Bit City is a 2017 city-building and clicker game developed and published by the American studio NimbleBit. In the game, the player must generate a steady coin income to build a city that meets a population quota. They may buy in-app purchases to boost their progress in the game and can prestige, which returns them back to the first city with their upgrades and the in-game currency Bux kept. Teased in July 2015, Bit City was released on March 13, 2017, for Android and iOS. The game's initial reception was mixed, with praise for its graphics and soundtrack but criticism for its performance and repetitive gameplay.
| Bit City | |
|---|---|
 App icon | |
| Developer(s) | NimbleBit |
| Publisher(s) | NimbleBit |
| Platform(s) | Android, iOS |
| Release | March 13, 2017 |
| Genre(s) | City-building, clicker |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
edit
Bit City is a city-building and clicker game.[1][2][3] With a bird's-eye view,[4] the player must build a city to reach a certain population;[5][6] once fulfilled, the player can choose to start another city or keep improving the one they are on.[1][7] Each city has a set number of different-sized plots;[1] when a player decides to buy a plot, they are prompted to pick one of three districts: Residential, Business, or Service,[7] which will build residential properties, businesses, and services, respectively.[6] However, if a district type is built too many times, its demand and income lowers.[1][5][8] Once a plot is built on, the population increases depending on the plot's size.[9] They may rebuild on the same plot to upgrade a building's income.[1]
The player can buy transportation—including cars, boats, and planes—from a vehicle garage;[1][5] when tapped, it will reward them with coins or the in-game currency Bux,[1][7] which can be purchased and used in-game to speed up construction or buy special buildings,[5][6][9] the latter of which gives bonuses for a district.[10] The player may also obtain Bux by completing a mission where the same building must be built a specified amount of times.[5] The amount of coins the player earns per second increases for every building and vehicle in the city,[7] and a coin income is compounded while the player is outside of the app.[8]
Each city also has a government building for upgrading certain aspects of the city, such as the vehicle or zone payout; these upgrades will reset after the player moves on to a new city. Permanent upgrades apply to every city needing Bux; each new upgrade increases the amount of cash in the Pension Pig, an in-app purchase that rewards the player with the cash. The player may choose to prestige, sending the player to the first city with their upgrades and Bux intact and giving them keys with a collective earning bonus.[1][5][11]
Release
editBit City was developed by NimbleBit, who previously created mobile games, including Tiny Tower and Pocket Trains.[1][7] The studio's co-founder, Dave Marsh, tweeted building designs in July 2015 after experimenting with an art style.[12]
After being in Google Play's early access program a month prior,[7] Bit City was released for Android and iOS on March 13, 2017.[3][4][13] In April 2017, the game had received 2.5 million downloads, and moon cities were added on April 13.[2]
Reception
edit| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Gamezebo | 90/100[14] |
| Pocket Gamer |   [15] |
| 148Apps | [16] |
The overall gameplay was considered charming but repetitive.[15][16] Gamezebo's Nik Ives-Allison called it the "best hybrid clicker-simulation game" at the time and stated it was addictive and easy for the player to learn.[14] Campbell Bird of 148Apps criticized that Bit City gave "very little satisfaction",[16] and Pocket Gamer's Jessica Famularo criticized the "shallow" goals and stated there was no motivation to continue after the player had reached the last city.[15] Staff members from the publication reviewed the game; although some thought the core gameplay loop was engaging and addictive, others found it boring.[17]
Bit City's graphics were liked by critics.[14][15][16][17] While some reviewers commended the variety of buildings,[14][15] Bird praised Bit City's landscape design,[16] but Ives-Allison criticized that the lack of a rotative camera made it challenging to view vehicles.[14] Critics received the game's soundtrack positively.[14][16]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ford, Eric (February 20, 2017). "Hands-on with NimbleBit's Bit City – Building a Town One Click at Time". TouchArcade. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Hodapp, Eli (April 11, 2017). "NimbleBit's Bit City Heads to the Moon This Thursday". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Dotson, Carter (March 13, 2017). "NimbleBit's Bit City Now Available, Combining City Builders and Clickers". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Sowden, Emily (March 13, 2017). "NimbleBit's town-building sim Bit City's out now on iOS and Android". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Ford, Eric (March 20, 2017). "Bit City Guide – How to Maximize Your Earning Potential". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c Molina, Brett (December 24, 2017). "Try these 10 games on your new iPhone or Android smartphone". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Renaudin, Clement (February 10, 2017). "City-builder meets clicker in Nimblebit's addicting Bit City, out in early access on Android". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Squires, Jim (March 14, 2017). "How to get more coins in Bit City". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Allen, Jennifer (March 17, 2017). "How to build more effectively in Bit City". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Tylwalk, Nick (March 21, 2017). "How to unlock all the special buildings in Bit City". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Tylwalk, Nick (March 15, 2017). "How and Why to Prestige in Bit City". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
- ^ Squires, Jim (July 29, 2015). "NimbleBit might be working on Bit City, and it might look pretty cool". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ Dotson, Carter (March 8, 2017). "NimbleBit to Release Bit City on March 13th". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Ives-Allison, Nik (March 16, 2017). "Bit City review: Best of Both Worlds". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Famularo, Jessica (March 20, 2017). "Bit City review - built for success?". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Bird, Campbell (March 13, 2017). "Bit City review". 148Apps. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Sowden, Emily (March 14, 2017). "App Army Assemble: Bit City - how does it fare against NimbleBit's other titles?". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
