Retrospectives can start to feel like the same meeting on repeat. Online retrospective games fix that by giving your team a playful theme to think through, which makes it easier to share honest feedback and harder to go on autopilot.
Here are 12 game-themed retro formats you can run online today, plus game-style activities to liven up any remote retro. Each format opens as a ready-made board in TeleRetro, with its columns already set up.
Why use games in a retrospective?
- They break the routine. A new theme gets people thinking about the sprint from a different angle.
- They lower the stakes. It's easier to raise a problem as a "Bowser" or a "Creeper explosion" than as a complaint.
- They get everyone involved. Quieter teammates often find it easier to join in when the tone is playful.
- They still lead to action. A game theme changes the questions, not the outcome. You still finish with clear actions.
12 online retrospective games
1. Super Mario
Columns: 🍄 Power ups · 🐢 Bowser · 🏰 Goals · ⭐️ Star Power
Power ups are what would make the team better, Bowser is the risks and issues you face, Goals are what you're trying to achieve and Star Power is a shout-out for whoever has been a star. A crowd-pleaser for any team. Run a Super Mario retrospective.
2. Minecraft
Columns: 💎 Diamonds Found · 💥 Creeper Explosions · 🧱 Building Blocks · 🏆 Achievement Unlocked
Celebrate the valuable wins you found, talk through the setbacks that blew up, name the foundations you're laying and celebrate teammates' achievements. Run a Minecraft retrospective.
3. Squid Game
Columns: 🎲 Game Round · 🛡️ Defence · 🔪 Offence · ❌ Elimination · 💰 The Winners
Open with a guess-the-number game round, then look at the threats you face, what you need to do to thrive, what's slowing you down and should be eliminated, and who deserves recognition. Run a Squid Game retrospective.
4. Mission Impossible
Columns: 📝 Mission Briefing · ✅ Mission Accomplished · 💣 Obstacle Course · 💡 Gadgets & Intel · 🏆 IMF Agent Accolades
Review the goals, celebrate what the team pulled off, unpack the obstacles, share the tools and tips that helped, and give shout-outs to your top agents. Run a Mission Impossible retrospective.
5. Chess
Columns: 🏆 Checkmate · ⚔️ Stalemate · 🏰 Endgame · 👸 Queen's Gambit
A strategic retro for teams who like to think a few moves ahead: what led to success, the risks you face, what would make you better as a team and who has been a star. Run a Chess retrospective.
6. FIFA World Cup
Columns: ⚽️ Top Goals · 🛑 Red Cards · ⏰ Extra Time · 🏆 The Cup
Celebrate the best moments, call out what went wrong and should be dropped, decide what you need more of and award the cup to whoever led the team to victory. Run a FIFA World Cup retrospective.
7. Superhero
Columns: 🦸 Super powers · 😬 Weakness · 👿 Evil Nemesis · 💪 Sidekick
Name the team's super powers and weaknesses, what stands in your way and who or what could help save the day. A great first themed retro for a new team. Run a Superhero retrospective.
8. Star Wars
Columns: 🧙 Yoda Says · 🌟 Galactic Triumphs · 🌑 The Dark Side · ✨ Use The Force! · 🏅 Rebel Honors
Share lessons (in Yoda speak, of course), celebrate the wins, face the challenges and setbacks, brainstorm improvements and honour your heroes. Run a Star Wars retrospective.
9. Escape the Office
Columns: 💌 Virtual Postcard · 🌴 Landing Spot · 🍹 Beachside Inspiration · 🌅 Sunset Insights · 💎 Hidden Treasure
A relaxed, holiday-themed retro for the end of a busy quarter. Share a postcard from your dream destination, then talk about what made you feel good, creative ideas, personal insights and teammates worth celebrating. Run an Escape the Office retrospective.
10. Back to the Future
Columns: 🔮 Future Predictions · 📝 Destination Time · ⚡ 1.21 Gigawatts! · 🕰️ Outatime! · 🏆 Clock Tower Heroes
Make a prediction, revisit the sprint goal, celebrate the moments that generated serious power, learn from what slowed you down and thank the heroes who saved the day. Run a Back to the Future retrospective.
11. Sailboat
Columns: 💨 Wind · ⚓️ Anchor · 🧗♀️ Rocks · 🏝 Island
A classic adventure: what's helping the team, what's slowing it down, the risks ahead and the goal you're sailing towards. Run a Sailboat retrospective.
12. Hot Air Balloon
Columns: 🌤️ Weather Report · 🔥 Hot Air · 🪨 Sandbags · ⛈️ Storm Clouds · ☀️ Sunny Skies
Describe the last sprint as a weather forecast, name what drove the team forward and what weighed it down, then look ahead to the risks and the milestones you're looking forward to. Run a Hot Air Balloon retrospective.
Want more? Browse all our retro formats or see our fun retrospective ideas.
Game-style activities for any online retro
You don't need a themed format to make a retro feel like a game. Try adding one of these to your usual format.
- Icebreaker round. Open with a quick question from our icebreaker questions or a round of two truths and a lie.
- Mood check-in. Start with a mood poll so everyone shares how they're arriving before the discussion starts.
- GIF round. Ask everyone to sum up the sprint with a GIF on their card. It's quick, funny and surprisingly honest.
- Soundtrack the brainstorm. Play icebreaker music while people write their cards.
- Anonymous cards. Keep brainstorming anonymous so people feel safe raising tricky topics.
- Vote on the winners. Use voting to decide which topics to discuss first, then assign actions to owners.
- Agree or disagree warm-up. Read out a statement like "Retrospectives are the most useful meeting in a sprint" and let the team vote. See our agree or disagree questions.
How do you run an online retrospective game?
- Pick a theme that fits the mood. Light themes like Super Mario suit a good sprint. Sailboat or Superhero suit a sprint with more to unpack.
- Explain the columns in a sentence each. Keep the metaphor simple so nobody gets stuck on the theme.
- Brainstorm quietly first. Give everyone five to ten minutes to add cards on their own.
- Group and vote. Cluster similar cards and vote on what matters most.
- Agree actions. Finish with two or three actions, each with an owner, just like any retro.
A themed retro usually takes 45 to 60 minutes for a team of 5 to 15. For more on running retros with distributed teams, read our guide to remote team retrospectives.
When should you skip the game?
Games aren't right for every retro. After a difficult sprint, a team conflict or an incident, choose a calmer format like Mad, Sad, Glad so people can talk openly. Bring the games back when the team is ready.
Between retros, Pulse Surveys help you keep an eye on how the team is feeling.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are online retrospective games?
Online retrospective games are retro formats and activities that use a game or playful theme to help a remote team reflect on a sprint. The theme changes the questions just enough to get people thinking differently, while the goal stays the same, which is to agree what to improve next.
Do retrospective games still lead to real actions?
Yes, as long as you finish the same way as any retro. Group the cards, vote on what matters most and agree two or three actions with an owner each. The game theme is there to get honest input, not to replace the outcome.
How often should you run a game-themed retrospective?
Every few sprints works well. Mixing themed games with simpler formats like Start, Stop, Continue keeps retros fresh without turning every session into a novelty.
What's the best retrospective game for a new team?
Sailboat or Superhero are good first choices. The metaphors are easy to grasp, so nobody needs the format explained twice, and they cover both strengths and problems.
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