Last updated on December 6th, 2025 at 04:40 am
Bitmap Bay – Strategy Game Review
Bitmap Bay is a Strategy/Roleplaying game from N J Gentry Limited, first launched in 21st August 2025.
It’s rated 12+ and currently has 6+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Bitmap Bay Stand Out
"A bold new retro take…quite the intriguing one" – Pocket Gamer.
Rediscover the simple joy of classic low-res adventures!
Welcome to Bitmap Bay. Set sail on a handcrafted pirate roguelite designed for quick, addictive sessions. Take the helm, face legendary pirates in skillful cannon battles, and see how long your voyage lasts. With a full save system, every run is a new story waiting to be told.
This is a true premium game: playable completely offline with zero ads or in-app purchases.
KEY FEATURES:
• AUTHENTIC HANDMADE PIXEL ART: A charming retro world on the "low-res high seas," lovingly crafted by a solo developer and career artist.
• MEET LEGENDARY PIRATES: From Blackbeard to Anne Bonny, challenge over 40 real historical captains, each with unique, hand-drawn pixel art portraits.
• ENDLESSLY REPLAYABLE VOYAGES: Encounter a wide range of random events – duels, storms, thieves, and mysteries – that will challenge your wits on every new run.
• SKILLFUL CANNON BATTLES: Combat is simple to learn but hard to master. It’s not just about having the most cannons; it's about timing your shots perfectly to claim victory.
• RECRUIT YOUR CREW: Chance encounters in the ports, where you can hire a loyal crew of sailors, specialists, and scoundrels to help man your ship.
• FULL SAVE & LOAD SYSTEM: Your voyage is now automatically saved! You can also manually save, load, and continue your game from the new Settings Menu.
ABOUT THE DEVELOPER:
Grandom Games is the studio name of N J Gentry Limited, a one-person company founded by an artist with a two-decade career in the fine arts.
Chart your course. Write your story. Become a legend of Bitmap Bay…
This Strategy game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Bitmap Bay is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 12th September 2025
Recent improvements include:
The Black Flag Update is Here!
Ahoy, Captains! To celebrate Bitmap Bay being featured in The Metro GameCentral, we're launching our first major content update based directly on your amazing feedback!
Here's what's new:
FULL SAVE & LOAD SYSTEM: The #1 most requested feature is here!
NEW SETTINGS MENU: With controls for Music & SFX.
REBALANCED COMBAT: Enemy damage is now fairer and they can even misfire!
SMOOTHER DIFFICULTY: A new "Threat Level" system for a more consistent challenge.
MORE IMMERSIVE BATTLES: Every pirate now has a unique intro.
FASTEST WIN RECORD: Compete against your own best time.
Thank you for your incredible support. Happy sailing!
Download & Availability
Bitmap Bay is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
A creative, retro & easy to understand game that takes you on a journey through a pirate fantasy land. Thoroughly enjoying playing this and love the graphics/ design. Ive managed to complete the Easy level! Now onto medium! Arrrrrgh.
Gives lil historical facts and your opponents are other real pirates. Legit hope this game continues updates.
Very neat little game. Reaction based combat seems very touchy. Leaving the app dumps your current game as well, so you have to start over. And there doesnt seem to be any progression from run to run, so youre not really incentivized to keep playing after you beat it.
Fun enough but could easily be expanded with more options to hunt a pirate, sneak attack at night, etc etc.
We had high hopes for this. Im always looking for a Sid Meiers Pirates! This looked like it might scratch that itch but alas us mateys, it shouldve stayed in port. The basic premise is a little bit like Oregon Trail. But it really is just a simple timing game with pretty simple combat. We wish there were more here. Not worth the plunder of nearly 2 doubloons in this Pirates humble opinion.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.0.9
- Size: 100.95 MB
- iOS: 14.0 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory: Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References
- Developer: N J Gentry Limited
Last updated: 12th September 2025 | Genre: Strategy, Roleplaying | Developer: N J Gentry Limited