The Legends Update is here! We’ve completely overhauled the low-res high seas to bring you deeper RPG mechanics, intense strategic choices and high-stakes naval combat.
"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...
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 doesn’t seem to be any progression from run to run, so you’re not really incentivized to keep playing after you beat it.
Developer Response
Thank you for this thoughtful and detailed review. Improving the save function and adding more run-to-run progression are top priorities for future updates. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.EDIT - the save game feature has now been added
Simple one-mechanic game
Jw2k_fr
Fun enough but could easily be expanded with more options to hunt a pirate, sneak attack at night, etc etc
Developer Response
Thank you for the review and for the suggestions for expanding the gameplay. Noted for the next release.
LOVE!
Bill8786
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. I’ve managed to complete the Easy level! Now onto medium! Arrrrrgh!
Developer Response
Thank you for this wonderful review! I really appreciate the kind words about the design. It's fantastic to hear you've completed the Easy level. Good luck with Medium, it's definitely a big step up from easy!
Should’ve stayed in port longer
TurningPagesinBooks
I had high hopes for this. I’m always looking for a Sid Meier’s Pirates! This looked like it might scratch that itch but alas me mateys, it should’ve 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. I wish there were more here. Not worth the plunder of nearly 2 doubloons in this Pirates humble opinion.
Developer Response
Honoured you’d mention Bitmap Bay alongside a classic like Sid Meier’s Pirates! It’s a high bar, but we are aiming for it! Thanks for playing.
Do you play it safe, or risk it all for legendary infamy? Here is what awaits you in Version 2.0:
DYNAMIC PORTS & STRATEGIC CROSSROADS
The seas are no longer predictable. When the winds shift, you must choose your destination wisely...
• Crown Ports: Safe, heavily policed, and highly expensive. The only place to buy ship upgrades.
• Pirate Havens: A lawless hub to recruit specialist officers and buy discounted Black Market cannons (just watch out they don’t explode on installation!).
• Hidden Coves: Desperate on gold? Risk the new Scavenger’s Gamble to patch your hull on the cheap – but linger too long and you might trigger a mutiny or a jungle ambush!
THE OFFICER'S DECK (RPG CREW SYSTEM)
Your crew are no longer just numbers; they are the lifeblood of your ship...
• Recruit up to 5 unique shipmates to build your ultimate pirate crew.
• Hire a Master Gunner to unlock ‘Bullet Time’ during cannon reloads, or a Shipwright to auto-repair your hull after every victory.
• Beware Permadeath: The sea is unforgiving. If you flee a battle under heavy fire, or barely survive a fight with critical hull damage, you risk losing your officers to capture or desertion!
REMASTERED COMBAT & GAME FEEL
We’ve pushed the pixel-art aesthetic to the limit with a massive combat overhaul...
• Visual Upgrades: Ships now bob on the waves, critical damage triggers pixel-art fires and exploding wood splinters!
• New Difficulty Speeds: Playing on 'Hard' now requires twitch-reflex cannon timing.
• No Easy Escapes: You can no longer flee before a battle begins. You must engage the enemy and survive at least one volley before attempting a chaotic retreat.
BUG SQUISHING & QOL
• Streamlined the UI for cleaner port navigation and beautifully formatted crew rosters.
• Added a behind-the-scenes ‘Mercy Mechanic’ to help critically damaged ships find a safe port.
• Over a dozen balancing tweaks to gold, reputation and enemy scaling.
Thank you to all our captains who have sailed with us so far and left helpful feedback. If you enjoy the new strategic depths of Bitmap Bay, please consider leaving us a review – it helps us keep the updates flowing!
Version 2.0
The developer, N J Gentry Limited, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
N J Gentry Limited
Size
105.9 MB
Category
Strategy
Compatibility
Requires iOS 14.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 14.0 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 14.0 or later.
iPod touch Requires iOS 14.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
