LitRPG might be the next big fantasy genre. Fantasy books and gaming are pretty much the perfect recipe for a Gen Z trend. Literary Role-Playing Game stories (LitRPG) have existed online for a while—namely “through self-publishing and online fiction platforms,” where so many bestsellers have started. Characters traverse mostly fantasy worlds with the structure of a tabletop or video game, earning XP, beating levels, and packing their inventory, but the stories are written with the world- and character-building of a novel. LitRPG audio listening has surged in the last two years: up 508% on Spotify since 2024 and 125% on Audible since 2025. Now, perhaps the most popular title, Dungeon Crawler Carl, has sold more than 17M copies, logged over 260M listening hours, and is on track for a screen adaptation. The stories having tangible progression and the appeal of a game without the active playing skills needed make them accessible for a huge audience—and we’ll no doubt be seeing more in Gen Z’s reading lists soon. (Mashable)
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