Do you read litRPG/Gamelit books? 🎮📚

I was introduced to the genre years ago, but only recently became truly engrossed in it, thanks to the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman.

So litRPG books are basically stories where the underlying narrative is based on game mechanics. It’s a kind of progression fantasy, where the characters grow more powerful and the reader gets to tag along as they gain levels, skills, spells, etc.

Like they would in a TTRPG, MMO, or other kind of roleplaying game.

The first one I read was called Ascend Online. It was recommended by a podcast listener way back when I was doing the Geek to Geek Podcast. You can listen to that episode here.

It’s also very similar to the isekai genre of anime and manga. Sword Art Online and .hack are a couple of the more prominent examples.

Anyway, I’ve dipped my toe in a few times, even had a few ideas rumble through my head about writing a series of novels in the genre myself. Lately, I ran across the Dungeon Crawler Carl series of novels, and while I didn’t think they were going to be my jam, it turns out they are my jaaaaaam.

The premise is simple: every structure on Earth was collapsed by an alien race, and everyone died. Everyone except the people who were not covered by a roof at that point. Those people were ushered into a dungeon that is being televised like a Running Man or Hunger Games-style death course that uses RPG-like game mechanics to increase the people’s power.

I read the first few pages, and it was like “okay, I kind of hate Carl.” But then a few more pages, I really started to feel for him, and by the time he and his cat Princess Donut met their mentor/game guide Mordecai and opened their first loot boxes, I was hooked.

I’ve now read all 6 published books and subscribed to the author’s Patreon to read the available chapters of Book 7 before the book is done.

They’re spectacular.

Anyway, I am working on outlining two separate gamelit/litRPG book series right now, as I have really been wanting to write some more novels.

Heck, even my first series of novels, The Technomage Archive, was based on MMOs, like the party structure, classes, and instancing technology. All the way back when I Kickstarted that series in 2012.

Looking back, I definitely should have included gear and levels and stuff in those books. I considered it, but I genuinely didn’t think people would want to read that kind of thing.

I was totally wrong.

Anyway, all that said, I have some upcoming projects I’m working on, including a cyberpunk gamelit book I’ve been drafting bits and pieces of for years and a cozy-ish litRPG with mechanics similar to Stardew Valley that I think has some real potential.

I also rediscovered a rough draft of a novel I wrote for a pulpy sci-fi series about a married couple running a space bed-and-breakfast on their ship who get pulled into treasure-hunting shenanigans. We’ll see if I can edit that into something worthwhile.

Anyway, do you like gamelit or litRPG books? Let me know some of your favorites so I can check them out!