A new version of Scrabble is set to be released for the first time in 75 years, and the updated rendition of the iconic board game is reportedly aimed at a Gen Z audience.
The updated version, to be released in Europe, will include two sides, one with the original game for players who want to stick to the traditional version and a second, “less competitive” version to appeal to Gen Z players, BBC first reported.
The second side, called Scrabble Together, will include helper cards, using a simpler scoring system that will be quicker to play and allow people to play in teams.
Broadcaster and British Scrabble president Gyles Brandreth told BBC Radio 4 Today that Mattel, the game’s maker, had done some research and found that younger Gen Z people don’t like the “competitive nature” of the game as much as older generations. He responded that the newer version would be “easier” and “more inclusive.”
“The makers of Scrabble found that younger people, Gen Z people, don’t quite like the competitive nature of Scrabble,” Brandreth said. “They want a game where you can enjoy language, words, being together, and creating words.”
Brett Smitheram, a previous World Scrabble Champion, said the new version of the game “speaks to a trend in younger people who want to avoid competitive games and sense of losing, instead favoring teamwork and collaboration working towards a fun goal together.”
However, some people online have been quick to criticize the move, calling it “Scrabble for Snowflakes” and “Woke Scrabble” on X. In the simpler version, cards will provide help, including prompts and clues, that can be selected to match the player’s chosen challenge level. To win, the player must complete the 20 challenges and lose if they have used all the helper cards and cannot complete a goal.
