered products have been exposed to abnormal conditions or have otherwise been handled carelessly or contrary to the trader’s instructions and/or the instructions on the packaging;
the unsoundness is wholly or partly the result of regulations that the government has laid down or will lay down concerning the nature or quality of the materials used.

Article 11 - Delivery and performance

The trader will observe the greatest possible care when receiving and carrying out orders for products and when assessing applications for the provision of services.
The place of delivery is the address that the consumer has made known to the company.
With due observance of what is stated in paragraph 4 of this article, the company will carry out accepted orders with due speed but at the latest within 30 days, unless the consumer has agreed to a longer delivery period. If delivery is delayed, or if an order cannot be carried out or can only be carried out in part, the consumer will be notified of this at the latest 30 days after placing the order. In that case the consumer has the right to dissolve the contract at no cost. The consumer is not entitled to compensation.
All delivery periods are indicative. The consumer cannot derive any rights from any periods stated. Exceeding a period does not entitle the consumer to compensation.
In the event of dissolution in accordance with paragraph 3 of this article, the trader will refund the amount the consumer has paid as soon as possible, but at the latest within 14 days of dissolution.
If delivery of an ordered product proves impossible, the trader will endeavour to make a replacement item available. At the latest on delivery it will be stated clearly and comprehensibly that a replacement item is being delivered. For replacement items the right of withdrawal cannot be excluded. The cost of any return shipment is borne by the trader.
The risk of damage to and/or loss of products rests with the trader until the moment of delivery to the consumer or to a representative designated in advance and made known to the trader, unless expressly agreed otherwise.

Article 12 - Extended-duration transactions: duration, termination and renewal

Termination

The consumer may at any time terminate a contract entered into for an indefinite period which extends to the regular delivery of products (including electricity) or services, with due observance of the termination rules agreed for that purpose and a notice period of no more than one month.
The consumer may at any time terminate, as at the end of the fixed term, a contract entered into for a fixed period which extends to the regular delivery of products (including electricity) or services, with due observance of the termination rules agreed for that purpose and a notice period of no more than one month.
The consumer may, as regards the contracts referred to in the previous paragraphs:

terminate them at any time and not be limited to termination at a particular time or during a particular period;
terminate them at least in the same manner as they were entered into by them;
always terminate them with the same notice period as the trader has stipulated for itself.

Renewal

A contract entered into for a fixed period which extends to the regular delivery of products (including electricity) or services may not be tacitly renewed or extended for a fixed period.
Notwithstanding the previous paragraph, a contract entered into for a fixed period which extends to the regular delivery of daily, news and weekly papers and magazines may be tacitly renewed for a fixed period of up to three months, if the consumer can terminate this renewed contract as at the end of the renewal with a notice period of no more than one month.
A contract entered into for a fixed period which extends to the regular delivery of products or services may only be tacitly renewed for an indefinite period if the consumer may terminate at any time with a notice period of no more than one month and a notice period of no more than three months where the contract extends to the regular, but less than monthly, delivery of daily, news and weekly papers and magazines.
A contract of limited duration for the regular introductory delivery of daily, news and weekly papers and magazines (trial or introductory subscription) is not tacitly continued and ends automatically at the end of the trial or introductory period.

Duration

If a contract has a duration of more than one year, the consumer may terminate the contract at any time after one year with a notice period of no more than one month, unless reasonableness and fairness oppose termination before the end of the agreed term.

Article 13 - Payment

Unless otherwise agreed, the amounts owed by the consumer must be paid within 7 working days of the start of the cooling-off period referred to in article 6 paragraph 1. In the case of a contract for the provision of a service, this period begins after the consumer has received confirmation of the contract.
The consumer has the duty to report inaccuracies in payment details provided or stated to the trader without delay.
In the event of non-payment by the consumer, the trader has the right, subject to statutory limitations, to charge the reasonable costs made known to the consumer in advance.

Article 14 - Complaints procedure

The trader has a sufficiently well-publicised complaints procedure and handles the complaint in accordance with this complaints procedure.
Complaints about the performance of the contract must be submitted to the trader fully and clearly described within 2 months after the consumer has discovered the defects.
Complaints submitted to the trader are answered within a period of 14 days from the date of receipt. If a complaint requires a foreseeably longer processing time, the trader will reply within the period of 14 days with an acknowledgement of receipt and an indication of when the consumer can expect a more detailed answer.
If the complaint cannot be resolved by mutual agreement, a dispute arises that is subject to the dispute settlement procedure.
In the event of complaints, a consumer must first turn to the trader. The web shop is currently not affiliated with a quality mark with a disputes committee.
A complaint does not suspend the trader’s obligations, unless the trader indicates otherwise in writing.
If a complaint is found to be well-founded by the trader, the trader will at its discretion either replace or repair the delivered products free of charge.

Article 15 - Disputes

Contracts between the trader and the consumer to which these general terms and conditions relate are governed exclusively by Dutch law. This also applies if the consumer resides abroad.
If you are a consumer living in another country of the European Union, you also keep the protection given to you by the mandatory rules of your own country. The choice of Dutch law above does not take that protection away from you.
The Vienna Sales Convention does not apply.

Article 16 - Additional or differing provisions

Additional provisions or provisions differing from these general terms and conditions may not be to the detriment of the consumer and must be laid down in writing or in such a way that the consumer can store them in an accessible manner on a durable medium.

Article 17 - Age

You must be at least 13 years old to have an account. If you are younger, the game is not for you yet.
If you are under 18, you need permission from a parent or guardian, both to play and to buy anything. By making an account you confirm that you have it.
A parent or guardian can write to us at the address in article 2 to have a child’s account closed and its data erased. We do that without asking why.
An account we find to belong to somebody under 13 is closed and its data erased.

Article 18 - The game and your account

Hidden Sector Online is a browser-based multiplayer strategy game. Playing is free. The articles above govern everything you buy; this article and those that follow govern playing itself.

You need an account to play. Keep your sign-in details to yourself: everything done under your account counts as done by you.
One person, one account. Playing several realms with that one account is part of the game; a second account to gain an advantage is not.
Pick a commander name that is not offensive and does not impersonate somebody else. We may rename or remove a name that breaks this rule.
An account is yours to use, not to sell, rent out, share or hand over. An account offered for sale may be closed.
You can delete your account yourself from the game at any time. Deleting it ends your commanders and everything they own, and this cannot be undone.

Article 19 - Fair play

Attacking, raiding, spying on and conquering other players is the game. What follows is not.

No bots, scripts, macros or any other automation that plays for you, and no third-party program that reads or alters the game.
No exploiting a bug for gain. If you find one, report it - through the help page - rather than using it. Using one knowingly may cost you what you gained by it.
No pushing: no second account, and no arrangement with another player, whose purpose is to move resources, fleets or worlds one way for nothing in return.
No sharing an account with somebody else and no playing somebody else’s account, except within the sitting rules the game itself provides.
No attacking the service: no attempt to break, overload or gain access to any part of the game or its servers that is not yours.

Article 20 - How players treat each other

The game has messages, an alliance chat and a forum. In all of them the same rule holds: play the game hard, and leave the person out of it.

No harassment, threats, hate speech or discrimination on any ground whatsoever, and nothing sexual involving minors.
No posting of somebody else’s personal details, and no spam, advertising or links to malware.
What you write can be read, reported and moderated. Reporting is built into the game; a report is looked at by a human.
We may remove a message, mute an account or close it. Which of those we do depends on what happened and on what has happened before.

Article 21 - Sanctions

If an account breaks article 18, 19 or 20 we may warn it, take back what was gained, suspend it or close it permanently.
What we do is measured against what happened. A first mistake is not treated as a career, and a deliberate, repeated or profitable breach is not treated as a first mistake.
An account closed for breaking these rules is not compensated for lost progress, for unspent antimatter, or for the remainder of a subscription or a cosmetic bought for it. This does not affect any statutory right you have.
Whenever we take a message down, silence an account or suspend one, we send that account a message saying what we did, on what grounds, and whether a person or a machine decided it. Every one of these decisions is made by a person.
If you think a decision is wrong, write to us at the address in article 2. We will look at it again.

Article 22 - Antimatter, cosmetics and the subscription

The store sells two things: cosmetics, and the Fleet Commander subscription. Antimatter is not for sale and never will be. It is a currency inside the game, it finishes a queued job early, and a queued job can be a warship - so selling it would be selling combat power. It is earned by playing or not at all.
Antimatter has no value outside the game, cannot be exchanged back into money and cannot be transferred to another player.
Buying a cosmetic or a subscription buys a licence to use it inside the game for as long as the game runs. It does not buy ownership of anything.
What you buy belongs to your account, not to one commander and not to one realm. A cosmetic you own and a subscription you are paying for work for every commander you have, in every realm you play in, including realms you join later. Resetting or closing a realm ends what was inside that realm and takes nothing you bought.
What you buy is available on your account immediately after payment. Because delivery of this digital content begins at once with your express consent, the statutory right of withdrawal in articles 6 to 8 no longer applies from that moment.
A subscription runs for the period stated at purchase. Where it renews, that is stated at purchase and you can stop the renewal at any time.
If a payment goes through and nothing arrives on your account, write to us and we will put it right.

Article 23 - The game changes, and one day it ends

We develop the game continuously. Features, balance, prices and content can change, and a change can make something you own worth more or less inside the game.
A realm can be reset, closed or merged. A reset ends every commander, world, fleet and alliance in that realm. Where a reset is planned, we announce it in the game beforehand. It does not touch anything you bought: purchases belong to your account, as article 22 sets out.
We do our best to keep the game up, but we do not promise it is always reachable: maintenance, updates and faults happen.
We may end the game. If we do, we announce it at least three months in advance, in the game and by email, and from the announcement onwards nothing further can be bought.
From that same moment every running subscription stops renewing. It keeps the time already paid for and is never charged again, so nobody pays for days they will not get. Until the closing date the game works exactly as it always has.

Article 24 - Liability

The game is provided for entertainment, as it is. As far as the law allows, we are not liable for indirect loss such as lost progress, lost virtual items or lost enjoyment. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under Dutch law, and nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer.

Article 25 - Your data

What we collect, why, how long we keep it and what you can ask of us is set out in the privacy policy, which is linked in the footer of the game beside these terms.

Article 26 - Changes to these terms

We may change these terms. A change is announced in the game and takes effect for play from the date given. For anything already bought, the terms that applied at the time of purchase continue to apply.

Last updated: September 19, 2026.