My players have become serious. Is that a problem?

[Jon_Dahl]

I've played with my group since 2009 and quite regularly too. One of the things that I have enjoyed in our games is that we have always been able to laugh about everything, no matter if it's funny or not. It seems like we laugh a lot in our games with or without a reason.

Now a few/couple months ago our newest player got offended that we had "laughed at him". I didn't understand what it was all about. No one did. I asked him politely not to come to our games anymore, because he didn't seem compatible with our group. He left without any fuss.

Now that he is gone, my players seem dead serious. I try to tell a stupid and "funny" story or point out something silly, but they seem like they are attending a funeral.

I know that the usual bit of advice is to talk to my players, but can I ask them to look happier? Is seems a bit... well... forced. If my players have become a lot more serious, is that even a problem? I have been thinking about conforming and becoming stone-faced as well.

[King of Nowhere]

I would say, talk to them. You can rarely go wrong by talking. Maybe they feel uncomfortable because they think they caused the newer player to leave?

[Hackulator]

It's hard to say without knowing the specifics of what occurred with this new player. Is it possible they are coming to terms with the uncomfortable realization that they might be jerks? Telling a player to leave your game in response to them saying they were bothered by something you did is not necessarily a good look.

[EvulOne]

I've made obvious silly(ish) stories from time to time to ensure the players are still having fun, including threats that aren't THAT much of a threat and even real threats that are silly....such as a Giant Dire Seahorse. It helps with the players are long time friends outside of the game.

[EisenKreutzer]

Have an honest conversation about it. Ask them if they are ok with what happened, if they feel you as a group behaved like jerks. Tell them you miss the tone you used to have, and want to know how to get back there.

[Fouredged Sword]

Be honest. Talk about it. Continue on and just be aware that these things are cyclical. Groups have loose phases and serious phases. Someone just got hurt by the group being too loose and not realizing that someone got offended. It is natural for them to tighten up and be serious for a little while as they slowly relax and feel out the correct level of looseness again.

It sounds silly, but someone just left the group. That sort of thing hurts everyone a little. Give them time to grieve and readjust.