GEN Z’S GAME BREAK
Easier Scrabble version
No need to keep score! You can play it with no attention span! No troublesome math! Let’s play Scrabble . . . Gen Z edition.
For the first time in 75 years, Mattel is making major changes to the iconic board game — touting a “No More Scoring” gameplay option for the new edition.
The “less competitive” version, called Scrabble Together, is meant to appeal to younger gamers with helper cards, a simpler scoring system and quicker play.
“The makers of Scrabble found that younger people, Gen Z people, don’t quite like the competitive nature of Scrabble,” Gyles Brandreth, who co-hosts the language podcast “Something Rhymes With Purple,” told BBC Radio 4 Today. “They want a game where you can simply enjoy language, words, being together and having fun creating words.”
‘It’s more accessible’
Scrabble Together is marketed for those who might think the original game is too difficult.
“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, global head of games for Mattel, said in a statement to The Post. “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.
“It’s more accessible and brings people together.”
Still, some naysayers objected to the changes, calling it “Scrabble for Snowflakes” and “Woke Scrabble” on X.
So what’s new exactly? There are helper cards, which provide assistance, prompts and clues and can be selected to match the player’s challenge level of their choice.
No scoring allowed
In the new version, scoring is a thing of the past — now all one has to do is finish a goal and collect the goal card. Goal cards include challenges such as “play a three-letter word” or “play a word that touches the edge of the board.”
The player who completes 20 challenges is the winner, while the player who used all their helper cards without completing a challenge is the loser.
Once 20 goal cards are completed, the game is over — that’s it.
Mattel says the new protocols — no need to do math for each turn— will offer “shorter games.”
“The game speaks to a trend in younger people who want to avoid competitive games, instead favoring teamwork and collaboration working towards a fun goal together,” Brett Smitheram, current UK No. 1 and 2016 World Scrabble Champion, said in a statement.
A Mattel rep told CNN that the game will soon be available in Europe, but won’t be available yet in the US since it doesn’t hold licensing in America. Hasbro produces Scrabble in the US and Canada.