What to Read After He Who Fights With Monsters: 8 Series to Dive Into
Finished He Who Fights With Monsters and need more LitRPG with humor, progression, and great characters? Here are the best similar series that capture that same energy.
You just finished He Who Fights With Monsters. Jason's journey through multiple worlds, his humor, his progression, his found family—it's all done.
Now what?
Here's what to read when you need more LitRPG with that perfect mix of humor, progression, character growth, and world-hopping adventure.
What Made He Who Fights With Monsters Work
Before recommendations, understand what you're chasing:
- System-based progression with clear mechanics and visible growth
- Humor and banter that doesn't undermine serious moments
- Character development where the MC grows emotionally, not just in power
- Found family dynamics with memorable side characters
- World-hopping adventure with different settings and challenges
- Moral complexity where the MC isn't always right
- Australian protagonist (unique voice in the genre)
Different stories scratch different parts of this. No single work replicates the entire package—HWFWM hit a particular combination that's hard to reproduce.
The Closest Matches
Dungeon Crawler Carl (Matt Dinniman)
Status: Ongoing
System apocalypse where Earth becomes a dungeon. Carl and his cat Princess Donut must survive floor by floor. Absurd humor, constant stakes, and a protagonist who uses creativity over raw power.
Similar: System mechanics, humor mixed with serious stakes, great side characters, constant progression Different: More absurdist humor, dungeon-focused, darker at times, no world-hopping
Where to read: Kindle Unlimited, Audible
Why it works: If you loved Jason's humor and the system mechanics, Carl delivers both with a different flavor. The banter between Carl and Donut is legendary.
Defiance of the Fall (TheFirstDefier)
Status: Ongoing
System apocalypse where Earth integrates with a multiverse. Zac starts alone and must survive, then build. Cultivation meets LitRPG, empire-building elements, constant progression.
Similar: System apocalypse, constant progression, world-building elements, long-running Different: Less humor, more serious tone, cultivation elements, solo focus initially
Where to read: Royal Road, Kindle Unlimited, Webnovel
Why it works: If you loved the system mechanics and progression focus, DoTF delivers that in spades. Less character banter, more pure progression.
The Primal Hunter (Zogarth)
Status: Ongoing
System apocalypse with a solo-focused MC. Jake starts alone in a tutorial zone and must survive. Fast progression, great system mechanics, satisfying power gains.
Similar: System apocalypse, fast progression, solo MC initially, great mechanics Different: Less humor, more serious, less character interaction, more solo journey
Where to read: Royal Road, Kindle Unlimited
Why it works: If you loved the progression and system mechanics, Primal Hunter delivers constant advancement. Less banter, more action.
Shade Slinger (Kyle Kirrin)
Status: Ongoing
VRMMO LitRPG with a witty protagonist. Frank starts in a game world with unique mechanics and must figure out how to progress. Great humor, interesting system, NPC interactions.
Similar: Humor, system mechanics, witty protagonist, great NPCs Different: Game world instead of real world, different tone, ongoing
Where to read: Royal Road, Kindle Unlimited
Why it works: If you loved Jason's humor and the system mechanics, Shade Slinger has similar energy with a game-world twist.
Strong Alternatives
The Bad Guys (Eric Ugland)
Status: Ongoing
LitRPG with an irreverent protagonist. Clyde starts as a "bad guy" in a game-like world and must figure out how to survive. More comedy-focused, rougher edges.
Similar: Humor, system mechanics, irreverent protagonist, ongoing Different: More comedy-focused, less serious moments, different tone
Where to read: Kindle Unlimited, Audible
Why it works: If you loved the humor and irreverent tone, The Bad Guys delivers that with less seriousness.
Unbound (Nicoli Gonnella)
Status: Ongoing
System apocalypse with empire-building elements. Felix starts alone and must survive, then build. Similar progression focus with base-building elements.
Similar: System apocalypse, progression focus, empire-building, ongoing Different: Less humor, more serious, different character voice
Where to read: Kindle Unlimited, Audible
Why it works: If you loved the progression and world-building elements, Unbound has similar mechanics with less banter.
Rise of the Devourer (Aethon Books)
Status: Ongoing
System-based progression with a unique protagonist. Noah starts with a devourer class and must figure out how to progress. Interesting mechanics, good progression.
Similar: System mechanics, progression focus, interesting classes Different: Different tone, ongoing, less humor
Where to read: Kindle Unlimited
Why it works: If you loved the system mechanics and progression, this delivers with a unique class system.
The Wandering Inn (Pirateaba)
Status: Ongoing (massive)
Epic web serial with game-like mechanics. Multiple POVs, slice-of-life mixed with high stakes. Not LitRPG exactly, but similar world-building and character focus.
Similar: Detailed world-building, character focus, game-like elements, found family Different: Less progression-focused, multiple POVs, slice-of-life elements, much longer
Where to read: The Wandering Inn website, Royal Road
Why it works: If you loved the world-building and character dynamics, The Wandering Inn delivers that on an epic scale.
Quick Comparison Table
| Series | Humor Level | Progression Focus | System Mechanics | Status | Similarity to HWFWM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dungeon Crawler Carl | Very High | High | High | Ongoing | Very High |
| Defiance of the Fall | Low | Very High | Very High | Ongoing | High (progression) |
| The Primal Hunter | Medium | Very High | Very High | Ongoing | High (progression) |
| Shade Slinger | High | High | High | Ongoing | High (humor + system) |
| The Bad Guys | Very High | Medium | High | Ongoing | Medium (humor) |
| Unbound | Low | Very High | High | Ongoing | Medium (progression) |
| Rise of the Devourer | Low | High | High | Ongoing | Medium (system) |
| The Wandering Inn | Medium | Low | Medium | Ongoing | Low (different focus) |
What to Read Based on What You Loved
If you loved the humor and banter:
- Start with Dungeon Crawler Carl (absurd humor, great banter)
- Then try The Bad Guys (irreverent comedy)
If you loved the progression and system mechanics:
- Start with Defiance of the Fall (constant progression, great mechanics)
- Then try The Primal Hunter (fast advancement, solo focus)
If you loved the character development and found family:
- Start with Dungeon Crawler Carl (great side characters)
- Then try The Wandering Inn (epic character focus)
If you loved the world-hopping and adventure:
- Start with Shade Slinger (game world exploration)
- Then try Unbound (different world-building approach)
If you loved everything:
- Start with Dungeon Crawler Carl (closest overall match)
- Then try Defiance of the Fall (for the progression)
Where to Find These
Most of these are available on:
- Kindle Unlimited: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Defiance of the Fall, The Primal Hunter, Shade Slinger, The Bad Guys, Unbound, Rise of the Devourer
- Royal Road: Defiance of the Fall, The Primal Hunter, Shade Slinger, The Wandering Inn
- Audible: Most have audiobook versions
Create Your Own HWFWM-Style Story
Can't find exactly what you want? narrator can generate LitRPG with humor, progression, and great characters:
- "LitRPG with system mechanics, humor, and character growth"
- "Progression fantasy with found family and world-hopping adventure"
- "System apocalypse with humor and great side characters"
You can get the exact combination of humor, progression, and character dynamics you're craving.
Browse our collection: LitRPG novels | Progression Fantasy | System Apocalypse
The Post-HWFWM Journey
He Who Fights With Monsters was special. The combination of humor, progression, character growth, and world-hopping created something that resonated with a lot of readers.
You won't find an exact replacement. But the LitRPG and progression fantasy genres have exploded. There's more good content than ever.
My advice: don't try to replace HWFWM immediately. Let it settle. Then pick something from this list based on which elements you're craving most. If it's the humor, start with Dungeon Crawler Carl. If it's the progression, try Defiance of the Fall. If it's the character dynamics, check out The Wandering Inn.
The void after finishing a beloved series is real. But your LitRPG journey continues. Pick something from this list and start reading. By chapter ten, you'll have a new obsession.
Jason's story might be done (or ongoing), but your next adventure is just beginning.