🍄🚀 Extra Life++: Level Up Retro
Grab your mushroom, debug the glitches, and power‑up our process in this Mario‑styled retro to earn extra lives and smoother sprints!
Template Columns
🟢 🍄 Power‑Up Start
Identify new practices to activate and give the team an extra life.
Base column: Start🔴 🛑 Game Over Stop
Highlight blockers and bugs we must quit to avoid losing lives.
Base column: Stop🔵 ⭐ Keep the Quest Continue
Maintain the winning strategies that keep our score climbing.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A fun, Mario‑themed retro that identifies power‑ups, stops bugs, and reinforces winning practices to level up the team.
When to use this template
Use when the team needs an energizing, game‑style review to surface improvements and celebrate successes.
How to facilitate
Set the scene by sharing the Mario theme, explaining the three columns as Power‑Up Start, Game Over Stop, and Keep the Quest Continue
Give each participant 3–5 sticky notes or virtual cards and ask them to write down ideas for new practices that could give the team an extra life, placing them in the Power‑Up Start column
Next, have everyone add blockers, bugs, or habits that are causing the team to lose lives to the Game Over Stop column
Then, ask participants to note the strategies that are already working well and should be kept in the Keep the Quest Continue column
Facilitate a quick voting round where each person places a dot on their top two items in each column, discuss the top‑voted items, and create concrete action items with owners and due dates
Pro Tips
Use a timer for each column activity to keep energy high and prevent over‑analysis
Encourage playful language like ‘collect a mushroom’ to reinforce the theme and boost engagement
Group similar items after voting to avoid duplicate actions and streamline the backlog
FAQ
What if the team runs out of ideas for Power‑Up Start?
Prompt with examples such as pair programming, short daily stand‑ups, or a dedicated bug‑bash session to spark thinking.
How do we handle dominant voices during discussion?
Use a round‑robin or silent brainstorming phase before open discussion to ensure everyone contributes.
Can this retro be shortened for a 30‑minute sprint?
Yes, limit each column to two minutes of idea generation and focus voting on only the top three items.
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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