Terms of Service

The game

Cotonou Lifestyle is a fictional life-simulation set in Cotonou, Benin. Everything in it, money, homes, companies, phones, relationships, is part of the game world and carries no real-world value or claim.

Simulated public services

Police, government, courts and other public institutions you meet in the city are fictional parts of the simulation. They do not represent, speak for or reflect the real institutions of Benin or any other country, and nothing they do in-game carries real-world authority. They exist simply to create awareness of how civic life works.

Real places, fictional stories

The city borrows real Cotonou geography: neighborhoods, markets, beaches and landmarks keep their names so the world feels true. Everything that happens there is fiction, the events, businesses, prices and people shown are invented for gameplay, are not endorsed or approved by the real places or their owners, and say nothing about them.

Buildings, the map and in-game coordinates are loose representations made for gameplay: they do not depict the real size, shape, position or layout of the actual places.

Your account

Accounts are local-first: your profile, save and settings live on this device. Your handle is how residents of the city see you, so pick something you like. You must be 18 or older to play, and by creating an account you confirm your date of birth is true and that you meet the age requirement.

Fair play

Play nice with the city. Don’t try to break the game, automate or scrape it, or spoil the experience for other players. We may suspend accounts that abuse the simulation.

Cheating, spam and exploits

Spam and bot accounts are blocked instantly, no warning needed. Exploiting a vulnerability, or the in-game digital economy, without reporting it first also gets the account blocked. Found something broken? Report it and we’ll fix it together.

What players post

Feeds, listings and messages between players come from the players who write them, not from us. You are responsible for what you post: content that is illegal, abusive or against the rules can be removed, and we report it to the authorities when the law requires.

Virtual economy

FCFA balances, rent, salaries, investments and marketplace trades are simulated, the game economy is not a real economy.

You can spend real money to buy in-game currency for use in that economy, but game currency is only valid inside the simulation. It cannot be converted back into real money or spent anywhere outside the game, and we do not refund virtual losses, so treat in-game wealth as game progress, not an asset.

The FCFA shown in the game is a fictional unit borrowed for realism: it is not the real CFA franc and has no link to the BCEAO or any monetary authority.

Changes

The city is under active construction. Features, prices, mechanics and these terms can change as the game grows; significant changes are announced in-game before they take effect.