The Goblin Gathering retrospective helps teams reflect playfully on recent work by celebrating wins, surfacing challenges, and expressing frustrations, all themed for engagement and honesty.

When to use this template

Use this format at the end of a sprint or milestone to encourage candid feedback, bring energy to the discussion, and address both team victories and pain points.

How to facilitate

Set the stage by introducing the Goblin Gathering theme and explaining each column to build excitement and psychological safety.

Ask team members to spend a few minutes individually adding items to the Goblin Gold, Cave Shadows, and Trickster's Traps columns.

Invite participants to read out or expand on their contributions, ensuring everyone has a chance to explain their insights or stories.

Group similar items together in each column to spot patterns, recurring pain points, or overlapping celebrations.

Guide a team discussion of key observations, focusing on how to turn cave shadows and trickster traps into actionable changes while amplifying what led to goblin gold moments.

Collaboratively decide on next actions or experiments to make the next sprint less chaotic and more rewarding, assigning owners if needed.

Wrap up by acknowledging honesty and creativity, and share appreciations to close the session on a positive note.

Pro Tips

Lean into the goblin theme with playful language or backgrounds to help the team feel more open and engaged.

Encourage concise entries to keep discussion moving and cover all key topics.

When highlighting frustrations, shift from venting to collaborative problem-solving to avoid negativity spiraling.

If participation seems low, suggest everyone adds at least one item in each column to ensure balanced input.

FAQ

What if the goblin theme feels too whimsical for my team?

Adjust the language to suit your team's culture. The core format is strong even with a neutral tone.

How do we handle strong frustrations in the Trickster's Traps column?

Acknowledge emotions, then guide the team toward constructive dialogue and joint solutions to avoid finger-pointing.

What if the conversation gets stuck in negativity?

Balance the discussion by celebrating Goblin Gold, and ask the team how frustrations can lead to improvements.

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At a glance

Duration
35–50 min
Team Size
3-10 people
Columns
3 columns
Base Format
Glad, Sad, Mad

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective

👹🔮 Goblin Gathering

Step into the mischievous realm of goblins! We'll unearth treasures (wins), dodge curses (problems), and tame chaos (frustrations) to craft a better sprint together. Let's turn goblin grit into team gold!

Template Columns

💎 Goblin Gold

🕳️ Cave Shadows

🔥 Trickster's Traps

About this template