The man and his cat continue their struggle against the alien-controlled dungeon in Dungeon Crawler Carl’s latest outing, which now includes a full voiced rulebook. More than eight million copies of the LitRPG series have sold across all formats. Renegade Game Studios is adapting the tabletop games with audio, and the first major release lands in 2027, with the full voiced rulebook arriving at that point.
The first volume appeared in 2020, penned by Matt Dinniman. In it, Carl and his former partner’s prize-winning cat, Princess Donut, end up stuck inside a dungeon that also functions as a reality show. The setup is utterly absurd, the comedy is irreverent, and the cast of characters wins affection from readers. A cult favorite at its start, it grew into something far bigger, with later installments becoming bestsellers both in print and audio form.
New Tabletop Games
The franchise has grown quickly. A WEBTOON and a graphic novel exist. A live-action Peacock series from Universal and Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door is under development. Fans can now step into the dungeon with two new tabletop games from Renegade Game Studios: the Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG and the standalone card-crafting game Dungeon Crawler Carl: Unstoppable. Both arrive at the same time through BackerKit, and the crowdfunding campaign has drawn more than $13 million from over 55,000 backers.
A skill-based tabletop role-playing game lets players build their own Crawlers and try to survive a customized World Dungeon. A separate card-crafting game, designed for solo and cooperative play, uses the same brutal game-show setting. Fulfillment of both is expected for fall 2026.
The Voiced Rulebook
The biggest audio upgrade is a full audio reading of the Dungeon Crawler Carl Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, which runs over 350 pages. Narrator Jeff Hays is doing the recording, with Soundbooth Theater handling production of the entire project. The fully voiced rulebook is set to arrive in summer 2027, and unlike some of the campaign rewards, it is planned to be made available for purchase through Soundbooth Theater after its release.
Hays is also narrating “Archie,” a 54-page original short story written by Ben Wolf. It is included with the Crawler Chaos expansion for Dungeon Crawler Carl: Unstoppable. The written story will appear in retail versions of the expansion, but Hays’ audio performance is exclusive to crowdfunding campaign backers and is expected in fall 2026.
Sound Effects for Sessions
An official Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG soundboard is being built by Soundbooth Theater, packed with effects and character audio meant for tabletop sessions. The project is aiming for a summer 2027 release.
What Backers Get
The campaign grants backers entry to the audio projects linked to the campaign. The rulebook serves two purposes at once: it is an entertaining listen and offers players another means of learning about and getting ready for the game. The “Archie” narrative is exclusive to backers, so those buying the game through retail stores do not hear Hays’ version of the story.
Fans hoping for more of the franchise will have to wait on the live-action series, which is still in development, while the 2027 release is the next major milestone. The tabletop games let players take on the role of adventurers inside the dungeon, and the audio adaptations allow listeners to hear the rules and stories spoken aloud.
“Another way for players to learn and prepare for the game.”
The 2027 rulebook carries forward the success of its predecessor by turning a thick rulebook into an audio experience. The “Archie” story adds depth to the world, and the soundboard gives players a tool for their sessions.
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