Mattel Creates Scrabble Without Scoring for Gen Zers

(Dreamstime)

After 75 years on the market, Mattel is set to launch a new version of its iconic game Scrabble meant to be better designed for those faint of heart word finders, CNN reported Tuesday.

Scrabble Together, the new iteration, will allow people to play in teams and thereby provide quicker playing time. It will include helper cards and use an easier scoring system, which boils down to simply finishing certain goals. Designed to appeal to new Gen Z players, overall it will be less competitive for game players.

The new version is part of what’s now a double-sided model of the longtime board game that will still include the original game for traditional Scrabble players.

“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 for Mattel, said 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.”

Features of the newly minted version will also include prompts and clues that can be selected to match a player’s chosen challenge level. The winner will be the player who completes 20 challenges, while the losing player will have unsuccessfully used all their helper cards. It differs from Scrabble Junior, which is likened to a crossword puzzle, with letters already provided on the board.

CNN reported Tuesday that Scrabble Together will be available only across Europe, according to a Mattel spokesperson. The new version won’t be available in the U.S. due to licensing issues.

Newsmax reached out to Mattel for comment.

Scrabble, which has been around since 1938, has added hundreds of new eligible words to its dictionary over the years. The game’s new rendition comes ahead of National Scrabble Day on Saturday, April 13.

“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,” current U.K. No. 1 player and 2016 World Scrabble Champion Brett Smitheram told BBC Radio 4 Tuesday, BBC reported.

Meanwhile, some Scrabble skeptics weren’t as positive, labeling the new version “Woke Scrabble” and “Scrabble for Snowflakes” on X.