6 Quick, Simple & Fun Retrospective Games

1. As a moderator, you explain the rules to each team member: In front of you on the Echometer Whiteboard are some pictures of an alpaca. Instinctively, which one best suits the last sprint? The reasons for choosing an image are relatively unimportant.
2. Everyone chooses an image by creating a sticky on the whiteboard by double-clicking.
3. Now everyone briefly explains in one or two sentences why they chose the respective image. The decision does not have to be "logical" - it is about capturing the emotional state and creating a good conversational atmosphere.
4. 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.
5. Now 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 (for example in the Echometer tool) also look at the measures of the last retrospective together.

You can see the basic idea of this retrospective game well on the online whiteboard above, including some examples:

1. Explain the procedure: We write a sentence together. The problem is that everyone only writes 3 words and doesn't know what the next person will write: The sentence starts with "Isn't that crazy?"
2. Now a sequence of team members is determined, who takes over which part of the sentence.
3. And then we start. For example, you can also start as a moderator: "Isn't that crazy? In the last sprint, especially at the end...". You can then pass it on to the next person. This person now has to spontaneously consider how the sentence could continue.
4. It is important that you also record the respective part of the sentence on the whiteboard (e.g. in Echometer) so that the sentence can still be understood afterwards.
5. If the sentence doesn't make that much sense in the end, that's not so bad: The main thing is that the team has already been activated, everyone has said something and maybe there was even a laugh in the whole thing.

1. 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.
   1. Castle: What was rock solid?
   2. Log cabin: What won't last long?
   3. Barracks: What didn't work out?
2. 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.
3. 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 voting and measures are derived (To the article: 5 phases of a retrospective). The Echometer Retro Tool can help you with all of this.

1. You select a number of statements about behaviors that the team thinks it could improve (see below, second toggle). These are, for example, the things that are asked in the Spotify Health Check.
2. Of course, you can change these questions and make some of them funnier or more creative.
3. Everyone indicates how much they agree with these statements on the Echometer scale from 1 to 7.
4. The results are shown in the graphic. Now everyone is asked to explain the results:
   "How do you explain the highest approval from your personal perspective? And the lowest voting?"
5. Once you've gone through all the points of the Health Check and discussed them, continue with the typical 5 phases of an agile retrospective.
6. Explain Thoughts: After everyone is done with this part, everyone shares their thoughts (and notes) in turn. There is no discussion at this time.
7. Prioritization: Each team member has 3 digital points to vote on. Now put the points where you see need for improvement.
8. Discussion: Discuss the areas that received the most votes. Would you like to write down a measure?
9. Measures: Name a specific person who is responsible for this measure. I recommend not recording more than 3 measures - concentrate on quality rather than quantity (more on this in our post 7 tips for good measures).

1. We deliver great results! We're proud of it and our stakeholders are very happy.
2. Our way of working suits us perfectly.
3. We get things done really quickly. No waiting, no delays.
4. The planning of our sprints is always based on achieving the greatest possible customer benefit in the given time.

5. We also share unfinished work with stakeholders early to get feedback as quickly as possible.

6. Each member of the development team makes an appropriate contribution to the sprint plannings. 
7. We are open to constructive feedback and can grow from it.
8. Courage: We value it when someone shows courage.
9. Respect: We value each other's ideas, even if we disagree.
10. Commitment: Every team member strives to keep promises.
11. Focus: We don't let ourselves be distracted from pursuing the sprint goal.
12. Openness: We are open to constructive feedback and can grow from it.
13. We have a constructive exchange of knowledge between newer and more experienced colleagues.

1. Each team member marks the place where they were born and another place (if necessary on a digital whiteboard, see above). 
2. Timebox 5 minutes: The team member then thinks of an explanation for both places 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 actually from Mexico, where I was born 39 years ago. My family moved to the US shortly after my birthday because my father started working here.
   Both sound logical - which fact is true?
   
   
3. 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 in the team guesses which place is the real place of birth.
4. At the end, you can delete the "lies" from the map - and you have a nice map of the team's places of origin, which you can even save on your shared team page.