🎃🔪 Friday the 13th Horror Retro
Enter the spooky night of Friday the 13th, where we hunt down curses, unleash brave ideas, and keep the haunting successes alive—just like a sprint of thrills and chills.
Template Columns
🧟♂️ Spawn New Horrors
Kick off fresh, daring initiatives to keep the project alive and thrilling.
Base column: Start🔪 Cut the Curse
Identify and eliminate practices that haunt our workflow.
Base column: Stop👻 Keep the Haunt
Sustain the spooky strengths that make our sprint successful.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A themed sprint retrospective that hunts down workflow curses, celebrates spooky strengths, and spawns daring new ideas.
When to use this template
Best for teams wanting a fun, horror‑themed wrap‑up after a challenging sprint or when morale needs a boost.
How to facilitate
Begin by setting the spooky atmosphere: play a short horror‑themed intro and explain the three columns.
Ask each participant to silently write one item for Spawn New Horrors, one for Cut the Curse, and one for Keep the Haunt using the virtual board.
Group the items by column, read them aloud, and invite brief stories or context for each entry.
Facilitate a discussion to explore why curses should be cut and how new horrors can be safely launched, keeping focus on actionable insights.
Vote silently on the top two items in each column that need immediate attention using emoji reactions.
Turn the selected items into concrete action items with owners and due dates, recording them on a shared action tracker.
Close the retro with a quick spooky affirmation or team chant to reinforce commitment and end on a high note.
Pro Tips
Use themed icons or stickers on the board to visually differentiate the columns and keep energy high.
Set a strict timer for each discussion segment to maintain momentum and prevent over‑analysis.
Encourage participants to frame negative items as ‘curses’ to add humor while still addressing serious issues.
Capture action items in a separate, easily accessible document to ensure follow‑through.
FAQ
What if the horror theme feels uncomfortable for some team members?
Explain that the theme is purely metaphorical and optional; participants can use neutral language or skip the spooky framing if they prefer.
How do we keep the retro focused and not just a costume party?
Set clear objectives at the start, limit storytelling to brief context, and allocate specific time blocks for each activity.
Can this format work for a sprint with very few issues?
Yes, the ‘Spawn New Horrors’ column can be used to brainstorm improvements or experiments even when problems are minimal.
What tools work best for the virtual board?
Platforms like Miro, Mural, or the built‑in Kollabe canvas support drag‑and‑drop stickers and real‑time collaboration, making the theme easy to apply.
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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