Scrabble is undergoing some changes, at least in Europe

Scrabble is going through some changes, at least in Europe.

The new version claims to be more focused on teamwork and faster to play

Mattel has launched a double-sided board featuring classic word-building games and Scrabble, a new form of play designed to be accessible “to anyone who finds word games intimidating.”

The new version, now available across Europe, is said to be more focused on teamwork and faster to play. Mattel said Tuesday that the update marks the first major change to Scrabble’s board of directors in its 75-year history.

“We want to make sure this game continues to be inclusive for all players,” Ray Adler, Mattel vice president and global head of games, said in a prepared statement, noting that consumers can still choose between classic games and new releases. Make your selection.

To expand their reach, toy companies have introduced alternative or simplified versions of board games over the years, from “beginner” versions made specifically for younger children to multiple sets of instructions where players can choose to increase the difficulty.

Scrabble Together is for players of all ages. Jim Silver, a toy industry expert and CEO of review site TTPM, said dual panels are a smart move because it allows players to switch from one mode to another if they wish.

The announcement was accompanied by a survey by Mattel, which sheds light on some of the ways UK consumers have previously played the classic Scrabble game. Opinion Matters, a London-based market research agency, found that 75% of British adults aged 25 to 34 search for a word while playing a board game to check if it is authentic. Nearly half (49%) reported trying to create a new word in hopes of winning.

It remains to be seen whether the new version will one day expand beyond Europe.

Mattel, based in El Segundo, California, owns the rights to Scrabble in most of the world, while Hasbro owns the license for the game in the United States.

“Mattel and Hasbro each develop different versions of Scrabble every year,” Silver said. As a result, certain versions are only available in certain countries, creating an “interesting dynamic” for avid fans of the game, he added.

A spokesman for Pawtucket, R.I.-based Hasbro confirmed to The Associated Press in an email on Tuesday that the company had no current plans for the update in the U.S., but added that the brand “likes[s] Ideas for different ways to play Scrabble and get on with it[s] Attract new players from around the world to join the game. “

The origins of Scrabble can be traced back to 1931, when American architect Alfred Mosher Butts invented the game’s forerunner. According to a Mattel fact sheet, Scrabble’s original name was “Lexiko,” and before the Scrabble name and trademark was officially acquired in 1948, Butts’ creation was also known as “Criss-Crosswords,” “It” and ” Alph”.

Today, Scrabble is available in 28 different languages. According to Mattel, more than 165 million copies of the game have been sold in 120 countries around the world since 1948, with an average of 1.5 million copies sold worldwide each year.

In addition to the decades-old Scrabble fan base, other word games have surged in popularity in recent years, including Bananagrams and the online guessing game Wordle.