they left?

A gaming group is like a little family. There are multiple factors why you keep coming back to the table week after week (or game after game). You enjoy time together and have fun sharing these experiences and stories. However, like family, you also have your differences and disagreements. If someone leaves, do not take that personally as there are multiple reasons why one would walk away.

Not the right fit. Everyone has a style of play they really enjoy. A player may be looking for something combat heavy, but most of the group are doing more character development, roleplaying social encounters (and even the occasional shopping episode). They become bored with this gaming style quickly, and if it happens often enough they will walk away. The opposite can also be true for someone into roleplaying sitting at a table that is combat heavy. This is okay! Encourage them to find a group that fits what they are looking for and to keep gaming.

Too much water. Sometimes the player has had enough conflicting moments between other players that they are now experiencing tension between them. If they are experiencing issues with the other players (or they are the “problem player”), it may not be an issue with another group of people, but at this table it is. Trust me when I say some people know when they are the problem. Sometimes they will discuss this with you, other times they will just stop showing up. This is okay! Again, encourage them to find another group to play with.

Don’t like the system. *Gasp* Yes, people stop showing up for games because of the system or genre. Players who are into epic fantasy stories are not going to enjoy running space traveling merchants. They will often graciously duck out of the games until you circle around to a system or genre they like, then rejoin. This is okay! Remember to call them up when you start something you think they’ll enjoy and invite them back.

Players come and go, it’s usually nothing personal. If there are issues that you can discuss and come to a resolution on, then it is worth having that conversation. Will it bring that player back? Maybe not, but be okay with their decision. Do not try to convince a player to return if issues are not resolved as that will only cause more. There are many great players that would not be a good fit for my table. I am okay with that, and they are too.