Have you devoured every word of Matt Dinniman’s delightfully dark dungeon romp and now find yourself wandering the literary wilderness, searching for that next adventure? Fear not, dear reader, for we have traversed the furthest reaches of LitRPG and progression fantasy to bring you tales equally marvellous—stories brimming with wit, wonder, and that peculiar joy of watching characters grow ever more powerful.
What follows are fifteen splendid recommendations, each possessing that special something that made Carl and Princess Donut’s journey so utterly unforgettable.
He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon
Here we find Jason Asano, a rather laid-back Australian who tumbles into another world through circumstances most unfortunate—murdered by a summoning gone wrong, you see, then recreated in a new body entirely. The poor fellow immediately encounters monsters and cultists quite determined to end him (again), and must navigate this deadly realm armed with suspiciously villainous powers and his wonderfully dry sense of humour.
What makes this series particularly delightful is how it balances action with genuine heart. Jason befriends a motley crew of adventurers and even acquires a familiar of the shoggoth-like variety. The magic system combines cultivation with traditional LitRPG elements in the most ingenious fashion.
The Primal Hunter by Zogarth
Picture, if you will, a rather unremarkable office worker named Jake who discovers that being thrust into a deadly tutorial alongside twelve hundred terrified colleagues is precisely where he was meant to be. While others falter at every turn, Jake finds himself thriving in this new multiverse of levels and dungeons and magnificent beasts.
Beneath its seemingly straightforward surface lies remarkable depth—complex world-building, genuine philosophical questions, and archery scenes so masterfully crafted they shall have you perched upon the edge of your seat. This is LitRPG done with extraordinary care.
Defiance of the Fall by TheFirstDefier
When the whole planet is introduced to the multiverse by an unfeeling System, young Zac finds himself alone in the wilderness with naught but a hatchet, surrounded by demons and worse. His family is somewhere out there, and he shall find them—or die trying, though hopefully many times over rather than just the once.
This tale merges LitRPG with eastern cultivation in a most exciting fashion, featuring class systems and skill systems and endless choices for growing ever stronger. The action, dear reader, never once relents.
Cradle by Will Wight
In the Sacred Valley lives young Lindon, born the weakest sacred artist imaginable, in the weakest corner of his planet, to parents who rather unfairly despise him. His advantages? An absolutely insane stubbornness and the remarkable ability to befriend literally anything that moves—and some things that don’t.
This series is called the very pinnacle of cultivation fantasy for excellent reason. Will Wight keeps things wonderfully fresh, never allowing his characters to languish in one place for too long. The action scenes are particularly magnificent, with new powers appearing as quickly as stars in the evening sky.
The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba
Young Erin Solstice finds herself transported to a strange medieval fantasy world and does what any sensible person would do—she takes over an abandoned inn and begins serving food to monsters. This is a tale of remarkable scope, larger than Game of Thrones and The Wheel of Time combined, yet possessed of such heart and warmth.
The writing improves magnificently as the story progresses, and if you invest yourself in this sprawling journey, you shall be rewarded with unforgettable characters and emotional payoffs that may, I confess, bring tears to your eyes.
Iron Prince by Bryce O’Connor and Luke Chmilenko
Reidon Ward was born weak and sickly, abandoned by his parents due to his painful affliction. Yet his perseverance attracts the attention of the most powerful artificial intelligence in human history, granting him a Combat Assistance Device with dreadful specs but infinite potential for growth.
Called “Cradle meets Ender’s Game,” this tale follows Reidon through a military academy where he must rise from the very bottom of his class. The sci-fi setting provides a refreshing departure from typical fantasy fare.
Beware of Chicken by CasualFarmer
What if a cultivator simply refused to climb toward the Heavens and chose instead to become a farmer? When a Western soul takes residence in a body beaten to death by sect initiates, the new Jin Rou seeks peace rather than power, establishing a farm at the edge of the most remote state in his new world.
This is cozy fantasy at its finest—heartwarming, funny, and utterly delightful. And yes, the chicken does indeed gain sentience and becomes quite the formidable protector. The perspectives of various sentient animals are particularly entertaining.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
Bob Johansson sells his software company, dreams of leisure, and is promptly killed crossing the street. He awakens a century hence to discover he has been uploaded into computer hardware and designated to control an interstellar probe searching for habitable planets.
This is space adventure meets philosophical voyage, stuffed with clever references to classic science fiction and possessed of wonderfully sarcastic humour throughout. The audiobook, I’m told, rivals Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for sheer entertainment.
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler
Davi has died 237 times—and counting. Trapped in a death/time loop after arriving from Earth, she has tried valiantly to defeat the Dark Lord’s hordes over and over again, failing spectacularly each time. Until she decides to flip the script entirely and become the Dark Lord herself.
This darkly comedic fantasy has been compared to Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy. The humorous footnotes remind one of Terry Pratchett, and despite the protagonist’s bitter exterior, genuine stakes and heart lie beneath.
Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe
Young Corin Cadence enters a death trap tower, hoping to discover what happened to his brother who ventured in years prior and never emerged. Those who survive the tower’s tests and reach the top shall meet the goddess and receive magical powers—if they survive, that is.
Written by a former game designer for Blizzard and Obsidian Entertainment, this series features magnificently crafted magic systems and dungeon exploration that feels organic rather than forced. Corin himself, with his endearing mix of social anxiety and fierce protectiveness, makes a wonderfully unique protagonist.
Life Reset by Shemer Kuznits
Oren once commanded wealth, prestige, and tremendous power in the virtual reality game NEO. Then betrayal stripped him of everything, trapping him in the body of a lowly goblin with no ability to log out. Starting from scratch in the wilderness, he must build a monster clan and plot his revenge.
This series excels at settlement building and crafts an intense survival tale where everyone and everything seems aligned against the protagonist. The mechanics are explained clearly, and the characters possess surprising depth.
Savage Dominion by Luke Chmilenko
Maulkin sacrifices himself nobly and awakens in the world of Amaranth, occupying a hulking demi-human body with a sword to match. Marked as an Eternal—a fledgling immortal of boundless potential—he receives a mission from the elder pantheon: Grow stronger. Ascend to godhood. Spread chaos.
This is pure, unadulterated fun. The banter flies thick and fast, the combat sequences are engaging without being excessive, and the fantasy world subverts standard tropes in unexpected and entertaining ways.
Shadeslinger by Kyle Kirrin
When Earthblood Online launches, Ned Altimer dives in during the exclusive three-day Head Start period, armed with something rather special—a talking axe named Frank who knows the game’s deepest secrets.
Matt Dinniman himself has declared Frank his favourite character in all of LitRPG, and this book stands as one of the genre’s finest offerings. Despite its 800-page length, the narrative never once loses momentum.
All the Skills by Honour Rae
In a world where magical spells exist as cards, young Arthur receives something far beyond his wildest hopes—a legendary Master of Skills card that allows him to learn and combine abilities without limit. To survive and grow strong, he must learn skills—all the skills.
The card-based magic system is wonderfully unique, the dragons are magnificently varied (some badass, some adorably awkward), and the writing strikes a lovely balance between minimalist and poetic.
Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaić
Zorian Kazinski is a teenage mage of modest abilities attending magical academy when he is murdered on the eve of a summer festival—and promptly awakens at the beginning of the month. Trapped in a time loop with no clear exit, he must unravel the mystery before him while growing ever more powerful with each iteration.
At 800,000 words, this epic tale features world-building that rivals the very best of the genre, intelligent character growth, and a time loop executed with such mastery that nothing ever feels repetitive. The entire work can be read for free on Royal Road.
Finding Your Next Adventure
Each of these tales offers something special for those who fell in love with Dungeon Crawler Carl’s particular brand of dark humour, creative survival, and magnificent character growth. Whether you crave cultivation mysteries, time loops, isekai adventures, or virtual reality mayhem, your next favourite book awaits among these pages.
The dungeon, dear reader, is always deeper than it first appears—and so too is this wonderful genre we call LitRPG.
