On INTVL and Ingress

INTVL is a new game that you play by running, cycling, or both. The concept is simple. Every time you go for a run you capture “territory” from others and every time others go for a run they do the same thing. For this game you don’t need to stare at your phone. You simply walk, run, or cycle.

I write walk but it’s counted as running by the game. I also speak about walking because with Ingress the concept of fielding is similar, except that you need to capture portals, and then walk between portals and link them, before creating fields. Some fields are huge, because people use bikes, trains, cars, planes or trains, and others are small because local portals make it easier.

Ingress is much geekier. With ingress you walk and stare at your phone as you hack portals, deploy resonators, and collect keys. This takes time, and on a rainy day once the screen gets soaked input is much harder.

In contrast with interval if you go for a loop walk, run or cycle you capture territory, and the bigger your ride or run, the more territory you capture. If you live in an area with a lot of players then you will constantly lose territory and get it back. The game is still relatively young so there are parts of the map that are still not owned by everyone. If you’re ready to do large loops you can capture parts of the Jura for the first time.

At the end of each run, or ride, you open the app, see the circuit that you just ran, and an animation shows what you have captured from others, and then what others have captured from you.

One of the issues that I have with Ingress is that once you reach a certain level it requires hours and hours of game play, walking, and staring at a phone.

In theory, with INTVL you have the same goal of capturing territory but the game is played by going for a bike ride or a run. No need to stare at phones, no need to stand around. It is a passive game. I play it as a curiousity.