Stars and Wishes for TTRPGs: A Five-Minute Feedback Tool

Getting useful feedback after a TTRPG session can be awkward. “Did everyone have fun?” usually gets a round of yeses. “What should I improve?” can feel too broad or too much like a performance review. Stars and Wishes offers a lighter structure: name something you enjoyed, then name something you would like to see in the future.

For groups looking for a simple Stars and Wishes TTRPG routine, the main advantage is speed. It can take five minutes and still give the GM useful information about what players want more of.

What is a Star?

A Star is something from the session a player appreciated. It can be a scene, decision, character moment, location, puzzle, joke, rule interaction, or another player’s contribution.

Examples:

• “I liked the negotiation with the ferryman.”
• “The ruined greenhouse was a great location.”
• “I loved when Mira trusted Corren with the letter.”
• “The chase was quick and easy to follow.”

Stars show the group what is already working.

What is a Wish?

A Wish is something a player hopes to see in a future session. It is not necessarily a complaint about what was missing. It is a forward-looking request.

Examples:

• “I would like another scene with the town archivist.”
• “I want to learn more about the old road.”
• “I would enjoy a chance for the party to talk without a deadline.”
• “I would like my character’s family connection to come up sometime.”

Wishes give the GM hooks without demanding immediate fulfillment.

Keep the format small

One Star and one Wish per player is usually enough. If the group is enthusiastic, people can add more, but the method works because it is easy to repeat.

A long feedback ritual can become something everyone skips when a session ends late. A short one is more likely to become normal.

Do not treat every Wish as a promise

A Wish is information, not a contract. Two players may want incompatible things. A request may not fit the campaign. The GM may need time before finding a natural place for it.

The useful response is often simply, “That helps me know what you’re interested in.”

Stars can reveal hidden preferences

GMs often judge a session by the scenes that required the most preparation. Players may care about something completely different.

If several people give Stars to a quiet conversation at the campfire, that tells you something. The Kobold’s Rest piece on why quiet moments make TTRPG campaigns better explores why those scenes often carry more weight than expected.

Wishes are useful for quieter players

Some players find it difficult to interrupt during a session or ask directly for more spotlight. A regular Wish gives everyone an expected moment to say what they are interested in.

You can also allow written Stars and Wishes after the session for players who prefer time to think.

Keep feedback about preferences, not judgments of people

“I want more investigation” is easier to use than “people spent too long roleplaying.” “I would like shorter combats” is clearer than “the fight was boring.”

Encourage players to describe the experience they want rather than evaluate another person’s performance.

Use patterns, not single comments, to guide prep

One Wish may be a passing thought. Repeated Wishes are a pattern. If the group regularly asks for more faction politics, downtime, mysteries, travel, or character scenes, you have strong evidence about what they enjoy.

Stars are patterns too. Keep a small note of recurring themes rather than recording every comment forever.

Connect Wishes to existing hooks

You do not always need to create new material. If a player wishes for more interaction with their mentor, look at an unresolved faction problem and ask whether the mentor could naturally become involved.

If someone wants more character relationships, the low-pressure Session Zero questions for shy players can also be reused mid-campaign to create new connections.

Try a rotating facilitator

The GM does not have to lead every feedback round. Let a different player ask for Stars and Wishes each week. This reinforces the idea that maintaining a fun table is a group responsibility.

A simple script for the end of the session

Keep it casual: “Before we wrap up, one Star from tonight and one Wish for something you’d enjoy seeing later. Passing is fine.”

That is enough. Do not interrogate every answer. Clarify only when you genuinely do not understand what someone means.

Feedback works best when it feels normal

The value of Stars and Wishes comes from repetition. Players learn that they will have a chance to name what they enjoyed and what they are curious about, so feedback does not need to wait until something goes wrong.

Five minutes of specific, forward-looking conversation can give a GM more useful direction than a long general discussion about whether the session was “good.” Keep it small, keep it optional, and pay attention to the patterns that emerge over time.