6 Free Retrospective Games for Remote Teams
Are you looking for some really good free retrospective games for remote teams? Then you’ve come to the right place. Because we will present right here and in many other posts free remote retrospective games and ideas (See post: The 15 best retrospective games ).
Before we start with our 6 free retrospective games for remote teams, what actually makes good retrospective games for remote and on-site teams? In our view, good retrospective methods have 5 characteristics:
- Interactive: Really good remote retrospective games are characterized by the fact that every participant has to think or become active in order for the game to be successful. It is even better if every team member speaks at least once. This is especially true for remote retrospective games in the check-in of the retro (i.e., icebreaker), because the rule of thumb says: If you don’t say anything in the check-in of an icebreaker, you won’t say anything in the entire retro.
- Teamwork: Good remote retrospective games strengthen team spirit. Two simple mechanisms can help with this - especially in the check-in, the icebreaker of the retro. Either they help team members get to know each other better (privately) and thus indirectly strengthen psychological safety in the team (see article: Psychological Safety in Agile Teams ). Or the retrospective methods and games let the team jointly master a small challenge - this, of course, also promotes team spirit.
- Positive: In the everyday life of an agile team, there are often enough occasions for stress. For this very reason, the retrospective as a protected space should consciously break out of this pattern. It should basically have the goal of creating a positive mood among team members. This can be achieved, for example, with an icebreaker or a check-in and check-out that puts a smile on team members’ faces. Of course, this does not mean that critical topics should not be addressed; on the contrary, only if successful action items are developed can the good mood be sustainable (See post: 8 Tips for Successful Action Items in Retros ).
- Adequate: Remote retrospective games and ideas should be adapted to the maturity level and the current mood of the team. For example, the particularly creative or metaphorical games are more suitable for teams that have already completed many retros (i.e., tend to have a higher maturity level; see also post: 7 tips when the team doesn’t want to do retros anymore ). In addition, a retrospective game, in which the aim sometimes is to make team members laugh, is of course a bad fit if something negative is currently depressing the mood, such as layoffs.
- Transition (Optional): Whether the retrospective game is used at the beginning, middle, or end of the retro: It is more professional if it has a concrete reference to the step before and/or after. For example, check-ins or icebreakers are often suitable to get a first feeling for the last agile Scrum Sprint before going into a deeper reflection.
Of course, these properties are not mandatory. But they help to select the right retrospective check-ins or icebreakers. So, that’s enough for now. The heading promised it to you - here are the 6 free retrospective games for remote teams:
- Our sprint as a donkey
- 10 Things in common
- The Love Retro
- Team Health Check Radar
- Born to lie
- The Mad Sad Glad Retro
New Retrospective Games & Ideas
Free Retrospective Games for Remote Teams
Remote Retrospective Game 1: Our sprint as a donkey 🐴
1. Retro game on online whiteboard
Duration: 30-60 minutes | Goal: Fun, reflection of the last Scrum Sprint
The basic idea: This is a classic icebreaker retrospective game for the check-in: It's about capturing the mood regarding the last sprint. The best way to do this is with pictures. In this case, the question is which donkey best summarizes the last sprint.
Detailed facilitation instructions
- As a moderator, you explain the rules to each team member: In front of you on the Echometer whiteboard are some pictures of a donkey. Which one do you think best fits the last sprint? The reasons for choosing a picture are relatively unimportant.
- Everyone chooses a picture by creating a sticky on the whiteboard by double-clicking.
- Now everyone briefly explains in one or two sentences why they chose the respective picture. The decision does not have to be "logical" - it is about capturing the emotional state and creating a good atmosphere for discussion.
- The respective check-in of the team members is neither evaluated nor commented on - laughing is of course allowed. At most, something interesting is written down to be used again in the later part of the retrospective.
- Now we continue with the next phase of the retrospective, the "Data Collection" (To the article: 5 phases of a retro are not enough). Alternatively, you can also look at the measures of the last retrospective together (for example in the Echometer tool).
Free Retrospective Games for Remote Teams
Remote Retrospective Game 2: 10 Things in Common 👥
2. Agile Retro game on online whiteboard
Duration: 10-15 minutes | Goal: Getting to know each other, team spirit
The basic idea: This game also serves especially as an icebreaker, with which you can create a good atmosphere for discussion or a few laughs. We are a team, and this is characterized by the fact that it has many things in common. But which ones exactly?
Detailed facilitation instructions
You can see the basic idea of this retrospective game well on the online whiteboard above, including some examples:
- The rules are explained: You should collect 10 things you have in common in a certain amount of time. For example, you have 90 or 150 seconds for this (depending on the team size).
- It is important that they are not completely obvious things (for example: We are all humans, we all breathe air, etc.).
- Ideally, the team uses a whiteboard like Echometer so that results can be quickly brought together.
- If the results surprise you, you are welcome to record them on your team board (e.g. in Jira or Asana) to emphasize that you are a team!
Free Retrospective Games for Remote Teams
Remote Retrospective Game 3: The Love Retro 💌
2. Agile Retro game on online whiteboard
Duration: 10-15 minutes | Goal: Getting to know each other, team spirit
The basic idea: This is a so-called Emoji Retro: Based on the emojis and the questions associated with them, each team member reflects on the last sprint on the online whiteboard. In this case, there are 4 emojis that signal, let's say, different degrees of affection.
Detailed facilitation instructions
- As a moderator, you explain the rules to each team member: Based on the emojis and the associated questions, each team member reflects on the last Scrum sprint.
- What made you happy?
- What broke your heart?
- Who deserves a rose?
- What is good news from the future?
- Ideally, the feedback is first collected individually and anonymously on the whiteboard (for example in Echometer). You can use the timer and set it to 3 minutes, for example, so that this part doesn't take too long. By the way: With Echometer, this part, the "Data Collection", can also be done asynchronously before the retro in the form of a digital survey.
- In the next step, each team member individually presents the results and the further phases of the retrospective are continued: Topics are discussed, prioritized with the help of a voting and measures are derived (To the article: 5 phases of a retrospective). The Echometer Retro Tool can help you with all of this.
Recommendations from our Retro Tool Idea collection
Within our agile retrospective and health check tool Echometer we have very many free retrospective games and ideas for remote teams (See website: Comparing the 6 best retrospective tools ).
That’s why we’ve added 3 more remote retrospective games and methods that go in a slightly different direction. Like our Team Health Check or the classic and simple “Mad, Sad, Glad” retrospective method. Have fun trying them out!
Retrospective games remote
Remote Retrospective Game 4: The Team Health Check 📈
12. Retro game on whiteboard (Scrum Retro Game ideas)
Duration: 45-90 minutes | Goal: Reflecting on teamwork and agile processes
The basic idea: Why don't you do a health check in your team's retrospective? It can be fun, depending on what you ask. Everyone simply indicates (for example, in the Echometer tool) how they rate a particular topic on a scale of 1 to 7!
Detailed facilitation instructions
- You choose a series of statements about behaviors that you think the team could improve (see below, second toggle). These are, for example, the things that are asked in the Spotify Health Check.
- Of course, you can change these questions and make some of them funnier or more creative.
- Everyone indicates how much they agree with these statements on the Echometer scale from 1 to 7.
- The results are shown in the graphic. Now everyone is asked to explain the results:
"How do you explain the highest agreement from your personal point of view? And the lowest voting?" - When you've gone through all the points of the Health Check and discussed them, you'll continue with the typical 5 phases of an agile retrospective.
- Explain thoughts: After everyone is done with this part, everyone shares their thoughts (and notes) in turn. There is no discussion at this point.
- Prioritization: Each team member has 3 digital voting points. Now put the points where you see a need for improvement.
- Discussion: Discuss the areas that received the most votes. Would you like to write down a measure?
- Measures: Name a specific person who is responsible for this measure. I recommend not recording more than 3 measures - concentrate on the quality rather than the quantity (more on this in our article 7 Tips for Good Measures).
List of appropriate statements
- We deliver great results! We are proud of it and our stakeholders are very satisfied.
- Our way of working suits us perfectly.
- We get things done really quickly. No waiting, no delays.
- The planning of our sprints is always based on achieving the greatest possible customer benefit in the given time.
We also share unfinished work with stakeholders early on in order to get feedback as quickly as possible.
- Every member of the development team makes an appropriate contribution to the sprint plannings.
- We are open to constructive feedback and can grow from it.
- Courage: We value it when someone shows courage.
- Respect: We value each other's ideas, even if we disagree.
- Commitment: Every team member is committed to keeping promises.
- Focus: We don't let ourselves get distracted from pursuing the sprint goal.
- Openness: We are open to constructive feedback and can grow from it.
- We have a constructive exchange of knowledge between newer and more experienced colleagues.
Retrospective games remote
Remote Retrospective Game 5: Born to lie 🙂
1. Retro game on online whiteboard
Duration: 10-20 minutes | Aim: Getting to know each other, analyzing team communication, retrospective games for new teams
The basic idea: Everyone on the team marks two places on a map of the world - and explains why they were born there. The person was actually born in one of the places. The other place is a lie.
Detailed facilitation instructions
- Each team member marks the place where they were born and another place for themselves (if necessary on a digital whiteboard, see above).
- Timebox 5 minutes: The team member then thinks of an explanation for both places as to why they were born there.
For example, Julia Rodriguez could say the following:
A) As you all know, I was born just around the corner in New York. That's why I work here and visit my family every weekend.
B) As you all know, my last name is Rodriguez. I'm originally from Mexico, where I was born 39 years ago. My family moved to the USA shortly after my birthday because my father started working here.
Both sound logical - which fact is true? - 1 minute timebox per person: The explanation for the two places is given one after the other. After one person has told the truth and a lie, everyone on the team guesses which place is the real place of birth.
- At the end you can delete the "lies" from the map - and you have a beautiful map with the team's places of origin, which you may even be able to save on your shared team page.
Retrospective games remote
The "Mad Sad Glad" retrospective method is one of the classics of retrospective methods. Three emotions are mentioned, which help to analyze the last sprint. This retrospective idea does not take place on an Echometer Whiteboard, but on an Echometer Retro Board with 3 columns (see article: 6 Retrospective Boards in Comparison).
- Mad: What made you angry?
- Sad: What made you sad?
- Glad: What made you happy?
So, that’s it for the introduction of the 6 free Retrospective games for Remote Teams. But is that all? No, it isn’t.
More Retrospective Ideas & Games
As mentioned, we have many more remote retrospective games and ideas both on our website and within our Echometer tool.
If you’re particularly interested in free retrospective games for remote teams, you should definitely check out our post with the 15 best games (See article: The 15 best Retrospective games ).
Post: 15 Best Retrospective GamesFrequently, the right questions are decisive for the quality of a retrospective. That’s why we’ve also created a detailed post with classic, new and creative retrospective questions. These focus in particular on the second phase of the retrospective, “Collecting Data”, not on the check-in or icebreaker or the check-out (To the article: 54 fun retrospective ideas for beginners & professionals ).
Last but not least, I would like to point out that you can usually find the mentioned remote retrospective games in our Retrospective and Health Check Tool Echometer. Some of them are listed as whiteboard templates, others as retrospective boards (i.e. a retrospective board is used). You can access our tool right here without logging:
Retrospective Games Remote: Conclusion
Fun in agile Scrum retrospectives and icebreakers is good and useful and hopefully this post has given you some inspiration… But to improve Scrum Sprints process-wise sustainably, “fun” is not enough.
If I may give you, as the person responsible for your team, one more recommendation: take your time in your Sprint Retro to derive good action items (post: 8 Tips for Great Action Items in Retros ). Good action items are a better remedy against “retro fatigue” than retros that are only about fun.
A good retrospective tool will not only help you have fun in retro, but also help you timebox well and take the right actions. If you’re still looking in this regard, check out our post: The 6 best tools for remote team retrospectives .
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