In that case you would have to decode a lot. Data sample: https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3692554375

It would not be surprising if more was to come in that regard. Right now the whole world is in deep trouble because of the tech elite and the Trump system. If it happens, we will be forced to deal with it either way, and with the government agenda we can scream spyware all we want, they just laugh about it.

Also, I wonder if there's a way to see what 'files' a program is looking at... maybe something like process explorer/monitor? I personally lack the experience with that but maybe you've used it before.

Three dozen log files with over 10,000 lines, from Duel Links alone? Wow, didn't expect that. I'm just really curious if anything has changed and how bad the situation is right now.

As for the definition of spyware, there seem to be several - even in just one search result, so I don't blame them. I would imagine most online games at this point could be considered spyware when you consider the following definitions(directly from search engine result):
1) Software that secretly gathers information about a person or organization.

2) Any malicious software that is designed to take partial or full control of a computer's operation without the knowledge of its user.

3) Programs that surreptitiously monitor and report the actions of a computer user.

4) Computer software that obtains information from a user's computer without the user's knowledge or consent.

I can't find it either, nor on the official news page, though they only seem to list the main updates/additions(same on Steam hub). It could very well be legit but just not well documented - only available in-game and for a limited time. I never actually really checked them while playing.

Not sure about the 'source review' but I do see this one:
https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/profiles/76561198254888195/recommended/601510
Someone with 750 hours on their account that was worried enough by it to stop playing. Other than that I can't find any analysis or anything.

If you'd be up for it, another favourite of mine and many others that also recently spoke of adding some sort of 'anti-cheat' that you may be interested in looking into is Old School RuneScape. That'd very likely be much simpler to analyse.
https://psteamproxy.yuanyoumao.com/app/1343370/Old_School_RuneScape/

Addition:

The screenshot linked on Imgur: https://imgur.com/Ea1K8fk

shows February 17, 2026. I couldn't find this entry in the in-game news Notifications, Maintenance and Issues). Either they deleted the entry, or it never existed in the first place. Would say its a fake

Check the spacing of the date display in the graphic and in the game.

Hmm, just finished my first duels against NPCs and claimed my rewards. Now I have to download a 7 GB update. Of course, that counts as playtime.If there's anything else to add regarding age, it will come up after that.

Unfortunately, the Imgur graphic doesn't mention these "certain countries" either. I also didn't see any settings that would let users select a new region themselves if for example, they made a mistake.

As for the mentioned "article" in the forum, if there's no evidence i would ignore it. Steam forums aren't a reliable source for facts. Which "review" is being cited as the source? A lot of people are crying "spyware" but they apparently don't even know what that term actually means.

Review:
I won't make any promises since it's a lot.

Currently have about three dozen log files (would be even more), with over 10,000 lines in the current analysis. Summarizing with relevant data and additional info isn't easy, especially with Steam's character limit.

I haven't seen anything specific but there seems to be some speculation and vague reports involving user files, possibly related to the recent update where age verification seems to have been added. Lots of unknowns currently. Maybe nothing, maybe not.

It's understandable that if you cannot see the encrypted data, that you cannot review a game accurately/fully. However you could simply mention that some of the info sent to their servers from the player's(!) PC, is encrypted. It must be some information that is either A) sensitive or B) they don't want you seeing as it would implicate them with shady behaviour.

Or is there something else I've overlooked? Especially regarding your forum post in the related GameHub? I can't open Imgur here right now. I'll check it later a bit further.

It is relatively uncommon for data to be explicitly encrypted and/or transmitted via formats like MessagePack.

Well, developers sometimes use simple Base64 encoding, but the majority of game traffic these days consists of unencrypted plain text. In some cases, this also includes login credentials such as usernames, mails and passwords in plain text.

In the specific case of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links relevant strings are encrypted using AES or a similar method. Accessing this data is currently not possible without the corresponding decryption key. From a technical standpoint, a game-review would remain fragmented and incomplete without access to these protected layers.

The "age verification" implemented here is quite basic and consists solely of a slider with values ranging from 0 to 35+.

I see it, thanks a lot. Wonder what that encrypted data is about... do games do that often?

Is there any chance of a Steam review? It would directly help players, especially since people are getting concerned after the recent age verification update.

Made a summary here:

https://gameindustry.eu/files/info/601510.txt

Hope it helps.

The product was also published on the project page along with relevant (connection) data and additional information.

Hey there, the game is free to play, and you could possibly start it in offline mode(that blocks playtime doesn't it?). There is indeed some extra asset downloading. Thanks for checking it out in any case though I'm unsure just how much you can 'see' without actually going into the game itself(which I think requires linking the Steam account).

Hey Wolf,

hmm, the installation seems to be only 150 MB (presumably mandatory asset downloading), Let’s see if installation counts toward playtime like it does in Final Fantasy or other games. Mechanics like that like are often a nightmare when it comes to refund rights.

Without even launching it, it's clear that we’re once again being blessed with the Unity engine and it's crash handler with Google backend.

I’ll give the program a test run tomorrow, but I’m not going to register or link my account, though. Just a test to see what gets captured up to that point and post the results here and on the project page soon ;]

Hey penguin friend, the following game:
https://psteamproxy.yuanyoumao.com/app/601510/YuGiOh_Duel_Links/
recently added what sounds like spyware, after many years. Certain reviews claim that outside of asking to verify age, it looks through user files for no good reason. Might be good to look into this as it's quite a popular game.

That's just nature. Penguins are smaller, so time moves faster for them

So this is what four days of downtime looks like. 🦊

The game "HackHub - Ultimate Hacker Simulator" was kindly provided to me yesterday by a group member and has already been tested. The results are available online.

Kein Problem. Danke nochmal. Hoffe mit dem Download klappt jetzt auch besser?

Konnte selbst jetzt noch auf einem anderen Anschluss Gerät testen, da war auch kein wesentlicher Unterschied zu zuletzt genannten Zahlen zu merken.

Hab's gerade erst gelesen, bin beruflich viel unterwegs. Sieht gut aus ..

Page Performance Feedback
─────────────────────────
URL: https://gameindustry.eu/downloads/
Load time: 0.42s (good)
TTFB: 213ms
FCP: 369ms
Requests: 11 (11 cached)
Size: 0 KB (Cache: 60 KB)
Browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:145.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/145.0
Timestamp: 1/27/2026, 10:44:55 PM

Scheinbar hat sich das Geschwindigkeitsthema erledigt?

Beyond the latest performance metrics and cache improvements on the project page, I've spent the past few days working hard in my free time on additions and bug fixes.

Currently:
- Fixing of dead links
- Extensive database corrections (e.g. wrong dates, )
- Revision of the company catalog/infos
- Keep an eye on performance feedback by users
- Updating hosts
- Continue to develope/update (published) software
- Countless other little things

Done:
- Revised comment system + bugfixes
- Revised donation overview with more details
- Performance metrics integrated for user support
- Improved Cache mechanisms

If, like few posts earlier, you have problems with something or perhaps even have suggestions for new things, please get in touch.

@Dark_Presence and in general
Sorry, I've had a lot going on lately. To circle back to the "Pioner MMO" test request from December

Since i just checked the product page - Well, as a general rule:
I don't purchase games or regulary software out of my own pocket just because someone asks for tests. If I did that for every request, I'd have gone broke a long time ago. Hope that's understandable.

Games that are already in my library are no problem. It's publicly for everyone.

To accommodate this, you have the option of sending me product/gift card codes via Steam chat or the platform's built-in system, or using gift cards and product keys through donation system on the project page. It can of course also be used for general support.

Any products where something is found will be marked accordingly, and you'll receive a spot in the charts. Either by name or anonymously.

Danke dir, wildbunch. Das ist natürlich sehr langsam. Frustration ist da natürlich verständlich.

Einige Dinge wurden überarbeitet. Ich hoffe, das reduziert die Zeit von den genannten 16s.

- Cache-Mechanik, Hashberechnung und Downloadscripte wurden auf der /downloads/ Seite überarbeitet
- Globale Optimierung einiger Datenbankabfragen und Caching
- Im Footer wird jetzt auch angezeigt wieviel sich bei einem Seitenaufruf im Cache befindet.

Kurz: Die Zeit sollte nach erstmaligem Seitenaufruf spürbar weniger werden, da Inhalte nicht ständig neu geladen und weniger Abfragen gestartet werden.

Da ich nur von mir selbst sprechen kann: Zeit beim erstmaligem Laden der Seite bei maximal 3,97s, danach zwischen 0,38-1,85s

Scheint bei mir idR die Download Page zu sein.

Page Performance Feedback
─────────────────────────
URL: https://gameindustry.eu/downloads/
Load time: 16.16s (slow)
Requests: 44
Size: 830 KB
Browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:145.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/145.0
Timestamp: 1/22/2026, 7:56:59 PM

Laut dem was ich von meinem Provider mal hörte entscheidet der Server wie viel Leistung er jedem gibt und das entscheidet er basierend der Leitungs-/Kontaktgeschwindigkeit. Je schneller die Leitung desto mehr liefert der Server um Masse abzuarbeiten. Das heißt wenn die Leitung ausgelastet ist und man nicht volle Leistung liefern kann, schickt der Server auch entsprechend weniger. Man kann also bisweilen auch an der Geschwindigkeit welche man bei ein und dem selben Ziel hat sehen wie sehr die Leitung welche man nutzt ausgelastet ist. Ist aber nur eine potentielle Ursache.

Gestern und auch heute war es bei weitem nicht mehr so extrem, vielleicht lag es ja tatsächlich am Host. Die Anzeige im Footer ist eine klasse Idee und exzellent umgesetzt. Bei weiteren Auffälligkeiten gibt es natürlich Feedback

Der Footer enthält nun eine Performance-Anzeige mit Eckdaten. Über einen Button lassen sich die Werte für Support-Anfragen bei Problemen übernehmen.

@wildbunch
Hi zurück, danke dir für das Feedback

Kann sein, dass der Hosting-Anbieter irgendetwas zu dem Zeitpunkt gemacht hatte. Die Seite sollte "eigentlich" schnell sein. Erstmaliges Laden kann mitunter etwas dauern, da Inhalte in den Cache geschrieben werden. Ladezeiten sollten sich zwischen 0,1-3 Sekunden belaufen. Die hosts. Unterseite fällt da derzeit leider noch aus der Reihe, die ist noch zu optimieren.

Da ich keinen CDN nutze der weltweit für die schnellsten Ladezeiten je Standort sorgt wie Cloudfront/flare etc. kann ich nicht überall für konstante Geschwindigkeit garantieren.

Wenn das Problem anhält, vielleicht auch nur auf bestimmten Unterseiten oder Dateien, melde dich nochmal hier, per Chat oder per Mail. Downloads könnte ich ggf. noch als Alternative auf einem deutschen Server spiegeln.

Hi, mir ist aufgefallen das gameindustry.eu unglaublich langsam ist. Downloads brechen mit unter 20kb/s irgendwann ab. Aber vielleicht wird ja gerade an was gearbeitet oder umgestellt. Danke für das großartige Projekt

@Dark_Presence
Thanks. Unfortunately still a bit inactive (lots to do in real life), but hope to be able to continue with reviews and test games soon. Also need to update the test software/enviroment.

Appreciate the work, thanks, looking forward to your review.

I appreciate you and your work let's give control back to the people

@White Wolf and all others
Released "GI-SDR Analyzer v1.0.0", a little tool that retrieves Datagram Relay configuration files from Steam servers and enables blocking or unblocking the associated addresses in Windows Firewall.

Download as usual: https://gameindustry.eu/downloads/

@White ⁧⁧Wolf
To get all involved up-to-date locations for SDR, see as example for PlanetCrafter

https://psteamapi.yuanyoumao.com/ISteamApps/GetSDRConfig/v1?appid=1284190

Replace the AppID at the end with your game. You can extract those ipv4 direct connections and add them in a firewall of your choice.

A pre-prepared list with ports and backends is available for download here.
https://gameindustry.eu/tech/steamsdr/

Blocking is only recommended to a limited extent. Similar to Epic Games EOS, many single-player titles actively run the service in the background without adding any user value, but there are just as many titles that rely on SDR for multiplayer functions, statistics, etc. If you block one, you block everything.

@Dark_Presense
Currently there are no product tests since I'm basically on winter break. But I'll make a note of it.

Does anyone know how to block/disable the Steam Datagram Relay(SDR)? Even though I block all games with a firewall by default, some of them connect through Steam and I am appearing/listed as 'online' in those games.

Can someone take a look at the new MMO Pioner ?

Some of you may be familiar with the VueScan scanner software from home use. A review of the software has been published on https://gameindustry.eu/reviews/vuescan/

Please note that this is not a Steam review, but in the usual quality. Together with the corresponding host entries.

The review for "The Quarry" by 2K has been updated today, as a lot has changed since the initial review and most of the criticized connections and product mechanics have become obsolete.

The link is available through the curation page of the updated products or directly at https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/id/pen-chan/recommended/1577120

The connection overview on the project page has also been updated. Host details will follow in the next update.

Since users are also restricted by geo-blocking within group curation, here is the current review of Horny Villa. Alternatively, on the project page with additional information.

Da Anwender selbst innerhalb der Gruppenkuration mit Geoblockaden gegängelt werden, hier das aktuelle Review zu Horny Villa. Wahlweise auf der Projektseite mit weiteren Informationen.

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/id/penginmaru/recommended/2903690/
https://gameindustry.eu/reviews/horny-villa/

A new group announcement has been written, but it seems to be blocked by the system *sigh*

Well, a new update for the filter lists has been released on GitHub and the project page. The reason for this was a hotfix for a Google address that was causing videos on YoutTube to play for only one minute.

Regarding Ace. The plan is to test more games with this service (there aren't many anyway, apart from that), as well as to collect and publish the addresses involved. But I won't be able to say much or anything about the raw-data it contains. Not obvious to me. Well, it won't happen until next year anyway.

The issue in this topic by many users has always been (as I mentioned in the linked article) the connection to the CCP. Those who fear them must also be wary of American products that employ similar control mechanisms for surveillance, political control, factory compromised hardware as well as unsolicited data collection.

Feel free to discuss the Anti-Cheat topic in this group, contribute any information and continue asking questions. However, I kindly ask that the discussions remains factual, as there is often a lack of reliable sources and especially, evidence in the public consensus. Much of it could only be proven by insiders.

Hey BeEer,

I’ve already published a blog entry about Ace:
https://gameindustry.eu/blog/anti-cheat-expert/

For more details you’ll need to reach out to someone with expertise in reverse engineering. If you’re uncomfortable with the service, the simplest solution is to avoid using the product.

Hey can you guys have a look at Delta Force and their ACE kernel anti-cheat? I was really hoping to play but I don't feel comfortable and would like to know more.

Note:
The issue with Albion (Online), has been resolved as the game was no longer being played, making a test unnecessary.

@Escape From New York
1. Albion Online?

2. If that were the case, it would have probably been revealed by now, but NVIDIA receives a lot of telemetry data, as well as an overview of which programs are launched, insights into user and system behavior and hardware details.

Nvidia DLSS? Do you think some games are using compute power from users GPU to rent out to AI companies?

Hast du Albion schon bewertet?

Dank für den Beitrag M.D. Geist
Sehe in Tests und Stichproben keine Abspielprobleme in dem Zusammenhang mit jnn-pa.googleapis.com und für Änderungen auch kein weiteres Feedback bekommen. Nutze den Fox in der neusten Version, aber keine seperaten Adblock-Addons. Vermutlich zickt da eins rum? Wenn, würden da mehr Rückmeldungen helfen.

Aber wenn es bei dir dadurch gelöst wurde, doch wunderbar

Einträge dazu sind unter

- GameGuru Classic
- Google API
- Ubisoft Connect | UPlay
- Merchant of the Skies
- Conan Exiles
- Spacebase Startopia
- VRoid Studio

To address a question from Wanderer in February 2023:

The full version of Wo Long has been tested not long ago. Multiplayer runs through the Steam servers, and Nvidia DLSS attempts to connect to the internet. NVidia service can be disabled. Connection data is available as usual on the project website. Nothing else was found in the product.