🍺🌭 Oktoberfest Retro

Prost to progress! Let’s gather under the virtual beer tent, celebrating wins, calling out sour moments, and brewing up new plans for our next sprint. Grab your stein and let’s toast to agile improvements, Oktoberfest style!
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🍺🌭 Oktoberfest Retro

Template Columns

🍻 Taps to Open

Share fresh ideas and practices we should pour into our process next sprint.

Base column: Start
⛔ Empty Kegs

Highlight tired traditions or blockers that we need to stop for smoother sprints.

Base column: Stop
🥨 Festival Faves

Celebrate the traditions and practices that keep our team spirit high and should continue.

Base column: Continue

About this template

A fun, Oktoberfest‑themed retro that lets teams toast wins, discard stale practices, and brew new ideas for the next sprint.

When to use this template

Use when you want a light‑hearted, celebratory vibe to boost morale and surface actionable improvements after a busy sprint.

How to facilitate

1

Set the virtual beer tent atmosphere by sharing a themed background and encouraging participants to bring a drink

2

Start with a quick round‑robin where each person names one Festival Fave they want to continue

3

Move to Empty Kegs and have the team list blockers or outdated habits they want to stop, using sticky notes

4

Transition to Taps to Open and brainstorm new ideas or practices, grouping similar suggestions together

5

Vote on the top items in each column using dot voting or emoji reactions

6

Turn the highest‑voted items into concrete sprint actions, assign owners, and capture them in a shared doc

Pro Tips

Use emoji reactions as quick votes to keep the flow lively

Limit each participant to three items per column to keep the board manageable

Pair quieter members with a “cheerleader” to ensure all voices are heard

Capture decisions in a shared doc immediately so remote teammates can reference them later

FAQ

How do we keep the fun theme from distracting from actionable outcomes?

Allocate a specific time for each column and remind the group to focus on concrete takeaways before moving to the next segment.

What if team members are uncomfortable sharing drinks virtually?

Emphasize that the beverage is optional; the theme is about celebration, not consumption, and participants can use a non‑alcoholic drink or a simple cup.

How many items should we aim to generate per column?

Aim for 5‑7 items per column; this provides enough variety without overwhelming the voting stage.

How do we handle dominant voices during voting?

Use anonymous emoji or dot voting so each person’s preferences are counted equally, reducing pressure from louder participants.

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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

celebration
action-oriented
team morale
remote-friendly
fun

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective