How to Fix a Game That’s Starting to Fall Apart

By Mike the Tavernkeeper, who’s duct-taped more campaigns than he’s had clean mugs

You Can Smell It Before It Dies

It starts small. The bard’s late again. The wizard's "busy" every week. Sessions get shorter, quieter. Nobody remembers the plot. The rogue’s flirting with NPCs out of boredom, and the cleric’s only healing themselves.

And then ya hear it — the most cursed words a GM can face:

“Should we just take a break?”

BY HARNAK’S SHATTERED PICKAXE, NO! YE DO NOT “TAKE A BREAK!” YE FIX IT, LAD!

Look, not every campaign ends with a bang. Most die like a campfire in the rain — slow, sputtering, awkward. But I’ve seen dozens of dying games pulled back from the brink with the right nudge, the right spark, the right angry dwarf shoutin’ at the players till they care again.

So here’s yer flint and steel. Let’s relight that flame.

“Yer Campaign’s Not Cursed — It’s Just Cold”

👉 Come thaw it out in Mike’s Tavern, where busted tables and burnt-out GMs get patched up with grit, spit, and good stories:
https://www.mikes-tavern.com/gm-wisdom
https://www.mikes-tavern.com/about-mikes-tavern

Signs It’s Falling Apart — and What to Do

1. Nobody Remembers What’s Happening

That means the plot’s either too complicated or too disconnected. Anchor the next session with something simple and bold — a returning villain, a flashback, or an NPC showin’ up angry.

Don’t overthink it. Do what this dungeon did:
👉 Serynthelzaaz, the Hollow Bloom
Twist the story. Reset the stakes.

2. Players Are Distracted, Disengaged, or Burnt

This ain’t about punishing ‘em — it’s about refreshing the tone. Run a weird one-shot inside the world. Let ‘em play villains. Let ‘em run into themselves from the future. Shake the ale barrel a little.

Or try this chaos bomb:
👉 The Tiefling Who Was Never Really There

3. You're Burnt Out But Don’t Want to Quit

Ah. Now we’re talkin’. You matter too, lad. If you’re tired, trim the prep. Run lighter. Recycle plots. Lean on roleplay. Or better yet? Bring in an NPC who acts as your mouthpiece, so you can shout through the story while lettin’ the world slow down.

And read this etiquette piece like yer sanity depends on it:
👉 https://www.mikes-tavern.com/tavern-etiquette

“Campaigns Don’t End. They Pivot.”

👉 If yer table feels wobbly, don’t smash it — reinforce it. Mike’s Tavern’ll show ya how to rebuild the bones without losin’ yer voice or yer joy:
https://www.mikes-tavern.com/contact
https://www.mikes-tavern.com/faq
https://www.mikes-tavern.com/tavern-etiquette

Three Campaign Healing Tools

🛠 A Simple Reboot

Keep the world. Scrap the party. Do a time jump. New characters in a familiar land. Let the old story echo in ruins and rumors.

🛠 The “Inside Job” Arc

Let players help fix the campaign in-character. A prophecy breaks. The gods go silent. The realm forgets them. Make the plot match the meta.

🛠 Declare War on the Status Quo

Drop a dragon on the capital. Reveal a traitor. Blow something up. If the story’s stalled, hit it with a hammer. No more “just another quest.” Make it matter.

FAQ

Q: When should I officially end a campaign?
A: When it hurts more to save it than to close it with dignity. Better to end well than to drag a story ‘til it’s just bones.

Q: What if my players are still having fun but I’m not?
A: Tell ‘em. They might step up. Or offer to rotate GMs. Yer fun matters too, lad.

Q: Can I reboot the game without starting over completely?
A: Absolutely. Time skips, new factions, or cursed memory loss — whatever keeps the core while freshenin’ the paint.