Welcome, crawler
The Crawler's Cookbook
An unauthorized Dungeon Crawler Carl companion. Spoiler-safe, floor by floor.
Where the series is right now
Book 9: The Beautiful Place
Book 8: A Parade of Horribles
The Book 8 hub has every format. Spoiler zone, updated character pages, and the new Floor 10/11 theory (Book 8 spoilers) are all live. The Book 8 recap covers the whole book.
Explore the Cookbook
What Is DCC?
Someone sent you here. They're right. Here's what the series is, why it's good, and answers to every objection you have.
Start hereReading Order
Every book in the series, in order. Kindle, Audible, and hardcover links. The AI recommends the audiobook. The AI has opinions.
Con & HalloweenHalloween Costume & Cosplay Guide
Carl's boxers, Donut's tiara, Mongo props, con-safe builds, and what to buy before your deadline gets stupid.
BooksBook Guides
Floor-by-floor breakdowns, new characters, key items, and non-spoiler synopses for every book in the series.
CharactersCrawler Dossiers
Carl. Donut. Mordecai. Mongo. Katia. Everyone who matters. Stats, abilities, relationships, and sarcasm.
TheoriesTin Foil Hat Zone
Fan theories, deep analysis, and arguments you'll have at 3 AM. Spoiler scope clearly marked.
FloorsThe Dungeon
Floor-by-floor reference. Rules, mobs, bosses, mechanics, and the things Carl blew up on each one.
TrackerProgression
Track Carl, Donut, and Mongo's journey. Levels, key items, party changes, and milestones by book. Book 1 shows first; tap to open each later book.
SpoilersSpoiler Zones
Full plot discussion, book by book. Enter at your own risk. Mordecai is disappointed in your choices.
UpdatedNews & Updates
Book 8, the Peacock TV series order, the record-breaking TTRPG, Webtoon, toys. Everything happening in the DCC universe right now.
AffiliateLoot Shop
Books, audiobooks, pre-orders, and crawler gear. Affiliate links that support the site. The AI has curated this inventory personally.
Caught up?Just Finished?
You binged the whole series. You have feelings. We've been expecting you. Here's what to do next.
ReferenceGlossary
Every term, faction, and concept in DCC. Defined by the System AI. The Borant Corporation did not approve this.
For non-fansGift Guide
What to buy for the DCC fan in your life. Written for people who have no idea what this series is.
Floor 3 Class Selection
Every crawler picks a class on Floor 3, and the System AI does not accept indecision. Seven questions, one verdict, no appeals.
Take the class quiz All five quizzes
The author
mattdinniman.com
The author's site. Newsletter signup, announcements, and links to everything official.
Early accessMatt's Patreon
Early chapter access before publication. Dinniman serializes the series here before the books come out. If you can't wait, this is how you stop waiting.
From the community
The Crawler's Cookbook is part of the broader DCC community. Reddit and Discord are where the arguments happen. We're the reference library you open at 1 AM to settle one about Floor 6.
r/dungeoncrawlercarl
The subreddit. Theory posts, memes, fan art, and heated debates about Carl's underwear situation. Matt lurks here. He's been caught.
CommunityDCC Discord
32,000+ members. Spoiler channels by book, audiobook talk, and real-time theory arguments.
CommunityDCC Facebook Group
Theory discussions, fan art, memes, and the kind of energy you get when people who love a book series find each other.
ReferenceDCC Fandom Wiki
1,600+ pages of raw reference data. Every item, mob, NPC, and achievement catalogued. The exhaustive option.
OriginRoyal Road
Where DCC started. Top 10 on Royal Road. The series grew from indie web serial to mainstream juggernaut here.
WebtoonDCC Webtoon
275,000+ subscribers, 8 million+ views. The illustrated adaptation. Season 2 confirmed.
Finished DCC? What to read next
DCC fans are picky, and they should be. Most "books like Dungeon Crawler Carl" lists are generic LitRPG listicles. These are the ones we would hand a DCC fan, sorted by which part of the series they loved.
Amazon links below earn the site a small commission.
He Who Fights with Monsters
by Shirtaloon. Jason Asano is a laid-back Australian who gets isekai'd into a fantasy world with suspiciously villainous powers and a dry sense of humor. The snark-to-heart ratio is the closest thing to DCC's tone in the genre. Massive series, great audiobooks.
See it on AmazonDefiance of the Fall
by TheFirstDefier. Earth gets integrated into a universal system. Zac fights his way from desk jockey to powerhouse. The grind-to-survive adrenaline is real. Deep worldbuilding, earned power progression, and a protagonist with Carl-level stubbornness.
See it on AmazonBeware of Chicken
by Casualfarmer. A burned-out cultivator quits the sect, buys a farm, and raises chickens. One rooster achieves enlightenment. A pig becomes a philosopher. It's the anti-DCC: warm, cozy, and profoundly human. DCC fans love it because the character writing is on the same level.
See it on AmazonThe Wandering Inn
by pirateaba. An innkeeper in a fantasy world. Sounds simple. It's not. The Wandering Inn is famously long, and somehow every volume earns its length. Andrea Parsneau's narration rivals Jeff Hays.
See it on AmazonProject Hail Mary
by Andy Weir. Not LitRPG, not progression fantasy, and still the first book we hand a DCC fan. A man wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of why he's there. The tone of "ordinary person solving impossible problems with resourcefulness and profanity" is pure Carl energy.
See it on AmazonAll the Skills
by Honour Rae. Card-based magic, dragons, and a protagonist who can learn any skill. Matt Dinniman himself called it out for its "uncommon magic system, a little bit of thievery, and cool dragons." If the author of DCC recommends it, that's the endorsement that matters.
See it on AmazonAmazon links in this section earn the site a small commission at no extra cost to you. We would recommend them without the links. For more, see books like Dungeon Crawler Carl.