🍺🥨 Oktoberfest Cheers!

Raise your steins and don your lederhosen! In this Oktoberfest retro, let’s savor our project’s successes, tap out old habits, and brew up new ideas for a better sprint. Prost to continuous improvement!
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🍺🥨 Oktoberfest Cheers!

Template Columns

🍻 Taps to Open (Start)

Suggest new practices or experiments we should tap into for the next sprint.

Base column: Start
🚫 Empty Kegs (Stop)

Share the habits or processes that have run dry and should be stopped.

Base column: Stop
🥨 Fest Traditions (Continue)

Celebrate the tried-and-true practices we should keep serving at our Oktoberfest table.

Base column: Continue

About this template

A fun, Oktoberfest‑themed retro that reviews what to start, stop, and continue, using festive language to boost engagement.

When to use this template

Use when you want to energize the team with a themed session and focus on clear action items across start‑stop‑continue.

How to facilitate

1

Set the mood by sharing a quick Oktoberfest fun fact or image and explain the three columns: Start, Stop, Continue

2

Give each participant 3–5 minutes to write their ideas on virtual sticky notes under the appropriate column

3

Group similar ideas together by dragging notes, then discuss each column, allowing brief comments and voting on top items

4

Select the highest‑voted items from each column and turn them into concrete sprint actions with owners and due dates

5

Close the retro with a quick “Prost!” round where everyone shares one personal takeaway or a toast to the next sprint

Pro Tips

Encourage participants to use emojis or GIFs that match the Oktoberfest theme to keep the board lively

Limit discussion time per item (e.g., 2 minutes) to stay focused and avoid deep dives on low‑impact topics

Assign a “cheers champion” to remind the team of the agreed actions in the next stand‑up

FAQ

What if the team runs out of ideas for a column?

Prompt with specific examples or ask each person to share at least one item, and consider a brief silent brainstorming round to spark more thoughts.

How do we ensure the actions are realistic?

During the action‑definition step, ask the owner to specify a measurable outcome and a clear deadline, and verify it fits the sprint capacity.

Can we reuse this retro for non‑Oktoberfest periods?

Yes, keep the start‑stop‑continue structure and swap the festive language for a more neutral theme while preserving the same flow.

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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

team building
themed retro
start‑stop‑continue
continuous improvement
remote friendly

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective