Gamers, assemble! For those times when you can’t be at the controls, explore this subgenre. The plot most often operates similar to a video game. Our main characters follow the rules to the game, or suffer the consequences and shenanigans ensue. The Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman is the obvious recommendation, but here’s a few others in case you’re all caught up with those.
The Only Way Out is Up by Django Wexler
“A small-time scrapper and his pet robot will fight their way out of the junk-heap in a tournament that will either make them richer than gods or rip them apart in the first book of Django Wexler’s lightning paced progression fantasy adventure for fans of Cradle and Dungeon Crawler Carl.“
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
“A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel…”
The Ship of Death by Kyle Winkler
“House of Leaves meets Jumanji in this brilliantly original and twisted novel composed entirely of found documents, following an unwitting couple ensnared by a sinister tabletop role-playing game“
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
“IN THE YEAR 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.“
Dungeons & Deliveries by AP Scribe
“In this comedic urban fantasy that’s equal parts Scott Pilgrim and Dungeon Crawler Carl, Alex doesn’t slay monsters; he delivers pizza. Broke and rejected by every business, guild, and clan in town, Alex desperately needs a job. He’s got to feed his thirty-pound cat, rent is coming due, and the streets of postapocalyptic Toronto are rough.“
Hollow Twilight by Kieran Starovsky
“It’s all fun and games until somebody dies. Delve into the unsettling world of Hollow Twilight, a Ready Player One meets Stranger Things LitRPG where there’s no XP to collect and no loot to scavenge, but one wrong move could be the difference between life and death.“
The Mayor of Noobtown by Ryan Rimmel
“After dying and being reborn into a world that’s built like a video game, Jim has found himself stuck in a very old world style new player zone for low level adventurers. Unfortunately, the zone fell out of use centuries ago, and no one told the monsters they were supposed to take it easy on the Noobs. Even worse, the only new player around is Jim.“
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler
“Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy in Django Wexler’s laugh-out-loud fantasy tale about a young woman who, tired of defending humanity from the Dark Lord, decides to become the Dark Lord herself.“
The Running Man by Stephen King
“Ben Richards has no job, no money, and a young daughter who urgently needs medical attention. Desperate, out of options, he signs up for The Running Man, “the biggest show in the country.” It’s an ultraviolent competition where the stakes could not be higher. Ben must stay alive for thirty days while an elite strike force, trained to kill, hunts for him.“
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