To say there is a lot happening when Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series begins would be a massive understatement. The story opens with Carl, a Coast Guard veteran, caught outside in the dead of winter wearing nothing but his underwear when every man-made structure on Earth suddenly collapses. He and the only nearby survivor — a talking cat named Princess Donut — are forced to descend into the planet’s rebuilt interior, which has been transformed into an 18-level dungeon serving as the backdrop for a corporate alien race’s twisted reality television show called Dungeon Crawler World. This unique blend of LitRPG storytelling, dark humor, and survival mechanics has captivated readers and left many searching for video games that capture a similar experience.

The Dungeon Crawler Carl series has become a phenomenon in the LitRPG and progression fantasy genres since its debut in 2020. Author Matt Dinniman created something special by combining the classic dungeon-crawling adventure with satirical commentary on reality television, corporate greed, and the human condition. The audiobook versions, narrated by Jeff Hays, have particularly helped propel the series to bestseller status. For fans finishing each book and craving more of that dungeon-delving, loot-collecting, and stat-building action, video games offer the perfect medium to experience similar thrills firsthand.

Classic Dungeon Crawlers That Capture the Spirit

Several video games manage to capture the essence of what makes Dungeon Crawler Carl so compelling. The Diablo series, particularly Diablo IV, remains the gold standard for dungeon-crawling action RPGs. Players descend through increasingly difficult levels, collecting randomized loot, upgrading their characters, and facing hordes of enemies — much like Carl and Princess Donut navigating each floor of the alien-created dungeon. The roguelike genre also offers excellent options, with games like Hades and Dead Cells providing that same sense of progression through death and rebirth that mirrors Carl’s desperate survival attempts.

For those seeking the specific LitRPG elements of visible statistics, level-ups, and character builds, games like Path of Exile deliver an incredibly deep progression system. The free-to-play title features one of gaming’s most complex skill trees and an economy system that would feel right at home in the mercantile aspects of Dungeon Crawler World. Similarly, the Souls-like genre, including Elden Ring and Dark Souls, captures the punishing difficulty and strategic combat that Carl faces against increasingly dangerous bosses on each floor.

Games with Dark Humor and Survival Elements

What sets Dungeon Crawler Carl apart from typical fantasy fare is its dark humor and the absurdist nature of its reality TV premise. Games like The Stanley Parable and Portal series feature sardonic narration and commentary that parallels the AI announcers in Carl’s world. For survival mechanics combined with exploration, titles such as Deep Rock Galactic offer cooperative dungeon-delving where players descend into procedurally generated caves, fighting alien creatures while managing resources — a scenario that echoes Carl’s desperate scavenging for supplies between floors.

The emerging genre of extraction shooters and survival games also deserves mention. Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown create that same tension of high-stakes gameplay where death means losing everything you’ve collected. This mirrors the life-or-death nature of Dungeon Crawler World, where contestants must survive or face permanent elimination. The psychological pressure these games create resonates deeply with readers who’ve experienced Carl’s near-death encounters throughout the series.

Looking Forward: The Future of Dungeon Crawling Games

As the LitRPG genre continues growing in popularity, game developers are increasingly drawing inspiration from these literary works. The success of Dungeon Crawler Carl demonstrates a hunger for stories that blend game mechanics with compelling narratives. Upcoming titles in the ARPG and roguelike spaces are incorporating more story-driven elements, character development, and the kind of dark humor that Dinniman perfected. Whether you’re waiting for the next book in the series or simply want to experience dungeon-crawling action yourself, the gaming landscape offers countless opportunities to scratch that particular itch while imagining yourself in Carl’s combat boots.