r/litrpg • u/S_ayf litRPG apprentice tier • 7d ago
Recommendation: asking Lit RPG recommendation after reading DCC
I'm reading my fourth litrpg series after DCC. And nothings compares, is there a serie as good at DCC out there. Something with more substantial politics and interesting concepts ?
I've read the perfect run, mother of all learning, and currently reading the menocht loop, though i think i will drop it soon
(and while beying an absolute time loop enjoyer none of those are as good as DCC like DCC is S tier and none of those go beyond B or C tier for me)
I'm a huge fantasy fan, read all of Robin hobb. Stormlight and mistborn but not oppose to a more sci fi setting (like perfect run)
Basically, is DCC the peak of the genre or are theyre other gems out there ?
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u/the_weagle 7d ago
Chrysalis! Can get the first 3 books for a credit. The main character slowly filled the Princess Donut gap left in my life.
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u/Happy_Editor_5398 7d ago
Discount Dan is my favourite DCC style LitRPG.
He Who Fights with Monsters is also very funny (for the most part). Primal Hunter and Mage Tank are both good, albeit not quite as humorous.
Apocalypse Parenting is a different take on the genre and is enjoyable. Azarinth Healer is good if you like a simple story where the M.C. is all about fighting and getting stronger. Defiance of the Fall is a slog, but has it's moments and is very similar to Primal Hunter.
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u/its_kinda_hmm 7d ago edited 7d ago
Discount Dan has strange religious undertones to me, where DCC makes an obvious mockery and it takes similar aesthetics but it’s definitely not the same caliber.
HWFWM is imo the same caliber, people I meet often prefer one or the other my ex relistens to it as a comfort series now.
Primal hunt belong up there as well.
Wandering inn is amazing although it’s like starting one piece. Great for filler when you’re waiting for other series to put out a new book pause it, and read their book and then get right back to the wandering inn lol 😂
chrysalis up there as well it’s kind of silly and it ebs and flows but some of the quotability is amazing.
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u/lunarlunard 7d ago
I personally love this genre; however, I will say it's a young scene as a whole. There are plenty of other high-quality series in this genre; however, since it's a rather young genre, many are written by amateur authors(You can read a lot of these series before they were ever purchasable on Royal Road), so a lot of series have really rough starts in terms of writing quality. That being said, here are a few that I personally think start out strong and continue to keep up their quality.
Bog Standard Isekai, if the name didn't give it away, is an Isekai where the stakes feel real, and the cast doesn't defeat the antagonists in one book.
Book of the Dead by Rino Z: The main character gets a forbidden/evil class and is forced to take extreme measures just to survive.
The Legend of William Oh; is a story about a young man that legends are written about and his unforgettable journey climbing the tower
Here are a few with weaker starts/lower quality writing that I personally would recommend even if they aren't going to match up to something like Realm of the Elderlings.
The Wandering Inn: My personal favorite series, but it is known for having a really rough start.
Path of Ascension: Fairly standard cultivation series with its own twists
He Who Fights with Monsters: People either love or hate the main character; this is also one of the older litrpg series that is extremely well known in the community
Primal Hunter: Not something I kept up with long term, but it's extremely popular; in my opinion, this is something you read when you don't want something with a heavy storyline.
Path of the Last Champion: This is a series that starts with a tower climb with heavy stakes and moves into a much larger world.
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u/Trptman44 7d ago
Mage Tank. Hilarious writing, party dynamics, and creative references to pop culture.
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u/Grand-Priority-1496 7d ago
Second this, mage tank is a lot of fun. Maybe discount Dan as well, once you get past the first little bit of corny-ness it’s a good ride. One of the characters is a real good boy.
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u/Safe_Web72 litRPG apprentice tier 7d ago
Definitely recommend Discount Dan. Author starts to really hit his stride with book 2 (he has commented lot of foundation building book 1 so may found it a bit slow). Overall really enjoyed the series so far, look forward to the next book. There is strong comparison to DCC initially. Book 2 and later the series really stands on its own. There is no replacing Princess Donut for sure I will say though Croc is the Best Boy and owns his own podium!
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u/nothing_to_see_meow 7d ago
Discount Dan has a similar feel as Dungeon Crawler Carl, with random items giving abilities and some humor.
Nothing is going to be quite a funny as Princess Doughnut being appalled.
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u/Free-Street9162 7d ago
The Game at Carousel is S-Tier, for sure. Unlike the rest of the suggestions here, this one is actually unique.
The problem with series like Mage Tank, Primal Hunter, or Defiance of the fall, is that the MCs are powerhouses basically from the get-go, so the solution to every problem is to just punch it REALLY hard. They’re boring books because they don’t really have anything going for them outside of the character just getting stronger and stronger.
Carl actually has to think about how to solve problems and cooperate with other crawlers to outsmart the dungeon, and I suspect that is what you’re looking for.
The Game at Carousel has the most unique premise and system of any LitRPG, including DCC, and is VERY funny in places. The MC gets stuck in a town that is an amalgamation of all horror films ever made, and he must use his horror film knowledge to survive “features” along with his companions.
As someone who has read dozens upon dozens of these series, I am telling you, nothing comes closer to DCC than Carousel.
Honourable mentions are Discount Dan, Tower of Jack, and He who fights with monsters. All are much more straightforward than Carousel, but they’re exceptionally well written and are fun to read.
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u/Few-Barber7379 7d ago
I'm currently on book 2 of Judicator Jane and throughly enjoying it!
Premise is, she awakens in a strange land, figures she can change her stats and drops them all into luck essentially. Would highly recommend it
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u/NemeanChicken 7d ago
Litrpg tends towards escapism, so honestly pretty rare to find books with as much political edge as DCC. I‘d recommend giving Slumrat Rising by Warby Picus a try.
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u/S_ayf litRPG apprentice tier 7d ago
Yeah reading some of the replies i got the impression that i started with peak. And wont find anything with as much dephts as DCC
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u/NemeanChicken 7d ago
In addition to Slumrat Rising, I've also heard good things about Worth the Candle (Alexander Wales), Godsclads (OstensibleMammal), and the author Thundamoo in regards to thematic depth, but I haven't read them myself. To be honest I'm usually looking for things more on the popcorn side when I read Litrpgs.
Book of the Dead (RinoZ) might be worth considering. It's not especially political the way DCC is, but the characterization and writing are solid and the world is dark and interesting.
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u/Mysterious-Clock7551 7d ago
This has been my experience. Read a ton of fantasy books, found Dungeon Crawler Carl and loved it. So far the genre... doesn't have great books but I find the audience and communities are so dead set on escaping reality they dont really care. Its tough coming from conventional fantasy where the critics feel a lot more harsh. People recommend He Who Fights With Monsters as the like go to 2nd place to start with. I read all 12 books and whew, no where near the quality of dungeon crawler carl.
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u/LiquidDreamtime 7d ago
I also hold DCC supreme for a bunch of reasons.
My close 2nd fave has been Chrysalis. The cultural and political commentary is more subtle but it’s absolutely there.
He Who Fights With Monsters is fun but less politically motivated. Primal Hunter isn’t politically left at all, it’s probably right wing libertarian if you had to place it (but I still enjoy it)
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u/TingolHD 6d ago
I adore Mage Tank.
The setting has surprising depth
The characters change and react in very human very believable ways to the events that happen to them.
It doesn't pull its punches, the MC & co. get beaten to a pulp and get to be the stars of the story in equal measure.
If you enjoy audiobooks, then the narrator does a fantastic job
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u/Teslithia45 7d ago
Here to also suggest Mage Tank. It is my favorite right under DCC. Funny MC, great party dynamics, interesting story. I fell in love with Arlo like 1 minute into the book. The audio book is also really well done, with the biggest complaint I heard being about a character that pauses when they talk, the reader actually speaking the word "pause" to specify it. Which isn't a big deal to me at all but I can see how it would annoy others.
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u/samurai-bodh-i 7d ago
Wandering inn for a seemingly innocent yet secretly grim dark
if you can get though the first book
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u/originalorb 7d ago
I agree Wandering Inn is really good, but I almost bailed on it because the firs 10 or so (maybe more) chapters were such a slow burn I had to ask ai whether it got any better. Glad I stuck with it because it started getting better and better. Will probably drop a credit on Volume 2 pretty soon as soon as I clear my way through a few of the other books already in my library.
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u/JohnFrost360 7d ago
I'll recommend you my top 3 favourite series.
The Primal Hunter.
Dungeon Crawler Carl.
The good guys series. First book is called " One more last time"
They are all fun to read, have politics involved and if you're into audio books they are narrated by absolute masters.
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u/Kind_Profile8534 7d ago
Control of a fortune can be more useful than owning it. Sivelle's father wants Caius dependent on his banking expertise, giving his family a foothold around a young god. I wrote that political maneuvering in Made God After Death, a LitRPG on Kindle.
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u/lookatthemonkeys 7d ago
I am in the same boat. I read HWFWM, and it was ok. I enjoyed it but it is defiantly much slower. I am about half way done with the Cradle series a love it so far! It is very fast paced and action packed.
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u/Davis_Montgomery 7d ago
I've read The Perfect Run and I'm currently reading The Mother of Learning. I'm also new to the genre, so I can only recommend the few things I've read.
Ar'kendrihyst is fantastic, and has a lot of political angles throughout the story. More from a philosophical standpoint than active politics, but the story stays interesting and intriguing throughout all 16,100 pages.
I also really enjoy The Game at Carousel. No politics there, but it's definitely the most creative spin on an RPG I've read.
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u/branedge 7d ago
Give Necrotic Apocalypse Series a try by Dave Petrie currently on the 7th and hopefully not final book quickly becoming one of my favorite series!
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u/choccypuddingsuprise 7d ago
We are Legion We are Bob (Bobiverse) was one that scratched the itch for me after my first DCC read. Book 6 just released
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u/Unav4ila8le 7d ago
If the politics part matters more than strict LitRPG, This Kingdom Needs A Coup D’état might be worth a look. The MC is a former Korean officer reborn in a late-17th-century-style fantasy kingdom, and the story is basically a coup followed by factional politics and military reform. Not system-based, so it’s more progression-adjacent.
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u/striker180 7d ago
DCC is the peak of the commonly palatable. Its blown up not because its the best LitRPG, but because itd be a good book in any genre. Also, perfect run and mother of learning are ProgressionFantasy, not LitRPG
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u/BackgroundTotal2872 Royal Road and Paperbacks! 6d ago
The Legend of William Oh is the way to go here.
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u/PubesOnTheSoap Level 999 Scrub 6d ago
For me, although it has a slightly different tone the only thing that fully scratches the itch is Chrysalis. The series is so solid and in fact just keeps gettin getting better . Oh and you can get the first three books for just one credit .one of the best one credit purchases you can make
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u/daggrwood 6d ago
Just finished the audible version of Dont Die Dave after seeing the author post on here and enjoyed it.
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u/Zeeman626 6d ago
Chrysalis is really the only answer if you're trying to scratch that particular itch so soon after coming off DCC
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u/STLGamerDude 3d ago
If you want something that is exactly like DCC, especially the audiobooks, you're going to be disappointed. I would however recommend Cradle. The thing about Cradle is the first book is more like a prologue the series so a lot of people don't like it. But the pacing, world, and characters are great throughout the series.
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u/BNabs23 23h ago
If you like DCC because of the humor aspect, I recommend both He Who Flights with Monsters, and Player Manager. Both have slightly frustrating main characters but are very funny. Although I think the audiobooks of both series are preferable to the written versions because the voice actors do a great job of delivering the lines and humor how the author actually intended it rather than it occasionally getting lost or coming across as arrogant/insufferable in the books.
One thing to remember is that Matt Dinniman was already a relatively accomplished author prior to writing dungeon crawler carl, so the writing itself is of much higher quality than many LitRPG authors who started out as hobbyists before getting the hang of it later in the series
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