🍄🧟 The Last of Us Survival Retro
Join our journey through post-apocalyptic challenges! Like survivors in The Last of Us, let's reflect on how we can adapt, overcome obstacles, and thrive together as a team. Grab your gear, share your stories, and let's rebuild stronger than before!
Template Columns
🌱 New Growth (Start)
Seed new ideas or actions we should begin to help our team survive and thrive.
Base column: Start🧨 Avoided Hazards (Stop)
Identify behaviors or practices we need to leave behind to dodge danger and setbacks.
Base column: Stop🐾 Safe Paths (Continue)
Highlight steady practices we should keep following to stay safe and make progress.
Base column: Continue🔄 Evolving Strategies (Change)
Suggest improvements or adaptations so our team can handle new threats and opportunities.
Base column: ChangeAbout this template
The Last of Us Survival Retro helps teams reflect on challenges, identify what to start or stop, and adapt together to overcome obstacles and build a stronger, more resilient team.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective after periods of intense change, major challenges, or when your team needs to regroup and build adaptability to thrive in tough situations.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team and introduce the survival theme, framing this session as an opportunity to share lessons and adapt to new challenges together
Briefly explain each column and encourage your team to channel the survivor mindset when contributing ideas
Invite everyone to add their thoughts to each column: new actions to start, hazards to stop, effective habits to continue, and strategies to adapt or change
Give the team time to review and discuss the contributions, clustering similar ideas to spot shared survival tactics and risks
Facilitate a focused discussion on key themes or pressing items in each column, encouraging everyone to share their stories and perspectives
Collectively decide on concrete actions or experiments to implement for new growth, hazard avoidance, and evolving strategies
Wrap up by celebrating your team's adaptability and resilience, and agree on an action review date
Pro Tips
Use storytelling to draw out insights—ask team members to share brief 'survival stories' from recent sprints or projects
Frame hazards as learning opportunities, not just mistakes, to foster psychological safety and honest sharing
Encourage everyone to anchor new ideas in real-world examples or challenges you've faced as a team
Balance time so that the group can reflect equally on starting, stopping, continuing, and changing—not just one area
FAQ
How do we keep the session focused and on time?
Set clear timeboxes for each stage, and use a timer to gently keep the group moving without rushing valuable discussion.
What if team members are hesitant to share hazards or mistakes?
Normalize vulnerability by sharing a small personal example first, and create a non-blame environment where all input is valued.
How do we turn survival strategies into actionable steps?
Translate key examples or themes into small, clear actions or experiments, assigning ownership for follow-up next sprint.
Is this retro suitable for newly formed teams?
Yes, but keep the tone optimistic and ensure everyone understands that early setbacks and adaptations are normal parts of team growth.
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue, Change
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective