Chime is addicting, but not for long.
Cons: Not much content included even for $5
Originally if you bought Chime, you could feel like a good person because proceeds benefited charity. Who cared if the game was any good--people were going to benefit from your donation regardless of how much you played the game. These days, only a percentage of Chime's proceeds go to charity (though this is still a higher percentage than most games), so the game is required to stand on its own more. Luckily, lack of content aside, Chime still holds up well.
The best way to describe Chime is Lumines meets Tetris. It's like Tetris, where you get a variety of shapes that you try and fit into one another by rotating and shifting them. But it's also like Lumines where there's a music bar scrolling across the field that clears groups of blocks (at least 3x3) and adds to the sound. It's a seamless mix that combines the satisfying shape matching of Tetris with the musical aspect of Lumines to great effect.
Some other twists help set Chime apart though: first, once you set a group of blocks together, a timer (represented by a scrolling bar) is started. Once that timer runs out, the blocks are locked in place and cannot be added or expanded into other combos. However, each new row of blocks adds to the timer, allowing the quick-thinking player to continually increase the size of points earned.
The second twist comes in the form of coverage. Each scored block leaves behind a colored section on the board. The more of the board that's colored, the higher the coverage. Coverage has two benefits: one, each shaded section adds to the music, making things sound better and more complete, and two, the better the coverage, the more points and levels unlocked. 100% coverage also adds a large bonus to the player's score. It's a great system that encourages you to avoid restricting your blocks to one section of the board.
Overall, Chime could be described as addictive. There's a satisfying rhythm that you can easily get into, scrambling to keep a combo going as you shoot for high coverage. However, those addicted are likely to burn through Chime's content rather quickly. The game's 6 tracks are divided up into 3, 6, or 9 minute versions, but that's it. Once you reach a certain level of efficiency, there isn't much incentive to play the game further. The other mode, endless, isn't scored and is mostly there for time-killing/meditative purposes. This means, that, although Chime might share Tetris' addictive qualities, it lacks its replay value.
The aesthetics for Chime are simple, clean, and sleek. Special effects are the only real flourish, but they go a long way to make earning points feel satisfying.
Weirdly enough, it feels as though Chime pushes the boundaries of $5. If you get Chime, there's certainly fun to be had, and you can feel good that a small percentage of your proceeds are going to charity. Nonetheless, there's this nagging feeling, that in in today's world of cheap quick-burst indie/phone games, Chime lacks the staying power to really compete.