How board games are being simplified for the TikTok generation

It is the development that is causing alarm (7) among traditionalists (16).

Mattel has launched a new version of Scrabble featuring the first major update to the game in its 75-year history, following a trend for quicker, simpler offerings that has swept through the industry of late.

As well as the traditional design, a new-double sided board will also feature Scrabble Together, a more collaborative version of the game aimed at those who feel “intimidated” by its traditional form.

“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. “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.”

The new game is designed with “inclusivity and collaboration” in mind, and has a simpler scoring system and ‘helper cards’. The winner is the player who completes 20 challenges, the level of which can be adjusted. The innovation comes off the back of research by Scrabble which found that Boomers were thought to be the most competitive generation, with Gen Z the least so.

Scrabble is the latest game to make major changes to accommodate a generation that is apparently less cut-throat – and patient – than previous ones. A four-hour game of Monopoly is all well and good when the alternative is staring out at a rainy day or being beaten up by your older brother, but it can hardly be expected to compete with TikTok, YouTube, or Fortnite.

Games must adjust to keep pace. Monopoly has enjoyed success with its quick, card-based version, Monopoly Deal, while Pictionary recently launched a version that enables users to play against an in-built AI.

“The evolution of board games is closely tied to the broader entertainment landscape, which has been influenced by social media platforms like TikTok,” says Luke Shelley, the founder of board and party game business Lucky Egg. “As social media promotes bite-sized content and instant gratification, there is a growing preference for games that offer fast-paced and easily digestible experiences from younger audiences accustomed to scrolling through short videos.

“We’ve seen major demand for games that can be played in 30 minutes or less,” he adds. “Classic board games like Monopoly and Risk still hold great nostalgic value and aren’t going anywhere, but many players now want engaging gameplay without the time commitment.”

As well as digital distractions, famous old games must also now compete with a new wave of hobbyist games designed by independent creators to better suit modern sensibilities.

“The big existing IP like Scrabble and Monopoly has to find a way of modernising, because the games just don’t compete with what hobbyist design studios are putting out,” says Tom Brewster, editor-in-chief of Shut Up and Sit Down, a board game review website. “People might not want to have a multi-hour argument-laden game that isn’t actually very good, like Monopoly, when there’s so much excellent competition out there.”

But when news of Scrabble’s move broke on Tuesday, some Telegraph readers were quick to weigh in with criticism in the comments section. “More dumbing down for the less resilient in our society,” said one. “We could go to a ten letter alphabet, just to make things easier still,” another suggested.

Brewster, for his part, argues that far from dumbing down the original game, the new iteration of Scrabble might in fact help older players sharpen their tactics.

“A lot of people think Scrabble is just a game of knowing lots of words and having a wide vocabulary,” he says. “In reality it is not like that. The core of Scrabble is in board presence and area control. It’s a game of territory. So if the new version is pushing it towards being about doing clever things tactically on the board, then it is not dumbing down, it is adding new complexity into a game.”

How games are changing

Scrabble

Then: A venerable word game, in which 2-4 players use letter tiles to make words on a 15x15 board. Unusual letters score more highly. To win, players must master useful but obscure short words and make the most of the premium squares, which double or triple the value of certain letters or words.

Now: Scrabble Together, a more “inclusive” and “collaborative” version in which players can work together to complete challenges on cards, which might be “play a vertical word” or “play a word containing two of the same consonant.” Suitable for a range of ages and language levels, as well as less likely to provoke arguments over the word ‘Qi.’

Monopoly

Then: A Depression-era inspired property trading game, originally designed to reveal the flaws in rentier capitalism but widely taken to be a celebration of it. Players aim to accumulate sets of properties, charge rent and bankrupt their rivals. Going to jail is bad until the late game, when it becomes a sanctuary. The eventual winner is often obvious several hours before the game actually ends.

Now: Monopoly Deal, a card game based on Monopoly, in which players aim to accumulate sets of properties. Mercifully quick and well balanced so the winner is not clear until the last hand or two. Much less likely to provoke intra-familial violence when someone lands on Park Lane with a hotel on it.

Trivial Pursuit

Then: A challenging trivia-based board game, launched in 1981, in which players collect pieces of a pie by answering questions on general knowledge and pop culture. A roll of the dice ensures a modicum of chance but you cannot win if you don’t know anything.

Now: There are special editions to suit every special interest. Rather than general knowledge, you need only know about Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Friends or any other IP. Why seek out a classical education when you can simply watch TV?

Pictionary

Then: An engaging art-based guessing game in which players must guess what the other is drawing. A lack of artistic ability is not necessarily a hindrance to winning, as well as being much more funny for everyone else.

Now: A phone-enabled version of the original named Pictionary vs AI in which players may challenge an AI-powered image-recognition service, rather than the mind of a fellow person. Good for those lonely nights when you want your phone to guess whether you have drawn a horse or a dog, as well as a chilling preview of the coming war between humanity and the robots.

Twister

Then: A mat-based party game, in which players had to contort themselves to put their hands and feet on different coloured squares on a large mat. A decent flexibility workout in an era before the mass-adoption of yoga, as well as an exciting frisson of physical contact for pre-teens.

Now: Twister Air – an iPhone-enabled riff on the classic, in which players wear bands for their wrists and ankles and must move to match coloured-spots on a screen. Epitomises the new era, in which literal physical entanglement is replaced with a screen intermediary. Less likely to sprain a wrist.