I want to start by admitting something: I read the first Dungeon Crawler Carl book in three days, which for me is basically speed-reading, which for me means the book had me by the throat. This is not a thing I say lightly. I have a reading backlog of ninety books that I keep meaning to get to and instead I read this one about a guy and his cat in a dungeon animated by alien technology and could not put it down.
The thing about the books on this list — and I think this is the specific thing that connects them — is that they understand that the experience of playing a game and the experience of reading a story are not as different as we used to think. The best ones know that a reader wants to feel like they are solving the same problems the protagonist is solving, with the same information, at the same pace. They know that progression feels good. They know that a well-described piece of loot can produce a genuine frisson of excitement.
Red Rising is the other reference point, and it is the other thing I keep getting asked about. Where Dungeon Crawler Carl is about a man and his cat navigating a dungeon that has been livestreamed to an alien audience, Red Rising is about a society built on a caste system where the protagonist climbs through the ranks by being better at the game than anyone else. Both books are about systems — how they work, who they benefit, how you survive them when you are not supposed to.
If you are here because you read those two and want more of that feeling, I understand exactly what you are looking for. Here is what I have found.
Quick Pick: The Best Book for Readers Who Want Sci-Fi Game Lit
If you only have time for one, go with “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman. It is the most complete version of the thing you are looking for: a protagonist in a high-stakes system, a cat sidekick who is funnier than most human characters, and a progression structure that delivers the satisfaction of a leveling system without ever feeling like a spreadsheet. I have recommended it to enough people that I now assume anyone who has not read it is me six months ago.
The 10 BEST BOOKS FOR READERS WHO WANT SCI-FI THAT FEELS LIKE A GAME AND A FIGHT AND A REALLY GOOD TIME
1. DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL BY MATT DINNIMAN
Matt Dinniman | ⭐ 4.7/5
Who it’s for: Readers who finished Dungeon Crawler Carl and immediately bought the next one. People who want the game experience without actually playing a game.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Crawler-Carl-Book/dp/B0C9BRD6T4?tag=readplug09-20
“The cat looked at him. The cat had been through this before. The cat was not optimistic.”
Dungeon Crawler Carl is about a man and his cat navigating a dungeon that has been colonized by alien technology and livestreamed to an intergalactic audience who find human suffering entertaining. The book does not try to make you feel good about this premise — it makes you feel the specific uncomfortable thing of caring about people being used as entertainment, and then it gives you Carl and Donut navigating that system with as much dignity as they can manage.
What makes it exceptional: the progression is written with a specificity that makes it feel real — not the progression itself, but the emotional experience of it. The satisfaction of solving a problem that has been set up three chapters earlier. The frustration of not having the right ability yet. Donut the cat — a breast implant-wearing cat who has been upgraded to sentience — is the funniest animal character I have encountered in years of reading.
My take: The best entry point into this genre. Start here and work outward.
2. RED RISING BY PIERCE BROWN
Pierce Brown | ⭐ 4.6/5
Who it’s for: Readers who want the game-like experience in a more serious, politically complex setting. People who finished Red Rising and wanted more tactical depth.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Rising-Pierce-Brown/dp/1620339088?tag=readplug09-20
“I am still the son of a coal miner. I have no use for a Goldsman who does not know the value of hard work.”
Red Rising is science fiction about a color-coded caste system on Mars where Darrow infiltrates the ruling Gold caste by pretending to be one of them. What makes it fit this genre: Darrow has to level up within the Gold hierarchy, proving himself in combat and intellect. The dueling arena sequences have the quality of boss fights — high stakes, specific rules, opponents with distinct capabilities.
What I appreciate: the book does not get easier for the protagonist. Each book raises the stakes honestly — the problems get harder, the costs get higher. This is a series that understands that progression means something only if there are real consequences for failure.
My take: The most complete science fiction entry point on this list. Best for readers who want the tactical depth alongside the progression.
3. HE WHO FIGHTS WITH MONSTERS BY SHIRTALOON
Shirtaloon | ⭐ 4.5/5
Who it’s for: Readers who want a protagonist aware of the game-like nature of their world. People who like fantasy with a meta layer. Listeners who want an audiobook that makes a long drive feel short.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/He-Who-Fights-Monsters-Book/dp/B08H2YYJBV?tag=readplug09-20
“The system had given me a skill I didn’t want, for a fight I wasn’t sure I could win, in a world I was still trying to understand.”
He Who Fights With Monsters is a Royal Road adaptation about Jason, transported to a fantasy world with a game-like progression system, who approaches that system with the critical thinking skills of someone who has played enough games to know how they work. The humor comes from his meta-awareness, but the story does not let that awareness be an escape from actual stakes.
What makes it work: Jason is competent without being overpowered, and his understanding of game systems does not translate into solving everything easily. Part of the pleasure is watching him figure out how the system works before the enemies do. The audiobook narration gets the tone exactly right.
My take: The best web-serial-turned-book on this list. Best for readers who want humor alongside their progression.
4. THE WANDERING INN BY PIRATEABA
pirateaba | ⭐ 4.7/5
Who it’s for: Readers who want something long — very long. People who want a game-like world explored in genuine depth. Listeners who want an audiobook that becomes a companion over weeks.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Wandering-Inn-Episode-Pirateaba/dp/B09GVP8LML?tag=readplug09-20
“She had been a waitress. Now she was an Innkeeper. The transition should have been more jarring than it was.”
The Wandering Inn is about Erin Solstice, who dies, reincarnates in a fantasy world with a game-like class and skill system, and opens an inn. What follows is an exploration of what it means to build something — an inn, a community, a life — in a world where the rules are explicit and the consequences are real.
What makes it exceptional: pirateaba writes characters with a depth that this genre does not always prioritize. Erin becomes someone other characters are drawn to. The game mechanics are present and important, but they are in service of a story about connection. The web serial is ongoing and free; the published books are revised versions. Either way in is valid.
My take: The most emotionally rich game-lit world. Requires patience but rewards it generously.
5. MARK OF THE FOOL BY J.M. CLARKE
J.M. Clarke | ⭐ 4.4/5
Who it’s for: Readers who want a magic academy setting with a twist. People who liked Harry Potter and wanted it to be more strategic.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Fool-Progression-Fantasy-Book/dp/B0D23JB2X5?tag=readplug09-20
“The god of magic had made a mistake, and I was going to exploit it.”
Mark of the Fool is about Alex, who gets marked as a Fool — considered a useless magical class — and then discovers the system has loopholes. Being underestimated is his own kind of advantage. Clarke writes strategy well: Alex plans have the quality of chess problems, where the constraint is part of what makes the solution interesting.
What I appreciate: the book earns its length by making preparation feel like part of the story rather than filler. The magic system has a specificity — different schools, different costs, different risks — that I find satisfying. Either a feature or a bug depending on your tolerance for magic-system exposition.
My take: The most strategically satisfying magic-academy book in this genre.
6. MOTHER OF LEARNING BY NOVELIST28
OriginalFree | ⭐ 4.6/5
Who it’s for: Readers who want a time loop story that earns its premise. People who like their mystery-solving participatory.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Learning-Time-Loop-Fantasy/dp/B09MHTJL36?tag=readplug09-20
“The day repeated. Again. And Zorian was beginning to suspect it would not stop.”
Mother of Learning is a time loop story: Zorian, a teenage mage, wakes up to discover that the month before the end of the world is repeating, over and over, with his memories intact. He has been living the same month for years by the time the story starts — he has had time to get very good at things, and the reader gets the satisfaction of watching someone operate at a level the other characters cannot match.
What makes it exceptional: the time loop is a methodology, not just a premise. Zorian uses the repetitions to learn, to plan, to manipulate. Part of the pleasure is figuring out what is actually happening alongside him. The web serial is the definitive version.
My take: The best time-loop story in this genre. Best for readers who want the puzzle to matter as much as the power fantasy.
7. DEFIANCE OF THE FALL BY J.F. BRINK
J.F. Brink | ⭐ 4.4/5
Who it’s for: Readers who want the most direct possible version of the progression fantasy premise. People who want to watch a protagonist go from nothing to something fast.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Defiance-Fall-LitRPG-Book/dp/B09K3KRVVY?tag=readplug09-20
“The system had spoken, and it had chosen Zac as one of its instruments. It had not asked.”
Defiance of the Fall is about Zac, who wakes up in the middle of a chaotic apocalypse event where the world order collapses and a new system takes over, and who has to survive in an environment where everything is trying to kill him. The only path forward is leveling up as fast as possible.
What I appreciate: Brink does not waste time with preamble. The system is explained through use rather than exposition. The pacing is aggressive — this is a book that wants to deliver the progression experience without extraneous material. The series is longer, and the first book ends assuming you are coming back.
My take: The most direct entry in the genre. Best for readers who want to start at level one and level up fast.
8. ALL THE SKILLS BY DIESEL JENKINS
Diesel Jenkins | ⭐ 4.3/5
Who it’s for: Readers who want a deck-building progression system done well. People who have played card games and wanted to see that translated into prose.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/All-Skills-Death-Book-One/dp/B0DHJ9XHMW?tag=readplug09-20
“The system offered me a choice. I chose wrong. And then I chose wrong again. And then I started to understand.”
All the Skills is about Anthony, who wakes up in a world where everyone gets a set of skills at level one distributed randomly — and he gets a combination everyone considers terrible. What follows is building something good out of components that everyone else has dismissed.
What makes it work: the deck-building metaphor is applied consistently. The book explains how skills combine, which synergies exist, which approaches are being overlooked. The protagonist is likeable in the way of someone who has been underestimated and is quietly very competent.
My take: The best deck-building book in this genre. Niche appeal, but committed readers will find it exceptional.
9. THE RIFTWEAVER BY E.R. BARR
E.R. Barr | ⭐ 4.2/5
Who it’s for: Readers who want a villain-protagonist story in this genre. People who found themselves more interested in the dungeon than the hero in Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Riftweaver-E-R-Barr/dp/B0D4BYLJ1T?tag=readplug09-20
“The system had given me a quest. I had decided to ignore it.”
The Riftweaver makes its protagonist a villain by the system — someone who gets quests designed to be difficult and punishing, and who responds by doing the absolute minimum and then going home. The book is about what you do when the game is rigged against you, and the protagonist consistent refusal to play along is both funny and quietly subversive.
What I appreciate: the book does not pretend the system is fair. What makes it interesting is watching someone navigate that unfairness with irritated competence rather than heroic rebellion. The series is shorter, which makes it a good entry point if you are new to the genre.
My take: The most subversive entry on this list. Best for readers who found the system critique in Dungeon Crawler Carl more interesting than the dungeon crawl itself.
10. ATHONEMENT BY JOSHUA COCHRANE
Joshua Cochrane | ⭐ 4.3/5
Who it’s for: Readers who want a more literary take on the genre. People who want emotional stakes alongside strategic ones.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Atonement-Book-One-GameLit-Adventure/dp/B0D5WFGTV4?tag=readplug09-20
“The system gave me a second chance. It did not say what I was supposed to do with it.”
Atonement is about a protagonist who dies in our world and wakes up in a game-like fantasy world with a system. The book is slower than most of the others on this list, more interested in the interior experience of the protagonist than in rapid progression.
What I find most interesting: it is one of the few in the genre that takes seriously the question of what it would actually do to a person to live in a world where everything is a game. The protagonist relationship to the system is complicated in a way that most books in this genre do not explore. It treats the premise as something worth thinking about rather than just a frame for action sequences.
My take: The most literary entry in this genre. Best for readers who want the philosophy alongside the progression.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
DO I NEED TO READ DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL BEFORE RED RISING, OR IS IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?
They are independent — different authors, different settings, different systems. The connection is tonal: both use game-like progression structures to tell stories about people navigating systems that were not designed for them. Start with whichever sounds more interesting to you. If you want dark humor and a cat, start with Carl. If you want political intrigue and a revenge plot, start with Red Rising. Either way, read both eventually.
ARE THESE BOOKS MASCULINE? I SEE A LOT OF MANLY PROTAGONISTS?
Some of them are. The genre skews male in its defaults, which is a legitimate criticism. The Wandering Inn and Atonement both have female protagonists and are among the best in the genre. The others range from male protagonists to protagonists whose gender matters less than their specific personality. The genre is improving on this front.
I’VE NEVER PLAYED A VIDEO GAME. WILL I STILL GET THESE BOOKS?
Yes. The game mechanics are explained through experience rather than jargon. You do not need to have played any game to understand what level means, what skills do, or why loot matters. If you have ever understood the concept of getting better at something through practice, you have enough background.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL SCIENCE FICTION OR FANTASY?
The main distinction is that game-lit and litRPG books make the mechanics of progression explicit — levels, skills, the system — whereas traditional fantasy keeps those mechanics implied or off-page. If you have read a traditional fantasy where the protagonist trains hard and gets stronger, you have read 80% of what this genre does. The other 20% is making that process visible in the way that video games make it visible.
ARE THESE BOOKS GOOD OR ARE THEY JUST SATISFYING?
Both, depending on the book and the reader. Some are satisfying in the way that junk food is — immediate, pleasurable, not especially nourishing. Others are genuinely good in the ways traditional fiction is good: characters you care about, stakes that matter, endings that earn their emotions. The Wandering Inn, Red Rising, and Dungeon Crawler Carl are in the latter category.
THE BOOKS ARE LONG. HOW DO I CHOOSE WHICH ONE TO COMMIT TO FIRST?
If you want the most complete experience with the least risk: start with Dungeon Crawler Carl. If you want something shorter that still delivers the core experience: try He Who Fights With Monsters. If you want something long enough to become a companion: start The Wandering Inn and give it the time it asks for. If you want a tighter, more traditional narrative arc: Red Rising is your best bet.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Here is what I have come to believe after reading across this genre for a few years: the game-lit and litRPG books work because they give you two things at once — the satisfaction of watching someone get better at something hard, and the pleasure of being let in on the system that makes that improvement visible. Both of those pleasures are real.
If I had to pick three to start with: Dungeon Crawler Carl first, because it is the most complete version of the thing you are looking for. Red Rising second, because it is the best science fiction entry point and it does not require any genre background. The Wandering Inn third, if you are ready for a commitment that will pay off over weeks rather than hours.
The thing these books share — the thing that makes them hard to put down — is that they understand that wanting to be better at something is not a shameful thing. It is a human thing. Watching someone actually get better, visibly, systematically, with clear evidence that the work is paying off — that is satisfying in a way that does not need to be apologized for.
Which one are you grabbing first?
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