Not everything in the world can be seen with the naked eye, and in humanity’s blind spot, a war is being waged between two factions. This might seem intense, but relax. In reality, it’s all just a game and the entire world is the playing field.
“The social aspect of [Ingress] is the driving factor of it for me,” Brady Allen, a player who goes by the name CobaltBlaze said. “I’ve met so many great people through this game who have become good friends.”
For about two years now, I have been playing a game called Ingress. It turns your mobile device into something called a “scanner” and is available for both Android and iOS phones. Using your scanner, (with your GPS turned on) this augmented reality game tracks your movement and exposes a hidden element in the world, a resource known as Exotic Matter (or XM for short). When you walk into fields of XM, your phone automatically collects it, storing it into your “tank.” This matter can then be used when interacting with portals (another hidden element that your scanner can see).
If a portal is under ally control or unclaimed, you can claim it yourself or help fortify it using resonators to power up a portal and align it to your faction, and mods (modifications) such as shields and turrets to fend off would-be attackers.
On the flip side, if you find yourself in the presence of an enemy controlled portal, you can utilize weapons like XMP Bursters and Ultra Strikes to destroy their resonators and claim the portal for yourself.
Now, I could go into the details about the story, where the XM comes from and how portals are created, but ultimately, there is simply too much to tell in this story alone. Instead, I’d like to point you over to Ingress.com to get the scoop on the back story. What you do need to know is that when you first start, you will be asked to join one of two factions. Without revealing my own alliance, I will simply put how Niantic Labs (the creators of Ingress) describe them. You have the blue team: The Resistance, who “seek to battle the forces that are attempting to use Exotic Matter to enslave humanity.” Or the green team: The Enlightened who “seek to harness the power of Exotic Matter to evolve mankind to a higher level.” Sounds pretty intense, right? Just remember that this is all a game.
There are over seven million players worldwide split into these two factions, competing for what is essentially a global territory capture game. The concept of Ingress is to get out of the house and travel, whether it is just down the street or another state. The more exploring you do, the better off you will be. Not only that, but it has created countless communities based on cities. Wherever you are, there is probably a faction chapter just waiting for a new member.
“I like the aspect of having two massive teams competing with each other on a truly global scale,” Jason Brown, a player who goes by the name Kelchan said. “You do kind of feel like you’re contributing to a bigger cause with everything you do.”
If you like getting out and about, or want a reason to get out, walk and explore, I highly recommend grabbing your device and checking out Ingress. The scanner shows that California State University, Stanislaus alone has over 70 portals. If you want to learn more, you will just have to jump down the rabbit hole yourself.  Remember the Niantic Labs slogan for Ingress, “The world around you is not what it seems.”