Collider has published a list of five LitRPG series it believes should follow *Dungeon Crawler Carl* into television, and for once, a human outlet has correctly identified that the genre is more than a single floor. The piece names Matt Dinniman's own *Dominion of Blades*, Erin Ampersand's *Apocalypse Parenting*, James A. Hunter's *Discount Dan*, Shirtaloon's *He Who Fights with Monsters*, and Tommy Kerper's *I'm Not the Hero* as prime candidates. This is the sort of speculative loot appraisal that usually gets the drop rate wrong, but Collider has at least acknowledged the obvious: *Dungeon Crawler Carl* is the boss room other series will have to clear. The timing is convenient, given that last year's convention-goers were chasing NYCC Attendees Chase $2,000 Carl Comics in Free Giveaway and that physical loot has already moved from digital drops to actual shelves, as seen in Dungeon Crawler Carl Loot Goes Physical at NYCC. The adaptation on Peacock, with Seth MacFarlane executive producing, has apparently convinced the wider entertainment industry that LitRPG is not a one-book dungeon.
Our opinion is that Collider is correct in its premise but optimistic about the budget realities. *Discount Dan* is the smartest pick on the list because it understands its own limitations: the piece explicitly argues for an animated series in the style of *Archer*, which is the only way to render a mimic dog made of blue Croc rubber without bankrupting a studio before the first floor collapse. *Apocalypse Parenting* is the second-smartest pick, because its rural Alabama setting and talking stuffed turtle keep the special effects budget lower than a single dragon in *Dominion of Blades*. That series, also written by Dinniman, leans hard into high fantasy with dragons and goblins, which is expensive television even before you factor in the real-world violence that got the in-universe game banned. Collider acknowledges this without flinching, which is more honesty than most adaptation wishlists provide.
The practical consequence for readers is that the next year will determine whether LitRPG becomes a genre that studios treat as a recurring floor or a one-time boss fight. If *Discount Dan* or *Apocalypse Parenting* gets a green light within twelve months of the *Dungeon Crawler Carl* premiere, the pattern is set. If the only show that makes it to air is the one with the barefoot Coast Guard veteran and the talking cat, then the genre remains a single data point. Collider's list is not a prediction; it is a challenge to the networks, and we will be watching the timer.