🎃👻 Spooky Sprint Retro
Gather your ghouls and goblins to haunt the sprint—celebrate the treats, banish the tricks, and conjure a spell for continuous improvement!
Template Columns
🕯️ Ignite New Spells
Identify fresh ideas and practices to start haunting our workflow.
Base column: Start🧟♂️ Banish Bad Habits
Spot the scary habits we must stop to keep the team safe.
Base column: Stop🕸️ Weave Winning Webs
Highlight the spooky successes we’ll keep weaving into future sprints.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A Halloween‑themed sprint retrospective that celebrates successes, eliminates bad habits, and sparks new ideas for continuous improvement.
When to use this template
Great for end‑of‑sprint reviews when you want a fun, themed way to surface wins, pain points, and fresh experiments.
How to facilitate
Set the mood with a quick Halloween ice‑breaker and explain the three columns
Ask the team to silently write down items for each column on virtual sticky notes
Collect the notes, group similar ideas, and discuss each column starting with Ignite New Spells, then Banish Bad Habits, then Weave Winning Webs
Vote on the top two items in each column using dot voting or emoji reactions
Turn the top items into concrete action items with owners and due dates
Close the retro with a short “spell‑casting” affirmation where everyone states one commitment for the next sprint
Pro Tips
Use Halloween emojis or background images to keep energy high without distracting from content
Limit each sticky note to one concise idea to keep discussion focused and timeboxed
Pair quieter members with a “buddy” to ensure all voices are heard during the silent writing phase
FAQ
How do we keep the Halloween theme from feeling forced?
Allow the team to choose a few optional decorations or emojis and keep the focus on the three columns; the theme should add fun, not dominate the conversation.
What if we run out of time?
Prioritize the discussion of the top‑voted items and defer lower‑priority ideas to a follow‑up chat or the next retro.
How can we prevent dominant voices from taking over the discussion?
Use a round‑robin format or assign a time‑keeper to ensure each person gets a brief turn to share their thoughts.
Can this format work for larger groups?
For teams larger than 12, split into two breakout groups, each using the same columns, then reconvene to share the most important findings.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective