Dungeon Crawler Carl

Name: Dungeon Crawler Carl Review
Item: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Rating: 4
Author: Fable & Mind

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1) — honest 4/5 review of the LitRPG: tropes, spice level, Carl and Princess Donut, and why the humour works.

Review published 20 September 2026

Fable & Mind Editorial, exploring reader psychology and fantasy storytelling.

My review

My book review of Dungeon Crawler Carl

Author: Matt Dinniman
Series: Dungeon Crawler Carl #1
Release date: September 21, 2020
Read from: 12.09.2026 – 18.09.2026

(4/5)

Book facts

Archetype

Primary: Escapist Dreamer — a completely bizarre world, dungeon crawling, constant surprises, strange creatures, ridiculous situations, and an adventure where you never really know what's waiting on the next floor.
Secondary: Emotional Alchemist — underneath all the chaos and humour, there's a surprising amount of humanity. Carl and Donut's friendship, loyalty, and the way they rely on each other while dealing with a pretty horrible situation give the story its emotional heart.

Tropes

LitRPGDungeon crawlingSurvival gameUnlikely friendshipTalking catAlien invasionFound familyLeveling upApocalyptic survival

Spice level

None.

POV

First person POV.

Vibe

Quirky · Nerdy · Funny · Chaotic · Adventurous

The highlights

I'm not a gamer, but I really enjoyed the adventure of Carl and Princess Donut.

Carl is such a likeable character and a bit of a softie, and then you have Princess Donut and her HUGE personality. They're such a good match. Their dynamic is really what kept the story together for me. I just wanted to know what was going to happen to them next.

What I really liked was Carl and Princess Donut as characters, their relationship, their adventures, and how they tackle all the obstacles thrown at them.

It's more the friendship and humanity underneath all the craziness that I enjoyed and appreciated.

And I have to add, the audiobook performance by Jeff Hays is AMAZING. He did all the voices himself! Such a talented narrator.

What didn't work

This is a LitRPG, so it gets very game nerdy with all the items, inventory, leveling up, power ups, classes, etc.

I'm sometimes an anime fan, but I'm definitely not a gamer, so some of those descriptions were a bit too detailed for me.

I can see those elements being really charming and fun for gaming fans, but personally, I didn't care about them that much.

My final thoughts

Quirky, nerdy, funny, and entertaining!

It's the kind of book where you know you're going to get some laughs, lovable character interactions, and a fun adventure.

I'll definitely continue with the series.

Would I recommend it?

Yes!

Especially if you're a gamer or already enjoy LitRPG. I think you'll probably appreciate all the gaming details much more than I did.

But even as someone who isn't a gamer, I still had so much fun with Carl and Princess Donut. If you like quirky characters, ridiculous situations, humour, and chaotic adventures, this is worth trying.

Where to buy

Buy Dungeon Crawler Carl on Amazon

Bonus · Psychology Corner

Why do we joke when everything is terrible?

Something I found interesting about Dungeon Crawler Carl is just how funny it is considering how horrible the actual situation is.

If you remove all the game mechanics and ridiculousness, what Carl is experiencing is actually terrifying.

His world has basically ended. People have died. He's constantly in danger. He has very little control over what happens to him.

And yet, the story is funny.

That made me think about humour as a coping mechanism.

Psychological research suggests that humour can help us regulate negative emotions and cope with stressful situations. One way it can work is through reappraisal, basically changing the way we look at something emotionally difficult without pretending that the situation itself isn't bad. Research has found that humorous reappraisal can reduce negative emotional responses to unpleasant situations.

And I think that's interesting when looking at Carl.

The absurdity doesn't make his situation less horrible. The dungeon is still dangerous. The things happening around him are still messed up.

But humour makes the unbearable a little more bearable.

Research on coping humour has also found associations between greater use of humour and lower perceived stress in highly stressful situations, although how helpful humour is can depend on the type of humour and the situation.

Maybe that's part of why Dungeon Crawler Carl can be completely ridiculous and surprisingly human at the same time.

Sometimes when you can't control what's happening to you, being able to laugh at the absurdity of it is one small thing you can still control.

Dungeon Crawler Carl FAQ

Is Dungeon Crawler Carl worth reading?

Rated 4/5. If you enjoy quirky, funny stories with chaotic adventures and lovable characters, it is absolutely worth trying — even if you are not a gamer. Some of the detailed LitRPG game mechanics may slow non-gamers down, but Carl and Princess Donut carry the story from start to finish.

Is Dungeon Crawler Carl spicy?

No. Dungeon Crawler Carl has no romance or spice. The emotional heart of the book is the friendship, loyalty, and unlikely partnership between Carl and Princess Donut.

What is Dungeon Crawler Carl about?

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman is a LitRPG novel. Aliens destroy Earth and turn the world into a deadly multi-level dungeon run as a game show. Carl and his ex-girlfriend's prize-winning show cat, Princess Donut, must fight, level up, and survive floor by floor, never knowing what is waiting on the next one.

Do I need to be a gamer to enjoy Dungeon Crawler Carl?

No. The book gets very game nerdy with items, inventory, levelling up, power-ups, and classes, which gamers and LitRPG fans will appreciate most. But even as a non-gamer you can enjoy the humour, the ridiculous situations, and the surprisingly human friendship underneath all the craziness.

Is Dungeon Crawler Carl part of a series?

Yes. It is book one of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman, and the story continues across many more floors of the dungeon. The audiobook, narrated by Jeff Hays, is also widely praised — he performs all the voices himself.

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