Dungeon Crawler Carl kicks down the door, tosses you a stat sheet, and shoves you straight into a trap-filled dungeon while an alien audience cheers. I had never read a LitRPG before picking this up, but the premise alone was too strange to ignore. An apocalyptic reality show. Video game mechanics. A Coast Guard vet trying to survive alongside a very vocal prize-winning cat. Somehow, it all works.

The Cover

The cover of the paperback version of Dungeon Crawler Carl uses bold, playful colors and type to create an illustration of a monster chomping down on a running Carl and Princess Donut. The style is perfectly suited for the genre and for the light-hearted take on a dark subject matter. The matte finish and speckling effect enhance the “dungeon” quality of this visual. Tiny easter eggs like a pineapple, a trophy, and a stack of skull icons peak out from the typography.

Interior

The chapter illustrations in the paperback version of Dungeon Crawler Carl that I read are fun and funky. They add character to the page, and I am here for it! The formatting for the prose portions of the story differed from the interface modals, which made the reading experience seamless.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

The cover of Dungeon Crawler Carl certainly caught my eye. I chose the cover I liked best, opting for the type-heavy version over the more detailed illustration. I chose to buy the physical book over the ebook because I thought the cover was fun, and if I liked the series (so far, I do), they would look great styled together on a bookshelf with some of my family’s toy and game collectibles (we are nerdy like that).

Dungeon Crawler Carl and his ex’s cat, Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk, are a hilarious and lovable pair. Between snarky banter and peeks into backstory, these characters worm their way into your heart. Carl’s childhood trauma, paired with his enduring drive to remain unbroken in his humanity, endears him to us. Princess Donut offers both vulnerability and comic relief, building her into a fan favorite.

Dinniman writes from Dungeon Crawler Carl’s first-person perspective and focuses a lot on the general intake and processing of information, so the reader learns alongside Carl. Exposition occurs primarily through dialogue, announcements, and modal box interfaces, so it’s fast-paced and setting-appropriate. The tone leans snarky with pop-culture references dropped in all over the place. Video game players will immediately identify with the interaction style, but as with role-play games, the game leads you through it with just enough information to help you along. This style is fun to read, but might feel disjointed for people who are hard-set on traditional prose.

While the main theme in Dungeon Crawler Carl is about the survival of humanity, there is also some light social commentary throughout. I won’t get into it here because – spoilers. Just know, the harder you look for it, the more you see.

Dinniman is blending so many different elements in Dungeon Crawler Carl that it feels a bit overwhelming. End of the world. Aliens. Reality Show. Video Game Interface. Dungeon Full Of Monsters. Fight to the Death. Survival. Levels. Boss Fights. Rules, Rules, Rules. A Maze. A Timer. Pop Culture. Banter. Personal Backstory. It’s working, but it’s a lot.

I have never read a LitRPG genre book before, so I don’t have any context for evaluating Dungeon Crawler Carl’s place in the mix. However, it has created quite a stir and is bringing people like me into this unfamiliar space. Applause for that!

I had a great time reading Dungeon Crawler Carl! It’s funny and easy to read. I loved the characters and had fun trying to guess what might happen next or how they might overcome a problem.

This is a fun way to expand your reading palette! Dungeon Crawler Carl is an accessible entry point to LitRPG. This is a series and does end on a mild cliff-hanger (no actual cliffs). The humor is dark and bawdy and filled with references. This might be a reading slump breaker or a laugh-out-loud beach read. It’s a mood boost to be sure.

If you like Dungeon Crawler Carl, check out the card game/board game Munchkin. It has the same feel and is super fun to play with a group of competitive folks!

Have you ever read a LitRPG? Tell me about the experience. If not, would you?

May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!