Bit Pilot

Bit Pilot is a bullet hell game.^[1] In it, the player controls a spaceship and must avoid incoming lasers and asteroids.^[2][3] The player can control the speed and direction of the spaceship by swiping on the screen with two thumb controls.^[1][4] As it progresses, the asteroids increase in size.^[2] When the player comes in contact with an obstacle, the spaceship loses one shield; hitting an asteroid without any shields or touching a laser triggers a game over.^[5] Pill-shaped power-ups occasionally spawn and give the player bonus points or an additional shield.^[2] Gaining enough points unlocks new gameplay modes, music, and themes.^[5]

There are two modes: Super Massive and Tunnels. In Super Massive mode, asteroids are smaller and faster,^[6] but power-ups spawn more frequently and increase the player's size when collected.^[2][7] In Tunnels mode, the player must evade larger asteroids.^[7] Additionally, the two difficulty modes—Easy and Normal—change the number of asteroids.^[8]

Bit Pilot was developed by Zach Gage, a New York City-based indie developer. Bit Pilot's soundtrack was composed by Sabrepulse, and its leaderboards were run by OpenFeint.^[5] It was released for iOS on March 4, 2010,^[1] and in June 2011, Game Center support and two gameplay modes—Super Massive and Tunnels—were added.^[7] Bit Pilot was showcased at the Austin Film Festival in September 2011 and the Hayden Planetarium in January 2012.^[9][10]