Classic board game dumbed down with reboot to be ‘inclusive,’ less ‘intimidating’

One of the world’s most beloved board games is getting a reboot for today’s overly sensitive, dumbed-down times to become more “inclusive” and less “intimidating” to players.

Scrabble, a game where people compete against each other to accumulate the most points by using their knowledge of the dictionary to come up with the highest-scoring combinations of words, will be undergoing a major update for the first time in 75 years.

This week, the game’s parent company Mattel announced the updated version in an effort to appeal to Gen Z, unveiling Scrabble Together which will add a second side to the classic board in order to make “gameplay more accessible for anyone who finds word games intimidating,” the company said in a press release.

The updated game will be shorter, allow for collaborative play, feature cue cards and have a no scoring option to ensure the nobody’s feelings get hurt.

“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,” said Ray Adler, Mattel’s vice president and global head of games said in a statement, according to the New York Post. The new version is currently available in Europe and won’t replace the traditional Scrabble which will still be available to fans.

“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,” Adler said in a statement. “With team based and faster gameplay, Scrabble Together Mode continues to celebrate the wonder of words just as the Classic version does, but thanks to its exciting new co-operative and dynamic gameplay, it’s more accessible and brings people together.”

The overhaul for the lost generation drew a lively response from X users.

“The game speaks to a trend in younger people who want to avoid competitive games, instead favouring teamwork and collaboration working towards a fun goal together,” said 2016 World Scrabble Champion and current UK number one Scrabble player Brett Smitheram.

Chris Donaldson

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