I think there's a distinction between dark and serious that should probably be made here. A dark game is one that actively tries to be foreboding and imposing (such as Lloyd's game, where the few scenes he did write were intended to impress a sense of dread upon the player), whereas a serious one is simply a game that doesn't act silly. From the few scenes of XVI that we've had so far, I'd say it's a game that takes itself seriously, but it isn't what I'd call dark, or at least no more dark than the usual Mafia game. Just for distinction's sake, you can have a serious game without being dark, and sometimes a dark game without being serious (though it's hard to give the impression that things are really screwed up when you're telling jokes frequently). So to answer the question, no, I don't think your games are too dark. If the question is altered to: "Do I think your games are too serious," again, no. Just write with whatever atmosphere you think suits the game best, provided you think you can do it well. -MT