Terms & Conditions

The Games Ark is a community and ecosystem supporting people to learn, connect, form teams and develop game studios.

The Games Ark ecosystem includes:

• The ARK Framework™ — standards and methodology for responsible startup game studio founders.
• Shipyard™ — a studio management platform designed for early-stage game teams.
• The Games Ark Foundation — the charitable arm of The Games Ark.
• Incubation programmes — programmes supporting emerging developers and teams in developing game studios.
• Events and community activities — opportunities to learn, connect and collaborate.

The website may also contain information about products, programmes and services that are currently in development or planned for the future. Where this is the case, we will make this clear.

By accessing or using this website, you agree to comply with these Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use the website.

Additional terms may apply to particular services, programmes, events, software or other activities. Where additional terms apply, we will make them available to you before you participate.

We aim to keep the information on this website accurate and up to date. However, information may change, particularly in relation to:

• •Events
• •Programme dates
• •Incubation opportunities
• •Eligibility requirements
• •Scholarships
• •Workshops
• •Product features
• •Product availability
• •Partnerships
• •Future projects

Information on the website should therefore not be treated as a guarantee that a particular programme, product, event or opportunity will be available.

The ARK Framework™ is a methodology designed to help startup game studio founders understand and apply responsible approaches to studio development. It covers areas including:

• •Volunteer structure
• •Clear expectations
• •Agreements and ownership
• •Leadership and governance
• •Learning and development
• •Project development
• •Good practice

The Framework is intended as practical guidance and education. It does not constitute:

• Legal advice
• Employment advice
• Tax advice
• Financial advice
• Accounting advice
• Regulatory advice

Following or being certified against The ARK Framework™ does not mean that a studio, founder or programme is legally compliant. You remain responsible for obtaining appropriate professional advice for your own circumstances.

Where The Games Ark offers certification, certification indicates that the relevant person, studio or programme has been assessed against the applicable standards of The ARK Framework™.

Certification does not:

• •Guarantee legal compliance
• •Replace professional legal or employment advice
• •Guarantee commercial success
• •Guarantee that a game will be completed or released
• •Guarantee funding
• •Guarantee publishing
• •Guarantee employment
• •Guarantee profitability

Certification requirements may change over time. Any specific certification programme will have its own requirements and conditions.

The Games Ark may provide workshops, talks, guides, resources and other educational materials. These materials are intended to support learning and development. They should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal, tax, employment, financial or other specialist advice.

Shipyard™ is a studio management platform designed to support early-stage game teams. Where Shipyard features or services are described as Coming Soon, In Development or similar, they are not necessarily available for use.

Features, functionality, pricing and availability may change as the product develops. Where you use Shipyard or another Games Ark service under a separate agreement, those additional terms will apply to your use of that service.

The Games Ark Foundation is the charitable arm of The Games Ark. The Foundation may provide learning opportunities, community activities, incubation programmes and other initiatives. Participation in a programme is subject to the relevant programme requirements.

Registering interest in an incubation programme does not guarantee:

• •Acceptance onto a programme
• •A place on a programme
• •A scholarship
• •Funding
• •Employment
• •Publishing
• •Commercialisation
• •The success of a project or studio

Scholarships may be offered for particular programmes where funding is available. Eligibility and availability may vary between programmes.

Our incubation programmes are designed to support emerging developers and teams as they develop practical experience and learn how to build and operate game studios. Programme structures, requirements, timelines and eligibility may vary. Where you participate in an incubation programme, you may be required to agree to additional programme-specific terms.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this website belongs to or is licensed to The Games Ark or its relevant rights holder. This includes, where applicable:

• •Text
• •Graphics
• •Logos
• •Branding
• •Website designs
• •Illustrations
• •Framework materials
• •Documentation
• •Other original content

You must not reproduce, modify, distribute, sell, license or commercially exploit website content without appropriate permission. The Games Ark name, The ARK Framework™, Shipyard™ and other names, logos and marks may be protected by intellectual property rights. Nothing in these Terms grants you ownership of those rights.

Some resources may be made available for personal, educational or community use. Where specific licence terms are provided with a resource, those terms take precedence.

You must not present Games Ark materials as your own or remove attribution where attribution is required. You must not use The Games Ark's branding or certification marks in a way that suggests an endorsement, partnership or certification that does not exist.

You may have opportunities to submit information through the website, including through contact forms, incubation registration forms, event registrations, feedback forms and other Games Ark activities.

You are responsible for ensuring that information you provide is accurate and that you have the necessary rights to submit any material you provide. Our handling of personal information is explained in our separate Privacy Policy.

Where you participate in Games Ark communities, events, Discord servers, workshops or other community activities, you are expected to behave respectfully and responsibly. We may take reasonable action where behaviour:

• •Harasses or intimidates others
• •Is discriminatory or abusive
• •Threatens the safety of others
• •Deliberately disrupts community activities
• •Misuses Games Ark services
• •Violates applicable laws or programme rules

Specific communities and programmes may have additional codes of conduct.

The website may contain links to websites, platforms or services operated by third parties. These links are provided for convenience or information.

We are not responsible for the content, security, availability or privacy practices of third-party websites. You should review the terms and privacy information of any third-party service you use.

We aim to keep the website available and functioning properly. However, we do not guarantee that the website will:

• •Always be available
• •Always operate without interruption
• •Be free from errors
• •Be free from security vulnerabilities
• •Always contain complete or current information

We may suspend, modify or discontinue parts of the website where reasonably necessary.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful. Subject to that, The Games Ark will not be responsible for losses that could not reasonably have been anticipated from your use of the website.

You should not rely on information on this website as professional advice where your circumstances require specialist advice.

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, provide additional notice.

Your continued use of the website after updated Terms are published means that the updated Terms will apply to your future use of the website.

These Terms are governed by the laws of Scotland.

Any disputes relating to these Terms will be subject to the courts of Scotland, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact: