Serious or Silly?

Howdy to you too Nandalf,

Don't want to spoil your party, but it does depend on the rules whether a game is good or not. Or better, it depends on how all the systems work together. You see, a good game is elegant, (which means everything works together, there are no obtrusive rules etc.), it has a nice theme (or you must be creating an abstract game, but those aren't usually funny) and it is exciting every time you play it.
When your game fits into these statements, I'd say you've made a pretty good game, be proud of yourself. That's what making games all about: making a good game, enjoying creating it and hopefully produce it. It must never be your aim to see a game do well on the market before you've even created it. First, come up with the idea itself.

Next, if you want to make a funny game, make it funny. That sounds either obvious or sarcastic, but is neither one of those. You see, a funny game should not only match with your own sense of humor (in that case it might not meet anybody elses sense of humor). My advice is, create a good game, don't try and make something funny, just try to make a game and then, when you're finished... add some funny cards or stuff to it. If you want to make a game with a funny theme (like Fiese Freunde Fette Fete) be sure that theme is in fact funny for most people.

Last but not least: don't think about what will sell; create!

I haven't looked at any marketing surveys, but my instinct tells me that a less serious game would have a bigger market, as humor appeals more to the casual gamer, rather than the lass casual gamer (who takes gaming more seriously). You are morelikely to be able to sit down with a "random" group of people (that is not a specificly selected group) and be able to play a humorous themed game than a serious themed game as the serious game's theme would not nessesarily apeal to everyone, where as the humourous game would be more likely to appeal to the group because of the humor aspect regardless of the theme.

This wider acceptance of humor means that there is therfore a bigger market than a seriously themed game. But of course I could be wrong...