A few weeks back,Mattel launched a new version of the board game Scrabble, called Scrabble Together.
Players sit down with their own letter stacks but then work together.
It’s the Scrabble equivalent of joining together in Monster Hunter to take down something massive.
One card might ask you to play a word containing a tile worth 5 points.
Another might ask you to play a six-letter word.
You have three on the go at any one time, and they’re replaced when they’re completed.
Complete 20 goals and you all win the game together.
Mattel, meanwhile, has said that Scrabble Together is for people who might find the original game intimidating.
I think this is fair.
And, actually, I think Scrabble Together has a very specific use that I’m extremely keen on.
Just enough to take the edge off the fun.
That’s great, and I pretty much agree with that theoretical Gen Z standpoint!
But I also think this could be a wonderful piece of accessibility for all sorts of people.
Camaraderie instead of screaming at each other!
(They should do this for Monopoly stat.)
But I also think those goal cards give you a bit more of a nudge to creativity.
It’s energising, but it’s also gently orienting.
Did not see that one coming.
But now it’s here I sort of love it.
