Scrabble is getting a makeover. Since its invention 75 years ago, Scrabble has engrossed and simultaneously enraged millions around the world. Now, its creators believe it’s time for a change.
Mattel, the creator of the popular board game, launched a new version of the game last week designed to be more appealing to Gen Z. After much research, Mattel found that members of Gen Z are less competitive than their older counterparts, and prefer a collaborative game where players can enjoy being together and have fun creating words.
Scrabble Together, as the new version is known, is currently only available in Europe as Hasbro, rather than Mattel, own the license for Scrabble in North America. It’s unclear whether Hasbro plans to release a similar version in the U.S.
“Scrabble has truly stood the test of time as one of the most popular board games in history, and we want to ensure the game continues to be inclusive for all players,” Ray Adler, vice-president and global head of games at Mattel, released in a statement. “For anyone who’s ever thought ‘word games aren’t for me’, or felt a little intimidated by the classic game, Scrabble Together mode is an ideal option.”
Scrabble Together aims to be more collaborative than the traditional game. Rather than playing against one another players must work together to win “goal cards.” These cards then set the players goals such as “play a word containing at least three different consonants”. There’s also no time limit and players can only succeed if they work together.
The game ends when the players complete 20 of these goal cards, in which case all the players win. If the players can’t complete 20 cards, then they all lose. “Helper cards” are also available to help the players out if they get into a difficult situation.
So far, players have mixed feelings about the game, according to the BBC. Some prefer the competitive aspect of board games and believe that it shouldn't be removed, while others reportedly enjoy the new collaborative and more relaxed format.
Some have been quick to criticize the new version, however, calling it "Scrabble for Snowflakes" and "Woke Scrabble" on X.
But don’t worry, the original Scrabble, first invented in 1938 by American architect Alfred Mosher Butts, isn’t going anywhere.
We’re not changing original Scrabble,” Adler told the New York Times. “This is just an additive to it that if you don’t like it, you know, don’t play it. We just hope it will bring more people into the game.”
Now that’s how you spell s-u-c-c-e-s-s.
