🎯 Counter-Strike Team Debrief
Lock and load! Review our sprint like a CS team match—analyze strategies, defuse blockers, and share MVP plays. Let's sharpen our teamwork and aim for a winning round next sprint!
Template Columns
🔫 Buy New Gear (Start)
Identify new strategies or skills we should 'buy in' to boost our performance next round.
Base column: Start🚫 Avoid Friendly Fire (Stop)
Call out actions or habits that disrupt team flow or slow down our mission—time to stop them!
Base column: Stop💣 Plant the Good (Continue)
Spot the effective tactics and teamwork worth carrying forward—let’s keep defusing obstacles and landing those clutches!
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Counter-Strike Team Debrief retro uses gaming-inspired language to analyze team strategies, identify blockers, and celebrate clutch plays—helping teams align and sharpen collaboration for the next sprint.
When to use this template
Use this format when the team needs an engaging way to reflect on recent work, especially after high-pressure sprints, challenging deliverables, or when you want to inject energy into regular retros.
How to facilitate
Set the context by explaining the Counter-Strike analogy and how each column relates to improving your team's next round
Invite everyone to reflect silently and add their thoughts in each column based on recent events, using the prompt descriptions
Once ideas are gathered, ask teammates to upvote or highlight key items that resonate most or merit discussion
Facilitate a structured discussion, starting with Buy New Gear (Start), moving to Avoid Friendly Fire (Stop), then Plant the Good (Continue), ensuring everyone's voice is heard
Capture specific action items and assign owners, especially for new 'buys' and areas identified for stopping or continuing
End with a quick pulse-check or ask each teammate to share one key takeaway or commitment for the next sprint
Pro Tips
Connect discussion points to game scenarios to keep the energy up and help analogies land effectively
Encourage quieter team members by pointing out the value of diverse tactics (diverse perspectives) for winning rounds
Summarize each column’s insights before moving forward so nothing gets overlooked in the heat of discussion
Keep the language playful but the commitments actionable to ensure outcomes translate into real-world improvements
FAQ
What if some team members don't know Counter-Strike?
Briefly explain the analogy and focus on the essence of each column. The gaming theme is to inspire fun, not to exclude anyone.
How deeply should we analyze blockers in this format?
Prioritize blockers that significantly interrupt team flow. Discuss root causes when possible, and focus on practical actions to address them.
How do we ensure our 'Buy New Gear' ideas are realistic?
Discuss each one as a group and make sure they align with team constraints and sprint goals before adding them as action items.
What if the conversation gets too playful and unfocused?
Gently redirect to actionable topics by summarizing discussion points and linking them back to team improvement goals.
At a glance
- Duration
35–50 min
- Team Size
3-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective