Let's be honest. Running the same "What went well? What didn't?" retrospective format sprint after sprint gets stale. Your team shows up, adds a few cards, and you move on. No energy. No engagement. Just another meeting.
But what if your next retro could actually be... fun?
Kollabe's Halloween Retrospective template
Why Themed Retros Work
Here's the thing about retrospectives: they're only as good as the participation you get. When people are engaged, they share more honest feedback. When they're bored, you get surface level responses that don't move the needle.
Themed retros break the monotony. They give people permission to be creative, have fun, and think differently about the same problems. And right now? Halloween season is the perfect excuse to try something new.
The Halloween Retrospective Format
Instead of your standard columns, try this spooky twist:
🕸️🎃 Spooky Successes
What treats and triumphs haunted your sprint? This is your "what went well" but with way more personality.
👻🕷️ Ghoulish Glitches
What scares and missteps gave you chills? Your "what went wrong" column, but it sounds way less harsh.
🧙♀️🪄 Witchy Wishes
What spells can you cast to improve the next sprint? Your action items, but now you're conjuring solutions instead of just "noting concerns."
How to Run It
Start with a Halloween icebreaker. Ask everyone to share their favorite spooky movie or their worst Halloween costume. Gets people loosened up and talking.
Set the mood. Use Halloween emojis, GIFs, whatever. Make it visually fun. The more playful the board looks, the more people engage.
Fill out the columns. Give everyone 5 minutes to add their cards. Encourage emoji use. Make it weird.
Group and vote. Cluster similar items together, then vote on the top priorities. Democracy, but spooky.
Turn wishes into action. Take your top voted items and create actual action items with owners and deadlines. This is where the magic happens.
The whole thing takes 45 to 60 minutes, works great for teams of 5 to 12 people, and honestly? It's just more fun than your standard retro.
Try It Yourself
If you want to run a Halloween retrospective (or any themed retro) without building it from scratch, check out Kollabe's Halloween Retrospective template. It's got the board already set up, includes ice breakers, and has AI features to help group similar items and summarize discussions.
No signup required to start. Just create a room, share the link, and you're ready to go.
Final Thoughts
Retrospectives should drive continuous improvement. But if your team dreads them, they won't. Themed retros are a simple way to inject energy back into a ceremony that often becomes stale.
Try a Halloween retro this month. See what happens when you make reflection fun instead of formulaic.
What's the most creative retrospective format you've tried? Drop it in the comments. Always looking for new ideas.
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