Chime Sharp

Let’s just say it upfront- this probably isn’t a game you want to play with a back seat driver.

For all the years that Tetris style games have been around, I’ve never managed to become more than a novice. I love a good puzzle, don’t get me wrong, but something about those interlocking bricks has always eluded me.

My husband, on the other hand, is quite the pro. SO familiar is he with the shapes and combinations that he can multitask the play area with the upcoming tiles and strategize his way to a win…or at the very least an awesome score.

With that combination on hand, Chime Sharp has been an interesting review, to say the least, with both perspectives so keenly in focus.

Chime Sharp is an indie Tetris-style puzzler from Chilled Mouse with a varying and…let’s say ‘motivational’ soundtrack. This game is all about this balance between puzzle and music. From tenuous soft melodies at the beginning of a level to excitable choral pieces as the level progresses and your time runs out.

As the level begins you are given a ‘map’ of sorts, a play area with squares you must uncover. The aim of this game is to secure the entire ‘map’ by combining your bricks into a minimum of a 3x3 block, which once it lapses unlocks the play area. This gives you points towards a high score, a multiplier (which can be increased) and progresses your completion bar at the base of the screen toward 100%.

At the top of the screen you are given a preview of the next 3 bricks allowing you to plan your moves before you make them (if you can multitask well enough). Strategy and speed are everything in Chime Sharp. If you want to reach full completion and get the high scores you need to have your game face on.

The difficulty curve is an interesting one. Chime Sharp gives you different maps which also use different brick sets. Each map has a predetermined BPM which the music will play at. The speed of the music determines how fast the screen refreshes, and how fast your adrenaline is going to be pumping. And while none of these are particularly slow, some are more forgiving than others.

Chime Sharp will throw you in the deep end a little to begin with but offers you 5 modes by which you can play- the first and most important one being practice….I highly recommend you practice!! There are hours and hours of fun to be had here and with multiple modes there are a lot of challenges to try.

The best description I can give here is “Tetris on speed.” If that sounds like a challenge you are willing to take up I recommend you give this game a try. For me the novice, this game had a lot of challenge but was made fun by the music which accompanied the stress inducing pace. For the pro it was still a high level challenge and an enjoyable one.

Chime Sharp is addictive, challenging, vexing, edge of your seat, couch play fun that is best played distraction free, or with a very keen eyed co-player….if you like “volunteered teamwork” that is.

Chime Sharp is now available on Xbox One, PS4

-Rem