Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using the long way (“the App”), operated by Broken Branch Studios (“we,” “our,” or “us”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the App.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age (or the minimum age of digital consent in your jurisdiction) to create an account and use the App. If you are under 18, you represent that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf.

3. Description of Service

the long way is an entertainment application that provides AI-generated narratives, historical facts, and points of interest during road trips. The App features three character narrators (Scout, Skates, and Macey) who provide commentary as you travel.

Important: the long way is an entertainment app, not a navigation app. Always follow traffic laws and use proper navigation tools for directions. Never operate a vehicle while interacting with the App.

4. User Accounts

Some features require account creation. You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the security of your account credentials
• All activities that occur under your account
• Providing accurate account information

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.

5. Premium Subscriptions

Not yet available. During the invite-only beta the App is free, no payment method is collected, and nothing is charged. The terms in this section describe the plans as they will work when subscriptions launch, and take effect only then.

the long way will offer premium features through subscription plans:

• Monthly: $12.99/month, auto-renewing
• Yearly: $89.99/year, auto-renewing
• Lifetime: $249, one-time purchase

Billing

Subscriptions are processed by Stripe. (If the App later ships through the Apple App Store or Google Play, purchases made there will follow those stores' billing terms.) Monthly and yearly plans begin with a 7-day free trial; a payment method is collected at signup and the plan price is charged when the trial ends unless you cancel before then. Payment will be charged to your account at confirmation of purchase (or at the end of the free trial, where one applies). Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.

Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time by contacting us at ben@brokenbranch.dev. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. No refunds are provided for partial subscription periods.

6. Content and AI-Generated Narratives

the long way uses artificial intelligence to generate narratives about locations and points of interest. While we strive for accuracy:

• AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies or fictional elements
• Historical facts are provided for entertainment purposes
• We do not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided

The “spooky mode” narratives are entirely fictional and intended for entertainment only.

7. Location Services

the long way requires location access to function. By using the App, you consent to the collection of location data as described in our Privacy Policy. You may disable location services at any time, but this will limit App functionality.

8. Third-Party Services

The App integrates with third-party services including Google Maps, Stripe, ElevenLabs, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google AI, Supabase (hosting and database), Resend (email), and Sentry (crash and error reporting). Your use of these services is governed by their respective terms and conditions. We are not responsible for third-party service availability or performance.

9. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Interact with the App’s screen or on-screen controls while operating a vehicle. Set your drive up before you go; the App is designed to play hands-free from then on
• Attempt to reverse engineer or modify the App
• Use the App for any illegal purpose
• Share your account credentials with others
• Circumvent any access controls or limitations

10. Intellectual Property

All content, features, and functionality of the long way — including but not limited to the characters Scout, Skates, and Macey, their likenesses, voice profiles, and personality designs — are owned by Broken Branch Studios and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Patent pending.

The AI-narrated, GPS-triggered storytelling system, character-driven narrative pipeline, predictive corridor pre-generation, and narrative memory architecture are the subject of pending patent application(s). All rights reserved.

You may not copy, modify, reverse engineer, or distribute any part of the App, its characters, voice profiles, narrative outputs, or underlying technology without prior written permission from Broken Branch Studios.

11. Disclaimers

THE APP IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that the App will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components. You use the App at your own risk.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, BROKEN BRANCH STUDIOS LLC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE APP.

Our total liability shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid for the App in the twelve months preceding the claim or (b) one hundred US dollars ($100).

13. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes through the App or by email. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

14. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in the State of Georgia, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

15. Beta Program

the long way is currently in an invite-only beta. Beta builds are installed outside the app stores from a link we send you, are rough by design, and may break; we list the known rough edges in the welcome guide that comes with your invite. We may end the beta period, expire old builds, or ask you to install an updated build. The subscription terms above take effect only when subscriptions launch; the beta itself is free and collects no payment method.

What the beta collects. Beta builds keep the diagnostic beacon on unless you turn it off in Settings: the technical state of the app during a drive (GPS pulse rate, audio state, network status), with coordinates rounded to about a kilometre and no place names. It is how we find the weird stuff.

Your drives leave breadcrumbs. The GPS trail of each drive is kept to draw your atlas and your logbook. During the beta it is stored on your device; if you turn on “Keep my trails” in Settings it is kept under your account until you delete it.

Leaving. Uninstall the app and the on-device data goes with it. Delete your account at thelongway.ai/account/delete and everything under it — drives, trails, what the crew remembered — goes immediately, not in thirty days.

16. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact:

Broken Branch Studios
Email: ben@brokenbranch.dev