I Started Reading Dungeon Crawler Carl, And One Thing Completely Caught Me Off Guard

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A Dungeon Crawler Carl series is on the way to Peacock, and with the summer gap in programming in the 2026 TV schedule, I figured it was high time to read the first book of a series I’ve seen so many rave about. I would’ve read it sooner, but I stayed away for far too long out of fear it was too Dungeons & Dragons coded for me.

This is to say, I’m a pretty geeky guy, and while I’m generally down for the best sci-fi shows and dabble in the Game of Thrones franchise, fantasy generally isn’t my thing. I’ve tried the iconic tabletop game a few times, and even variants like Pathfinder, and it just wasn’t for me. As such, I assumed the books wouldn’t be my style, but I’m so happy to report I couldn’t be more wrong. Mild spoilers about the premise if you find yourself in the same boat, but here’s what I got wrong about Dungeon Crawler Carl.

I Assumed The Series Borrowed Heavily From Dungeons And Dragons, But Was Wrong

One might understand how I was led into thinking Dungeon Crawler Carl is a book that appeals primarily to the DnD crowd. There’s literally artwork of a guy navigating a dungeon on the cover, and there’s a quote on the back of my copy from Felicia Day, who is a major face of the tabletop gaming world. I was judging a book by its cover, which is a rookie mistake, so that’s on me.

Some might argue in defense of Dungeon Crawler Carl emulating tabletop RPGs, but the premise itself is way more sci-fi. Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat Donut have their worlds turned upside down along with millions of others when the entirety of the world is seemingly destroyed, instantly killing everyone who was indoors when the event happened. Soon after, he discovers the entirety of Earth’s existence was effectively done in order to participate in an intergalactic game show, of which trillions tune in to watch.

The dungeon elements are there, but there’s a much bigger sci-fi concept behind the dungeon-crawling premise. Really, this is more like a reality TV meets video game premise, and as someone who is preparing to watch Big Brother Season 28 on my Xbox Series X, that’s exactly my wheelhouse.

Dungeon Crawler Carl Caters To A Specific Audience, And If You’re In It, It’s Fantastic

I love Dungeon Crawler Carl, but I do wonder if it’ll be able to find a big audience when it premieres for those with a Peacock subscription. The first book, and I only highlight that one because it’s the only one I’ve read, is just drenched in references that gamer millennials who grew up using the internet in the 2000s would fully appreciate.

Then again, I was able to jive with The Amazing Digital Circus, despite it being something my daughter was more into. Maybe those of a younger age will look past the references and see the wild violence that may just rival the best horror movies if executed the same way as it was in the books. I’ll be watching either way, but I think for this series to have a long run, it’s going to need a big audience.

I’m keeping my eyes peeled for updates on the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and other upcoming book-to-screen adaptations that come along the way. I’m also learning not to judge a book by its cover, a mistake I won’t be making again anytime soon.