Scrabble is getting a new and less “intimidating” version which will be more accessible to both children and adults, toymaker Mattel has announced.
Scrabble Together will still include the existing “Classic” version of the game, with both featuring on either side of a double-sided board.
It will allow players to team up and choose their challenge level, and “helping cards” will also be available.
The new version will be accessible to children as young as eight and will also target people who think “word games aren’t for me”, Mattel said.
Ray Adler, head of games at the company, said: “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.
“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.”
He added that “thanks to its exciting new co-operative and dynamic gameplay, it’s more accessible and brings people together”.
But the alternate version has divided opinion, with some lovers of the game taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to question the move.
One user said: “The more we change, the more we lose.”
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But another user responded, saying “nothing is changing” and pointing out the new version would not be replacing the original Scrabble, which originally came out in 1931.
“They are literally just printing a new game mode on the blank side of the board to help people who might be new to the game. So you’re quite literally not losing anything, you’re gaining,” they said.
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One player took to social media to call Scrabble “a useful tool to help teach new words to younger players and expand their vocabulary” and questioned the supposedly “intimidating” side of the game.
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News of Scrabble Together being launched also sparked different opinions on Facebook, where one user implied those who supported the new version were “snowflakes”.
They said: “Trigger warning: people may spell words which make you melt like the snowflake you are.”
But one Scrabble player called on people not to fret, saying the new version appeared similar to the Junior one she played in primary school which was a “good introduction” to the adult game.
“No need to get all worked up about it,” she said.
