These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of the Lumen Ruse website, mobile web experience, and any related services (collectively, the “Service”) provided by Ark & Ember LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
1. Who we are
Lumen Ruse is operated by Ark & Ember LLC. You are entering into an agreement with Ark & Ember LLC when you use the Service or make a purchase.
2. Acceptance of terms
By creating an account, signing in, solving puzzles, purchasing a Season Pass, or otherwise continuing to use the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Notice. If you use the Service on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization.
3. The Service
Lumen Ruse publishes one free daily wordplay puzzle each day. Users may also purchase a Season Pass to unlock additional “Extra” puzzles and the puzzle archive for the active season. Seasons are annual, non-renewing periods that run from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. The next season becomes available for purchase on June 1 preceding its start date.
4. Accounts and eligibility
You must provide accurate information when creating an account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service; if you are under the age of majority in your jurisdiction, you must use the Service under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian.
5. Acceptable use
You agree not to misuse the Service. This includes, but is not limited to:
- using the Service for any unlawful purpose;
- attempting to disrupt, interfere with, or gain unauthorized access to the Service;
- using automated means to scrape, harvest, or copy puzzle content or user data;
- impersonating another person or misrepresenting your affiliation;
- submitting content that infringes intellectual property rights or violates applicable law;
- harassing, abusing, or harming other users.
6. Intellectual property
All puzzles, artwork, characters, branding, software, text, and other materials provided through the Service are owned by Ark & Ember LLC or our licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Service for personal, non-commercial purposes. You may not reverse engineer, reproduce, redistribute, resell, or create derivative works from the Service or its content without our express written permission.
7. User submissions
If you submit puzzle ideas, community clues, comments, or other content to the Service, you grant Ark & Ember LLC a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, evaluate, modify, and display that content solely for the purpose of operating and improving the Service. We are not obligated to publish or use any submission. You retain ownership of your original submission.
8. Payment, subscriptions, and seasons
Season Pass purchases are handled by our online reseller and Merchant of Record, Paddle.com. Paddle is the Merchant of Record for all orders, which means Paddle processes payments, handles billing, tax, invoicing, and customer service inquiries related to those transactions.
A Season Pass is a one-time, non-renewing purchase that grants access to Extra puzzles and the archive for the season identified at checkout. We do not automatically renew your pass. To continue premium access after a season ends, you must purchase the next season, which becomes available approximately one month before it begins.
Prices are displayed at checkout and may be subject to applicable taxes. Because Paddle is the Merchant of Record, payment terms, billing, tax collection, and refund mechanics are governed by Paddle’s Buyer Terms and our Refund Policy.
9. Refunds
Please see our Refund Policy for details. Refund requests are processed by Paddle.
10. Suspension and termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, if you materially breach these Terms, engage in fraud or abusive behavior, compromise the security of the Service, or repeatedly violate our community guidelines. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately.
11. Service level
We strive to keep the Service available and accurate, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted, error-free, or secure operation. Puzzle content, features, and availability may change without notice.
12. Disclaimer of warranties
The Service is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
13. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Ark & Ember LLC’s aggregate liability arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the total amount you paid to us in the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to liability. We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits or data.
14. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Ark & Ember LLC and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses arising out of your use of the Service, your submissions, or your violation of these Terms.
15. Governing law and disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising from these Terms shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Delaware.
16. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated Terms and revising the effective date. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
17. Merchant of Record disclosure
Our order process is conducted by our online reseller Paddle.com. Paddle.com is the Merchant of Record for all our orders. Paddle provides customer service inquiries and handles returns.
18. Contact us
For questions about these Terms, contact us at support@arkemberllc.com.
Effective date: August 24, 2026