Dungeon Crawler Carl

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat.

And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic, intergalactic game show.

That’s what.

And now Coast Guard veteran Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, must try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game-like, trap-filled, fantasy dungeon.

A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality TV show with countless viewers across the galaxy. So not only do they have to stay alive, but they also need to earn ratings based on their performance.

Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Keeping viewers entertained is essential. Survival, however, is not.

Author: Matt Dinniman

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), Space opera, Fantasy, Fiction: special features

Published on 4 Dec 2025 by Penguin Books Ltd.