Matt Dinniman’s exciting literary RPG series, Dungeon Crawler Carl, has seen an explosion in popularity in recent months, which spellsan explosive May 12 for the franchise. The fast-paced action-heavy book series, which sees protagonist Carl and sentient cat Princess Donut team up to challenge an eighteen-floor dungeon in a bid to free Earth from alien conquerors, has gained massive popularity among gamers for its rich world, compelling characters, and effective integration of game-inspired mechanics.
May 12 will see the release of the highly anticipated next book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, making it a big day for fans of Carl, Donut, and their Royal Court of allies.
A Parade Of Horribles Debuts May 12
Image via Renegade Game Studios
May 12, 2026, was recently announced as the official release date for A Parade of Horribles, the eighth book in the LitRPG series. Author Matt Dinniman has maintained an impressive release pace, with seven books and one ongoing bonus novella since the series’ debut. The Dungeon Crawler Carl books are best read in publication order, as the series features a linear timeline with Carl tackling one to two floors of the World Dungeon per book.
Carl Will Experience The Racing Game Genre
Book eight, titled A Parade of Horribles, has been confirmed to see Carl dealing with the tenth and seemingly eleventh floors of his eighteen-floor odyssey. Each previous floor of the dungeon featured a unique theme, often inspired by different video game genres, such as the open world of the third floor or the Pokemon-like trading card battles—complete with cards so rare that they might sell for millions of dollars—found on Floor 8.
The tenth floor has been confirmed to center around winning races and upgrading vehicles between each race, which, according to the teaser summary, Carl and Donut find “a little too normal, a little too simple.” However, nothing is ever simple in the world of Dungeon Crawler Carl, so it’s likely there will be some sort of twist. Perhaps crawlers will be able to attack each other using their vehicle upgrades, similar to the Mad Max films. Alternatively, Carl and his allies could earn items that they can use against their opponents, but ones significantly more deadly than the standard Mario Kart bananas and blue shells. Given that Dinniman’s initial working title for Book 8 was “Carl’s Book of Boom,” it seems likely that explosions will be involved in some capacity.
Just What Is The Parade Of Horribles?
According to teasers, even the showrunners of the deadly game show Carl is participating in don’t actually know what the Parade is — but the Dungeon AI, which has become increasingly glitchy throughout the past several books, refers to it as “a coming-out party for the ages.”
Speculation on social media sites such as Reddit has been rampant over the past several months. Some users theorize that the “Parade of Horribles” will involve the AI introducing the mechanics, monsters, and other dangers of the Dungeon to the world at large. Others point out that the phrase “parade of horribles” is used to refer to real-life parades of individuals wearing grotesque costumes, and suggest that it might be a boss rush level—perhaps an even more extreme version of the multi-boss challenge featured on the fifth floor.
Notably, Dinniman, who posts on Reddit under the username hepafilter, referred to the “11th” floor in quotations in one post, hinting that something particularly sinister might be up—or, perhaps, that it might not be a traditional “floor” at all. Alternatively, Carl has previously skipped floors of the Dungeon, most notably the seventh, so something like that may happen again.
There Will Be A Simultaneous Multi-Release Of Print, Ebook, And Audio
For the first time in series history, A Parade of Horribles will be released simultaneously in print, ebook, and audiobook format on the same day, May 12. There will be both a hardcover version and a limited edition paperback that will feature the “traditional” cover style seen prior to the series’ re-release in 2024. Audiobook listeners are particularly excited about this news, as they previously had to wait several weeks or months for their preferred version of each book to debut. The fast pace, focus on action sequences, and incorporation of game mechanics such as loot boxes, skills, and a detailed level progression system worthy of the best role-playing games make the Dungeon Crawler Carl books a perfect choice for the audiobook format.
Many More Exciting Dungeon Crawler Carl Projects Are Upcoming
The imminent release of A Parade of Horribles is not the only exciting Dungeon Crawler Carl news on the horizon. Following the series’ rapid increase in popularity, several adaptations and side projects are planned for the future. Developer Renegade Game Studio has successfully funded both a TTRPG adaptation and a deck-building game titled Unstoppable, while Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door Productions is working on a TV show. A Webtoon adaptation is also ongoing, with a spin-off graphic novel focusing on the Crawler Florin Du Pont in the works. Dinniman has also previously discussed plans for more physical merchandise such as figurines, toys, trading cards, and more.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Hard (2.5s)
Permadeath (2.5s)
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)Start
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High Score: 0
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Dungeon Crawler Carl fans should not just put May 12 on their calendar, but also keep an eye out for many more exciting updates and announcements in the future. Perhaps a video game adaptation of Dungeon Crawler Carl might even be in the works? Carl, Donut, and their Royal Court may only have a few floors left before they reach the end of the Dungeon, but there is still lots coming in the future for the Dungeon Crawler Carl franchise as a whole.
