What is behind LitRPG, the new literary phenomenon that sells millions of books?

MadridUntil quite recently, the literary world and the video game world were two parallel universes that practically didn't touch each other, beyond some novel adaptation turned into a game. But in recent years, the publishing market has seen the birth and growth of a new genre that has gone from the fringes to become a mass phenomenon. Dubbed LitRPG (the acronym stands for "literary role playing game, in English), this trend brings together novels that use the tools of video games to advance the story. The characters have a life bar that decreases with enemy attacks, and as the plot progresses and they level up, they gain skill points that are collected in the novel and acquire new weapons to face their opponents. They are essentially adventure books, full of challenges for their protagonists and designed for reader entertainment, but which at the same time delve into social and political issues of our present.

One of the greatest exponents of the genre is the North American Matt Dinniman (Gig Harbor, Washington, 1973), who has revolutionized all publishing expectations with the series "Carl the dungeon keeper (New, translation by David Tejero). It has sold over 14 million copies worldwide, 60,000 of which have been distributed in Spain in less than a year, and has achieved translations into about thirty languages. "The exponential progression of sales is incredible and responds to several factors: pure fun, the addiction the books create, the fan effect, and the success of audiobooks," explains Nova's editor, Marta Rosich. The Penguin Random House Mondadori imprint published the first volume of the series exactly one year ago, titled "Carl the jailer, and seeing the good reception, they accelerated the launch of the following ones. The fifth title has now just arrived in bookstores, The butcher's masquerade, along with the first volume of the graphic novel by Norma Editorial. In parallel, a webtoon (a digital comic adaptation), a board game, and an American production company is already preparing a series.

"In seven months he has doubled sales compared to 2025. He is already a massive author who drags an ever-growing snowball of readers," says Rosich. One of Dinniman's great strengths, according to the editor, is that he has been able to create a unique literary universe "that is not interchangeable with any other" and that emerges from the margins. Dinniman discovered LitRPG through various translations of Russian authors such as D. Rus, V. Mahanenko, and D. Mikhailov, who are the precursors of the genre. After reading them, the American writer rolled up his sleeves and devised several stories based on the rules and elements of video games. In 2024, he self-published the first volume of the dungeon saga and soon saw how interest in the story grew thanks to word-of-mouth.

A dungeon full of traps

The protagonists of this thrilling saga are Carl, a young man who has just broken up with his girlfriend, and a cat named Princess Donut who has been left in his custody. The novel begins with the end of the world – all buildings are left in ruins by an alien colonization – and only people and animals who are not sheltered during the attack survive. Carl and the cat are two of them. Without looking for it, they will become participants in the dungeon game, an infrastructure made of levels and full of traps in which they will have to eliminate its inhabitants to survive. "It's a story that begins with a genocide, with the destruction of a good part of humanity. It was essential that I include humor, because if not, I wouldn't be here," explains Dinniman, who has visited Spain for the first time for the Celsius 232 Festival in Avilés.

Just like in video games, the novel's protagonists will gain abilities as they overcome challenges and finish off the beings that attack them left and right. For example, when Carl defeats a group of goblins, he hears a voice in his head telling him: "Congratulations, you have leveled up." The feat is accompanied by an increase in skill points and strength, followed by rewards that will help him have better weapons for a next fight. Carl and Princess Donut's adventures play with the fun contrast between the two characters (the cat talks and is extremely vain) while their unexpected bond strengthens.

Although the genre is heavily based on video game elements, Dinniman argues that this does not detract from literature. "The RPG makes the plot easier, especially for people who are used to playing video games, but it's a double-edged sword. To tell a deep, humanly engaging story, you have to find a balance," emphasizes the writer, who adds that "beyond these elements, it must be taken into account that they are books and that they must be well-made, with believable characters and a story that holds up."

Before embracing full-time writing, Dinniman tried all sorts of jobs. "I worked as a phone psychic, a private investigator for the state of Arizona, a phone technician for Microsoft, an obituary writer for two newspapers. But writing has always been my main goal, especially for the freedom it gives you," says the writer, who jokes that he works "in his underwear from bed or from his desk."

The power of a community

One of the great values of Dinniman's saga is the community that has gathered around Carl and Princess Donut, and which has been a key piece for word-of-mouth. "I started by publishing the chapters on a website as I was writing them. People commented, some paid to be the first to read them. I myself became part of that community and now I feel closer to the fans than a conventional writer," reflects Dinniman.

The fact that the saga was born from self-publishing was fundamental for its landing in the conventional publishing market. "It arrived with an already formed community of readers, which has expanded very rapidly," explains Rosich. For Dinniman, the success of his saga shows that self-publishing is, more and more, a territory to be taken into account by publishers. "It is increasingly popular. Years ago, people said that if you self-published it was because you weren't good enough. That has changed. The best-selling authors started self-published, especially in the romance genre," argues the writer. When asked about the secret of his particular success, however, he dodges the question. "I have no idea, really – says Dinniman, between laughs –. Maybe it's because the main protagonist is a cat".