Purpose

The Perfection Game is a structured feedback technique where participants rate the sprint or a deliverable on a 1–10 scale and then describe specifically what would need to change to make it a 10. It eliminates vague criticism by requiring constructive, additive feedback. The gap between the current score and 10 drives the improvement conversation.

At a glance

• Group size: 3–12 people
• Duration: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Facilitation style: Structured
• Setting: Both / Remote-friendly

How to run

1. Explain the rules: rate the sprint 1–10. Your score represents the percentage of value you received. Then state what would make it a 10.
2. Each participant writes their score and improvement suggestions (3 minutes).
3. Share scores round-robin and explain what would make it perfect (7 minutes).
4. Cluster the improvement suggestions and pick 1–2 to act on (5 minutes).

Materials needed

• Index cards or sticky notes
• Whiteboard for clustering
• Markers
• Timer

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Allowing ratings without improvement suggestions — the rule is: if you rate below 10, you must say what would raise it.
• Treating scores competitively — this is not about judging the team, but identifying improvement potential.
• Not tracking scores over time to see trends.

Inclusion & accessibility

• The structured format makes it safe for introverts — writing first, then speaking.
• Clarify that improvements must be additive (what to add or change), not subtractive (what was bad).
• Allow anonymous scoring if the team dynamic is sensitive.

Variations

• Perfection Game for Artifacts: apply to a specific deliverable (code, design, document) rather than the sprint.
• Team Perfection Score: average all scores for a team metric to track sprint over sprint.
• Peer Perfection Game: team members give each other perfection game feedback.

When NOT to use this

• When the team is not ready for numeric scoring and prefers open discussion.
• When the sprint was a disaster and a score would feel dismissive — use a timeline or Five Whys.

Source & further reading

• Jim and Michele McCarthy, Software for Your Head (Core Protocols).
• Retromat (retromat.org).