They Are Billions

I’d save They Are Billions for a slow bike ride or a walk, because watching a colony grow while you plan for the next infected attack is a lot more appealing than trying to jog through every decision. The quiet moments are nice, but you do have to pay attention.

Gameplay

The colony building is the part I like most, and also the part that can eat up your whole workout without you noticing. You spend time expanding, keeping the settlement supplied and deciding where its defenses need to go, and then a horde arrives and you get to see whether your careful little plan was actually a plan. Sometimes it probably was. Sometimes a gap in the walls is doing more than you are.

I think the game works because it makes preparation feel important without turning every minute into an emergency. You can build for a while, look over your colony, and make a few choices at your own pace, which is a nice change from games that treat every second like you owe them a perfect reaction. The infected are still a constant threat, though, so I wouldn’t expect to zone out and let the treadmill do all the work.

The campaign gives you missions to work through, while Survival is more about building up and holding out against the infected. I’d start with the campaign if you’re new, since learning how to grow a colony and defend it is already plenty to keep track of, and Survival sounds like the option for when you know what you’re doing and want the pressure turned up. I would not start with the harder mode just to prove something to a game.

There’s a lot of thinking between the big attacks, and I don’t know if everybody will enjoy that rhythm while exercising. I like having time to plan, but I can see a run turning into a series of little pauses while you decide whether to add more defenses or improve the colony, and suddenly you’re still walking in the same place on the map. It’s good strategy. It just asks for a bit of patience.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

The pause and speed controls make this easier to fit around exercise than a strategy game with a clock you can never stop. I’d slow things down or pause when a horde is closing in, then handle the calmer building stretches at a pace where I can still make sensible decisions. I’d also choose a lower difficulty rather than turning a workout into a long argument with a wall placement.

The controls are the part I’d be cautious about. You’re selecting things and placing buildings with precision, and I wouldn’t count on a controller making that feel effortless unless you’ve checked that your setup works well with the game. With a mouse, I’d expect a treadmill to make those small movements a little annoying, and missing a placement is more consequential than missing a menu button. I can be very confident about a bad choice after I’ve already made it.

A bike seems more practical here, especially at an easy pace, because your hands can stay steady while you think through the colony. On a treadmill I’d stick to walking, and I’d pause before the dangerous parts rather than trying to manage a horde while my whole body is bouncing around. I don’t know that I’d want to play Survival while running. That sounds like a lot of ways to lose a colony.

You can still get a useful workout out of it, but I’d treat the game as something you play during a steady session, not as a way to make a hard run more exciting. The long planning stretches are a plus if you want a calmer ride, and a bit of a drag if you’re hoping the game will keep pushing you to move faster. It’s a specific mood.

Category Score: 1 out of 3

Computer Requirements

The minimum requirements are modest, and the listed graphics options include older integrated graphics, so this shouldn’t demand a recent gaming computer. I’d look first at whether your screen can handle the stated minimum resolution comfortably, since reading the map and placing things precisely matters here.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

They Are Billions is a good fit for an easy bike session or a treadmill walk if you enjoy building carefully and don’t mind stopping to think. I’d skip it for a fast run, and I’d check your control setup before buying it for exercise.

Overall Score: 2 out of 3