Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman book review

Dungeon Crawler Carl Review: A Hilarious, Chaotic LitRPG That Made Me Feel Like I Was Playing a Game

Dungeon Crawler Carl Review: My Thoughts

I kept seeing Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman everywhere on Instagram and Facebook, and eventually I got curious enough to find out what all the hype was about.

I’m primarily a horror reader, with the occasional fantasy, Greek mythology retelling, or fairy-tale retelling depending on my mood, so LitRPG was a little outside my usual reading territory. But I’ve been playing video games since I was a kid, and I also grew up loving Choose Your Own Adventure books, so there was something about this story that ended up feeling surprisingly familiar.

When I’m gaming, I usually want cozy games because I want to relax. When I’m reading, apparently I want horror and people getting absolutely wrecked. 😂

But Dungeon Crawler Carl gave me that same childhood excitement I remember from Choose Your Own Adventure books. Obviously, I wasn’t actually making the choices, but the game-like structure gave me that same sense of adventure, anticipation, and wondering what was going to happen next.

And I f*cking loved it.

Dungeon Crawler Carl Review: What Worked For Me

It Made Me Feel Like I Was Playing a Game

This was my first time reading a LitRPG, and I immediately understood the appeal.

The story has all the things you’d expect from a video game: levels, stats, skills, equipment, quests, monsters, traps, rewards, upgrades, achievements, menus, countdown timers, and increasingly ridiculous challenges.

And I absolutely loved the tiny details that made the gaming experience feel so real.

The information pop-ups that appear with an X button to close them, the countdown timers, the menus, the achievement notifications, and even the narrator’s hilarious “Reward:…” moments all made me feel like I was actually inside a game.

Those little details might seem insignificant, but they were some of my favorite parts because they made the whole concept so much more effective.

Because I actually play video games, I could picture everything happening. I kept getting that same feeling I have when I’m playing a game and thinking, Okay, what happens if I do this?

It felt like I was experiencing the adventure alongside Carl rather than simply watching it happen.

And that’s probably what made the book so immersive for me.

The Choose Your Own Adventure Connection

When I was a kid, I loved reading Choose Your Own Adventure books. I remember how exciting they felt because you never quite knew what was going to happen next. Every decision felt like it could send the story in a completely different direction.

Dungeon Crawler Carl obviously isn’t a Choose Your Own Adventure book, but it gave me that same level of excitement.

There’s always another challenge, another room, another monster, another reward, or another ridiculous situation waiting around the corner. Even though I wasn’t actually controlling Carl’s decisions, I felt involved in the adventure.

It reminded me of what I loved about those books as a kid: that constant feeling of “what happens next?”

Carl and Princess Donut Are Fantastic

Carl and Princess Donut were probably my favorite part of the book.

Their banter is hilarious.

Carl is trying to survive this completely insane situation while also dealing with a cat who has her own personality, opinions, demands, and increasingly impressive abilities. Donut is ridiculous in exactly the right way, and the contrast between the two of them makes their relationship so entertaining.

I also really liked how the humor works alongside the action. The book can be violent and dangerous, but it doesn’t take itself so seriously that everything becomes heavy.

The banter kept me laughing, and I actually laughed out loud in Chapter 19, which is always a good sign for me.

The Audiobook Is AMAZING

I listened to the audiobook while following along with the ebook, and that made the experience even more immersive.

Jeff Hays’s narration is fantastic. The different voices, delivery, timing, and character performances added so much personality to the story.

And because this already felt like a video game in my head, hearing everything performed while following along with the ebook made it feel even more like I was inside the game.

The audiobook wasn’t just something I listened to in the background. It became part of the experience.

It Was Just Really Fun

Sometimes a book doesn’t need to be complicated to explain why we love it.

This was fun.

It was adventurous, exciting, funny, chaotic, and entertaining. There was always something happening, and I kept wanting to know what was coming next.

I did lose focus occasionally because I was listening while working and trying to beat a deadline, but it wasn’t difficult to get back into the story. There was enough momentum that I could quickly find my place again.

And for me, that’s a huge win.

Dungeon Crawler Carl Review: Why It Didn’t Fully Click

I don’t really have a major complaint about the story itself. My only real hesitation is that I can see how LitRPG isn’t going to work for every reader.

There are a lot of game mechanics, stats, levels, skills, equipment, menus, achievements, and progression. If you’re not a gamer or don’t enjoy that kind of detail, I could see parts of this feeling like a lot.

For me, though, that was actually part of the fun.

I recognized the gaming logic behind it, so instead of feeling like unnecessary information, it made the world more immersive.

The tone also won’t be for everyone. It’s violent, absurd, ridiculous, and deliberately funny. If you’re looking for a serious, traditional fantasy adventure, this probably isn’t it.

But if you’re looking for something that feels like a video game, an adventure, a comedy, and complete chaos all rolled into one, this worked incredibly well for me.

Final Thoughts on Dungeon Crawler Carl

I finally understand the Dungeon Crawler Carl hype.

This was such a fun surprise because it introduced me to a genre I’d never really explored before, and I ended up having an absolute blast.

I loved how much it felt like playing a video game, but I think the reason it clicked with me goes even further than that. The game-like structure brought back the same excitement I used to get from Choose Your Own Adventure books when I was a kid. That constant anticipation of what might happen next kept me engaged.

And it was the tiny details that really sold the experience for me. The information pop-ups, X buttons, countdown timers, menus, achievements, and the narrator’s “Reward:…” moments made the world feel like an actual game rather than a book simply pretending to be one.

Carl and Princess Donut were fantastic, the banter made me laugh, and the audiobook took the entire experience to another level.

I’m also amused by how opposite my gaming and reading tastes are. 😂 When I’m gaming, I want cozy games. When I’m reading, I want horror, gore, psychological chaos, and people making terrible decisions.

Apparently, I can also enjoy a deadly dungeon crawl when someone else is controlling the character.

And now I completely understand why this series has such a dedicated following, especially among gamers.

I would absolutely recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl to my friends who play video games, especially the ones who enjoy adventure games, because I genuinely think they’d have a great time with it.

Book Information

Title: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Author: Matt Dinniman
Genre: Fantasy / Science Fiction
Subgenre: LitRPG, GameLit, Post-Apocalyptic, Adventure, Dark Comedy
Page Count: 450 pages
POV: First person, primarily Carl
Narrative Style: Multiple
Series Information: Book 1 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series

Themes and Tropes

friendship & loyalty
power & exploitation
unlikely duo
deadly game
apocalypse

Top 3 Highlights

The Sinners connection. The combination of Black history, supernatural horror, vampires, oppression, power, and revenge immediately reminded me of Sinners. The stories are very different, but both use horror to explore ideas much bigger than the monsters themselves.

The vampire mythology. I really enjoyed the African-inspired mythology behind the Ramanga. It gave the vampire elements something different from the usual vampire lore and made the supernatural side of the story feel more distinctive.

The moral complexity. The book constantly makes you question who the real monsters are. The vampires are violent and terrifying, but the human beings inflicting horrific suffering on enslaved people can be even more monstrous.

Gore Level: 3/5
There is plenty of blood, monster gore, injuries, dismemberment, and graphic deaths, but the exaggerated and comedic tone keeps it from feeling like extreme horror.

Spice Level: 1/5
Sexual content is minimal and mostly limited to jokes, innuendo, and references.

Profanity: Frequent strong language throughout. Lots of “Goddamnit, Donut!” LOL
Violence: Constant combat, monsters, weapons, deaths, injuries, and dangerous dungeon traps.
Substances: Some alcohol and substance-related references.

Who Should Read Dungeon Crawler Carl?

If you play video games and enjoy fantasy, adventure, dark humor, or ridiculous survival scenarios, Dungeon Crawler Carl is absolutely worth trying. You don’t need to be a hardcore gamer to understand it, but having some familiarity with gaming can make the experience even more fun because you’ll recognize the logic behind the levels, stats, skills, equipment, quests, achievements, and progression.

I’d especially recommend it to readers who want something entertaining rather than overly serious. It’s violent and chaotic, but the humor and character banter keep it from becoming relentlessly dark. And if you’re an audiobook listener, I strongly recommend giving the audio version a shot because the narration adds so much personality to the characters.

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dungeon Crawler Carl was such a fun surprise.

I picked it up because I kept seeing everyone talk about it, and now I completely understand the hype.

It made me feel like I was playing a video game, while also giving me the same excitement I used to get from Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid. Add Carl and Princess Donut’s hilarious banter, the tiny game details, the adventure, the chaos, and an absolutely fantastic audiobook, and this became a five-star read for me.

If you’re a gamer, especially if you love adventure games, I think you should give this one a shot.

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