Chime Sharp is the sequel to Chime. It follows similar aspects of the original game, but it includes a new soundtrack and new game modes.
When a player starts the level, which is one of the songs of the soundtrack, there is a grid that the player must fill. To fill the grid, the player places blocks on the game screen in order to create quads of 3x3 blocks or more. Once placed, the quads countdown until they solidify, until that point, the player can add more blocks to it to create a larger quad. As quads are square or rectangular, some blocks leave behind pieces when turned into quads.
While the player is placing blocks and creating quads, there is a beatline that passes over the grid. If this beatline hits a solidified quad, it removes it from the grid, effectively completing that portion of the grid. The beatline can only pass over the leftover block pieces a limited time before it causes it to disappear, along with the player's multiplier. Players can tell which portion of the grid is completed vs uncompleted, as completed portions of the grid are a darker color. Once a certain percentage of the grid is completed, it extends the time limit, allowing more time to complete the grid.
Each level has the following game modes:
Practice: slightly smaller grid, and contains the time limit of Standard mode.
Standard: the classic Chime mode.
Sharp: this mode removes the time limit on Standard mode, and removes the quad countdown (you can still build the quad bigger). Instead, once a leftover piece from a quad disappears, you lose a portion of your health (maximum 8 times) until you lose, or complete the grid.
Strike: this mode has a time limit like Standard, and no countdown for quads like Sharp. Leftover pieces disappear quicker, and there is no way of extending the time limit.
Challenge: highest level of difficulty for the level. There is a limited set of blocks, and more challenging sized grid.