// Cookie PolicyNew
Last updated: February 1, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how CriticalPixel ("we," "our," or "us") uses cookies, local storage, and similar technologies when you visit our website. It describes what these technologies are, why we use them, and your rights to control our use of them.
<Table of Contents/>
// 1. What Are Cookies & Similar TechnologiesNew
Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently and to provide reporting information.
We use the following types of storage technologies:
- HTTP Cookies: Small text files set by our web server, stored in your browser, and sent back with each request. Used primarily for authentication and analytics.
- Local Storage: Browser storage that persists until explicitly cleared. Used for caching user preferences, editor drafts, game artwork URLs, and AI conversation history.
- Session Storage: Browser storage that is cleared when your browser tab closes. Used for temporary data like price refresh timestamps and AI chatbot conversations.
// 2. How We Use CookiesNew
We group our cookies and similar technologies into the following categories. Essential cookies are always active; all others can be controlled via your consent preferences.
Our cookie categories are: Essential, Analytics & Advertising, Price Comparison, User Preferences, Editor & Content Creation, Caching & Performance, and AI-Powered Features.
// 3. Essential CookiesNew
These cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function and cannot be disabled. They enable core functionality such as authentication, security, and consent management.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| sb-*-auth-token | Supabase authentication session and refresh tokens for secure login | 1 hour / 7 days |
| user-profile-cache | Cached user profile data for faster page loads | Persistent |
| cookie-consent | Stores your cookie consent preferences | Persistent |
| view-* | Rate limiting to prevent spam and abuse | 24 hours |
// 4. Analytics & Advertising CookiesNew
These cookies help us understand how visitors use our site and allow us to display relevant advertisements. They include cookies set by Google Analytics, Google AdSense, and Meta (Facebook) Pixel.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics - Distinguishes unique visitors | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics - Maintains session state and tracks page views | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics - Stores and updates a unique value for each page visited | 24 hours |
| __gads | Google AdSense - Measures ad interactions and prevents repeated ads | 13 months |
| __gpi | Google Publisher - Stores user identifier for ad personalization | 13 months |
| _fbp | Meta Pixel - Identifies your browser for ad delivery and measurement | 3 months |
| _fbc | Meta Pixel - Stores click identifier from Facebook ad clicks | 3 months |
// 5. Functional CookiesNew
<5.1/> Price Comparison CookiesNew
We aggregate prices from multiple stores (Steam, Gamivo, YuPlay, Instant Gaming, Kinguin) to help you find the best deals. These cookies store your currency preferences and deal filter settings.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| preferred-currency | Your selected currency for price display (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.) | Persistent |
| selectedCurrency | Currency selection synced with pricing systems | Persistent |
| prices-refresh-* | Tracks when prices were last fetched to avoid excessive requests | Session |
| deals-filter-presets | Your saved deal filter preferences | Persistent |
| deals-onboarding-completed | Tracks if you have seen the deals page introduction | Persistent |
<5.2/> User Preference CookiesNew
These cookies remember your settings and personalization choices to provide a customized experience.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| bg-dimmer-value | Background brightness/dimming preference | Persistent |
| homepage-content-type | Homepage content filter (reviews, articles, etc.) | Persistent |
| homepage-tour-dismissed | Tracks if homepage guide has been viewed | Persistent |
| navbar-onboarding-completed | Tracks if navigation tutorial was completed | Persistent |
| game-page-onboarding-completed | Tracks if game page guide was viewed | Persistent |
| dismissed-announcements | IDs of dismissed announcement banners | Persistent |
| cta-cards-hidden | Whether call-to-action cards are hidden | Persistent |
<5.3/> Editor & Content Creation CookiesNew
These cookies support the review and article writing experience, preserving your work and editor preferences.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| reviewEditorAutoSaveEnabled | Auto-save toggle for review editor | Persistent |
| articleEditorAutoSaveEnabled | Auto-save toggle for article editor | Persistent |
| reviewPageContainerWidth | Editor container width preference | Persistent |
| editor-autosave-* | Auto-saved editor drafts to prevent data loss | Persistent |
| review-basic-info-* | Saved review form progress | Persistent |
<5.4/> Caching & Performance CookiesNew
These cookies speed up loading times by caching frequently accessed data locally in your browser.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| game-image-cache-v1 | Cached game artwork URLs for faster loading | Persistent |
| creator-image-cache-v1 | Cached creator/user avatar URLs | Persistent |
| steam-covers-cache-* | Cached Steam game cover images | 24 hours |
| tags-hero-artwork-cache | Cached artwork for tags page hero section | 1 hour |
| forum-recent-searches | Your recent forum search history | Persistent |
| discussion-visited-* | Tracks visited game discussions for visual indicators | Persistent |
| user-content-cache-* | Cached user content lists for dashboard | 5 minutes |
<5.5/> AI-Powered Features CookiesNew
These cookies support the Sprite AI assistant for game recommendations and semantic search. They store temporary caches and conversation context.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| chatbot-query-cache | Cached AI responses to improve response time | 30 minutes |
| chatbot-embedding-cache | Cached search embeddings for faster semantic search | 1 hour |
| chatbot-conversation-* | Temporary conversation history for contextual responses | Session |
// 6. Device FingerprintingNew
In addition to cookies, we use FingerprintJS to generate a unique device identifier based on your browser and device characteristics.
- What is it: A technology that creates a unique identifier for your browser by analyzing publicly available attributes such as screen resolution, installed fonts, browser version, and operating system. This does not access personal files or install software.
- Purpose: Used exclusively for abuse prevention, AI chatbot rate limiting, and security purposes to identify and prevent automated attacks.
- Storage: If FingerprintJS cannot generate an identifier, a fallback random ID is stored in localStorage under the key _dfp.
- Not used for advertising: This fingerprint is not used for advertising, cross-site tracking, or user profiling. It is solely a security measure.
// 7. Third-Party ServicesNew
The following third-party services may set their own cookies or process data when you use our platform. Each service operates under its own privacy policy.
| Service | Purpose | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | Official game prices, metadata, and cover artwork | View |
| Instant Gaming | Game key prices and deals | View |
| Gamivo | Game key marketplace prices | View |
| YuPlay | Regional game prices | View |
| Kinguin | Game marketplace prices | View |
| IGDB | Game database information and metadata | View |
| SteamGridDB | Game artwork (covers, heroes, logos) | View |
| Google Analytics | Website analytics and usage statistics | View |
| Google AdSense | Display advertising and ad personalization | View |
| Google Funding Choices | Consent management for Google advertising services | View |
| Meta (Facebook) | Advertising analytics and conversion tracking via Meta Pixel | View |
| Supabase | Authentication and database services | View |
| Upstash | Caching and rate limiting | View |
| Backblaze B2 | Image and media storage | View |
| Resend | Transactional email delivery | View |
| Z.AI (Zhipu) | AI chatbot for game recommendations (China) | View |
| DeepSeek | AI conversational chat processing (China) | View |
| TogetherAI | AI query routing and classification (US) | View |
| OpenAI | Vector embeddings for semantic search (US) | View |
| Qdrant | Vector database for AI-powered search (Germany) | View |
// 8. Managing Your Cookie PreferencesNew
You have several options for managing cookies:
- Cookie Consent Banner: When you first visit CriticalPixel, a consent banner allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can reopen this banner at any time by clicking "Cookie Policy" in the footer.
- Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies through their settings. Note that blocking essential cookies may prevent the website from functioning correctly.
- Opt-Out Links: You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout and manage Google ad preferences at https://adssettings.google.com.
Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain features, including price comparison, editor auto-save, and AI-powered recommendations.
// 9. Contact UsNew
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us:
- Email: [email protected]
- Subject Line: Cookie Policy Inquiry
We will respond to your request within 30 days.
See also: Privacy Policy · Terms of Service