Dark Souls Bonfire Retrospective

Dark Souls Bonfire retrospective format

Bonfires Lit

What wins and milestones did we reach this sprint?

Bonfires are the checkpoints the team reached: finished work, breakthroughs and moments of relief. Ask everyone to name at least one, however small. It reminds the team what's working before you get to the hard parts.

Bosses We Fought

What major challenges or obstacles tested the team?

Bosses are the big obstacles that took real effort. Treat them as hard problems, not as someone's fault. Ask what made each one tough and how the team took it on, so you can later vote on which bosses still need a plan.

You Died: Lessons Learned

Where did we fail, and what did those deaths teach us?

In Dark Souls you die a lot, and every death teaches you something about the fight. Keep this column blame-free. For each item, ask what the death taught the team, so the discussion stays on what to do differently next time.

Souls & Upgrades

What improvements and actions will we carry into the next run?

Souls are what you spend to level up. Turn the lessons from the earlier columns into specific actions, each with an owner, and add them in TeamRetro so they're tracked into the next sprint.

When to use this retrospective

• Your team knows its way around games and you want a themed retrospective with a story to it.
• Morale has dropped after a sprint full of setbacks, and you want to talk about failures without the mood getting heavy.
• Your usual Start Stop Continue retros have gone flat and the team needs a change of format.
• The team hit one or more major obstacles ('bosses') and needs to work out a plan for them.
• You want the team to get comfortable treating failure as something to learn from.

Suggested icebreaker questions

• If your past sprint were a Dark Souls boss, what would its name and signature attack be?
• What's the one 'bonfire' moment recently that made you breathe a sigh of relief?

Want a warm-up your team plays, not just answers out loud? Browse free icebreakers →

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

• Set the scene with a bonfire image or quiet Dark Souls music in the background before you start.
• Keep the You Died column blame-free. Remind everyone you're there to learn from what happened, not to find who caused it.
• Timebox each column so the boss discussion doesn't take over. Aim for 8–10 minutes per column.
• Use grouping and voting in TeamRetro to find the boss most worth tackling first.
• Turn every item in Souls & Upgrades into an action with an owner, so the upgrades actually get equipped.
• Ask quieter teammates for their input directly. Even a small bonfire counts.

Frequently asked questions