Mods
Please note that the following is provided as a simplified overview of our asset licenses. Nothing written here overrules our license terms nor is legally binding or contractual.
Always refer to the actual Candy Arts licenses for the most accurate information.
Definition
Mods are defined as independent creations, which add or modify content inside a game that includes or uses Candy Arts Assets.
Mod Independence
Making Mods for games that use our Assets is permitted, and we’re very lax about it, but we have one important requirement: Mods must be Mods, not Expansions or Access Content. To comply with that, Mods must be independent creations without any direct involvement or influence from the game’s Creators.
This means that the Creators of a game cannot:
• Work on Mods for their own game.
• Finance or commission such Mods.
• Request features or otherwise influence the design of Mods.
• Provide special treatment to specific Mods.
With that said, project Creators are allowed to offer modding tools or documentation to the community, or answer technical questions Mod authors may have.
Consequences
If Mods fail to maintain independence, they are considered Expansions or Access Products in relation to the game they are designed for.
However, that distinction usually doesn’t matter in practice:
• The budget of Expansions/Access Products must be added to the budget of the base project (Mods usually don’t have any expenses, so their budget is 0).
• The revenue of Expansions/Access Products must be added to the revenue of the base project (Mods usually don’t earn revenue).
To be clear, it’s the responsibility of game Creators to refrain from getting too closely involved with the creation of Mods.
In theory, there shouldn’t be any risks or consequences to Mod authors if this requirement isn’t followed.
This rule should be easy to comply with, and we’re also not uptight about it: as long as game Creators don’t try to label Expansions/Access Products as Mods to get around our license terms, we remain laid-back.
License Requirements
1. Mods can only include or use Candy Arts Assets if the game they are made for has licenses for these Assets.
• If the game doesn’t have licenses, the Mods are actually Add-ons, which are not authorized.
• Add-ons are not permitted because they allow a project to use our Assets without being bound by our licenses.
2. If Mods include or use our Assets, the Mods must have appropriate licenses. These licenses don’t have to be of the same tier as the base game.
• For example, Mods can be under the Free Indie tier even if the base game is under the Pro Indie tier.
• Licenses apply to Mods to same way they would apply to regular projects.
3. If Mods don’t include or use our Assets, they don’t need any licenses.
Note that Mods and their authors are not bound by the licenses of the base game. Mods can only be bound by the licenses assigned to them (if any).
Revenue
Mods can earn revenue:
• If they include or use our assets, they require a commercial license.
• If they are assigned Studio licenses, they must pay royalties.