Looking for the Dungeon Crawler Carl books in order? This guide lays out Matt Dinniman’s main series in the cleanest reading order possible, plus the optional Crocodile side story and the latest adaptation news.
At its core, Dungeon Crawler Carl is a brutal, ridiculous, and surprisingly emotional LitRPG series about Carl and Princess Donut trying to survive an alien reality-show dungeon after Earth is destroyed. It gets bloodier, stranger, and bigger with every book, but the best way to read it is still refreshingly simple.
Jump to:
- Where to Start?
- Dungeon Crawler Carl Books in Order
- Dungeon Crawler Carl Adaptations
- Who is Matt Dinniman?
- Dungeon Crawler Carl Books FAQ
Where to Start?
Start with Dungeon Crawler Carl and then keep going in publication order.
That answer gets muddied online because the series began as self-published novels and later received Ace print editions. So you may see multiple publication dates depending on which version a site is listing. For reading order, though, none of that changes the answer. Book 1 is still Book 1, Book 2 is still Book 2, and publication order is still the strongest route for new readers.
It also helps that this is not a series you should jump into halfway through. The worldbuilding stacks. The running jokes build. The character work lands harder the longer you stay with Carl and Donut. So while Matt Dinniman has written other books, this page sticks only to Dungeon Crawler Carl and the related side material that actually belongs with it.
Dungeon Crawler Carl Books in Order
Let’s get down to it. Reading the Dungeon Crawler Carl books in order is pretty straightforward.
A quick note before the list: the dates below use each novel’s first release, not later Ace hardcovers or paperbacks. That keeps the order clean and avoids a lot of unnecessary confusion.
- Dungeon Crawler Carl (September 21, 2020)
- Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (January 2, 2021)
- The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (March 19, 2021)
- The Gate of the Feral Gods (June 14, 2021)
- The Butcher’s Masquerade (February 19, 2022)
- The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (July 2, 2023)
- This Inevitable Ruin (November 3, 2024)
- A Parade of Horribles (May 12, 2026)
Matt Dinniman has said he currently plans for the Dungeon Crawler Carl series to span 10 books total, so there’s still more ahead.
Dungeon Crawler Carl Graphic Novels
There are currently two Dungeon Crawler Carl graphic novel projects worth noting, but neither one changes the main novel reading order above. Vol. 1 is a graphic adaptation of the existing story, while Crocodile is an original side story set in the same universe.
- Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 1 (July 8, 2025)
- Dungeon Crawler Carl: Crocodile (Early 2027)
What is Dungeon Crawler Carl: Crocodile?
Dungeon Crawler Carl: Crocodile is an official graphic novel side story set in the same universe. It follows Florin DuPont and explores the origin of the Crocodilian Shotgun Messenger. In other words, it is companion material, not part of the main numbered novel sequence.
That means the cleanest move is to treat Crocodile as optional bonus reading. Read the core novels first. Then circle back to Crocodile once you already know you’re in for the long haul. It expands the world, but it should not replace the main series order above.
Dungeon Crawler Carl Adaptations
Dungeon Crawler Carl is no longer just a book series.
The biggest adaptation news is the upcoming television series. After Universal International Studios and Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door began developing the property, the project officially landed at Peacock in April 2026 as a live-action series. Chris Yost is attached to write and executive produce, while MacFarlane executive produces through Fuzzy Door. Matt Dinniman is also attached as an executive producer.
At the moment, there is no release date, cast list, or trailer yet. Still, this is the clearest sign so far that Dungeon Crawler Carl has moved from breakout genre hit to full-on cross-media franchise.
The series also has a Webtoon adaptation, which gives readers a more visual way to experience Carl and Donut’s chaos. And then there is Dungeon Crawler Carl: Crocodile, the official graphic novel side story that launched through BackerKit and expanded the world beyond the main novels.
So if you were wondering whether this series is still just a niche LitRPG favorite, the answer is no. It has clearly outgrown that label.
Who is Matt Dinniman?
Matt Dinniman is a writer and artist from Gig Harbor, Washington, and he is best known for creating the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
What makes Dinniman stand out is that he doesn’t write LitRPG like a dry mechanics exercise. The books are funny, violent, bizarre, and weirdly heartfelt all at once. One minute you’re getting a ridiculous joke about pants or loot boxes, and the next minute the story is hitting harder emotionally than you expected.
He has written other books too, but they are separate from Dungeon Crawler Carl. So if your goal is just to read Carl’s story in the right order, you do not need to mix in the rest of Dinniman’s catalog.
Dungeon Crawler Carl Books FAQ
How many Dungeon Crawler Carl books are there?
There are eight main books announced in the series, with A Parade of Horribles scheduled for May 12, 2026. As of April 8, 2026, seven main novels are already out.
Is Dungeon Crawler Carl finished?
No, the series is not finished yet. A Parade of Horribles is the next main installment, and there is no sign that Dinniman is done with Carl and Donut after that.
Do you have to read Crocodile?
No. Crocodile is optional companion material, not part of the core numbered reading order.
Is Dungeon Crawler Carl being adapted for TV?
Yes. The live-action adaptation is in development at Peacock. Chris Yost is writing and executive producing, Seth MacFarlane is producing through Fuzzy Door, and Matt Dinniman is attached as an executive producer.
Do you need to read Matt Dinniman’s other books first?
No. Dungeon Crawler Carl stands on its own. You can start with Book 1 and follow the series straight through without reading anything else by Dinniman first.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.