Here are 13 books that Time to Play fans have personally recommended if you like Time to Play. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Dungeon Crawler Carl

Random Answer

From Random's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Random loves this book

A long answer would just rehash what everyone says. Bottom line it was my first foray into modern LitRPG (I think I may have read some really early LitRPG from before it being a thing...which I also really like...Quag Keep by Andre Norton back in the 70s maybe?) and turns out as a lifelong gamer (I've been playing RPGs since before DnD had editions) I really enjoy it. I have DCC to thank for turning me onto it.

By Matt Dinniman ,

Why should I read it?

113 authors picked Dungeon Crawler Carl as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The apocalypse will be televised!

A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible.

In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth—from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds—collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground.

The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe.

Only a few dare venture inside. But once you're…


If you love Time to Play...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of He Who Fights with Monsters

patrick o.

From patrick's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why patrick loves this book

World building is excellent, power levels scale, and captivating supporting characters. MC power set is my favorite in ARPGs.

By Shirtaloon , Travis Deverell ,

Why should I read it?

58 authors picked He Who Fights with Monsters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Jason wakes up in a mysterious world of magic and monsters.It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil.He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.After cementing itself as one of the best-rated serial novels on Royal Road with an astonishing…


Book cover of Mark of the Fool

Gillian Owen

From Gillian's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Gillian loves this book

Enjoyed how creative the MC is at working around their restrictions.

By J.M. Clarke ,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Mark of the Fool as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The gods chose him. He said no.

After his parents died, Alex Roth had one desire: become a wizard. Through hard work, he was accepted into the University of Generasi, the world’s greatest academy of wizardry...

Fate, however, had other plans.

On his eighteenth birthday, he is Marked by prophecy as one of his kingdom’s five Heroes, chosen to fight the Ravener, his land’s great enemy. But his brand is 'The Fool'. Worst of the marks.

Rather than die or serve other Heroes like past Fools, he takes a stand, rejects divine decree…and leaves. With his little sister, his childhood…


If you love Erin Ampersand...

Book cover of A Brush With Death

A Brush With Death by Jody Summers,

Former model Kira McGovern picks up the paint brushes of her youth and through an unexpected epiphany she decides to mix ashes of the deceased with her paints to produce tributes for grieving families.

Unexpectedly this leads to visions and images of the subjects of her work and terrifying changes…

Book cover of Player Manager

Noh Bdy

From Noh's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Noh loves this book

I started it just for a break from the more fantastical stories that I usually read. It swept me up with memorable characters, great plotting, clever writing, and an overall sense of fun. I don’t even like football/soccer. It’s just that good.

By Ted Steel ,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Player Manager as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Could a seemingly average Premier League fan oversee a football club better than a top manager? Max is starting to think so . . .

Max Best is not living his—ahem—best life. His job’s a drag, his home’s a shooting gallery, his hopes are nil, and lately, even his beloved game of football has devolved from a chaotic, ecstatic delight into a cold, calculating equation complete with stats, tech terms, and mindless lingo. But then Max rescues a mysterious old man from a mugging. “Nick” seems friendly enough . . . until he innocently asks his saviour, “Would you sell…


Book cover of The Path of Ascension

chad1

From Chad's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Chad loves this book

I like how fleshed out the world is and how you can see the systems impact through all aspects of society

By C. Mantis ,

Why should I read it?

20 authors picked The Path of Ascension as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Orphaned by monsters, Matt must power-up to save others from the same fate.. Matt plans to delve the rifts responsible for the monsters that destroyed his city and murdered his parents. But his dreams are crushed when his Tier 1 Talent is rated as detrimental and no guild or group will take him.. Working at a nearby inn, he meets a mysterious and powerful couple who give him a chance to join the Path of Ascension, an empire-wide race to ascend the Tiers and become living legends.. With their recommendation and a stolen Skill, Matt begins his journey to the…


Book cover of Ancient Debts

Unknown Author

By Tom Elliot ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Ancient Debts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Thrust once more into the heart of the Game, can Michael survive?At long last, Michael emerges from isolation. The Kingdom has not changed much since his last venture, but he has. Will he be able to conceal the truth of what he has become? Will he be able to fulfill his many obligations? And most importantly, can he reconnect with his old allies?Join Michael on his epic journey and find out!Praise for The Grand Game:“Interesting portal litrpg. Well-paced and the start of a new series. Curious to see where it goes…” —Tao Wong on goodreads.com.“… Great action, great storyline and…


If you love Time to Play...

Book cover of Rescue Mountain

Rescue Mountain by Rebecka Vigus,

Rusty Allen is an Iraqi War veteran with PTSD. He moves to his grandfather's cabin in the mountains to find some peace and go back to wilderness training.

He gets wrapped up in a kidnapping first, as a suspect and then as a guide. He tolerates the sheriff's deputy with…

Book cover of BuyMort: Grand Opening

kate4

From Kate's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Unknown Author Why Kate loves this book

This is the first apocalypse book that truly made me feel like - "Nope. I think I'd rather not make it. Screw surviving that world."
It's an interesting ode to the hatred of capitolism and all it's evils.

By Joseph Phelps , Damien Hanson , Dames Handsome (editor)

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked BuyMort as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In a world sold to the highest bidder, can Tyson save humanity from the insatiable greed of the universe?When humanity finally fell, it wasn’t to war or disease—it was to shopping. BuyMort, the newest and last store to set up shop on Earth. The end of the world as everyone knew it.Welcome to the Shopocalypse, the everything-must-go never again sales event that just lost us our world.But not everything is lost. Meet Tyson, a no-cares slacker with a traumatic past, two wrinkled bucks in his wallet and a crap job caretaking a crap campground in the desert sands of Arizona.…


Book cover of The Society of Starry Eyes

Julia Harms

From Julia's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Unknown Author Why Julia loves this book

The isekai story I’ve always wanted to read. Love the drive of the MC to really FIGURE OUT the world.

By Acaswell ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Society of Starry Eyes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A determined young woman struggles to uncover the secrets of the System itself―before the unthinkable happens―as this LitRPG adventure continues.

Transported from Earth to an entirely new planet, filled with magic and monsters, Alice Verianna has not only had to figure out how to survive but to learn and grow while she's at it. But what's really driven her from the time of her arrival is the desire to investigate―and determine the true nature of―the seemingly omnipotent System that holds sway over all things in the world of Luliv.

Alice takes a major leap forward when she finds a patron…


Book cover of Fluff

Unknown Author

By RavensDagger ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fluff as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A socially anxious college student discovers she has superpowers—and they need babysitting—in the first book of an original superhero series.

Power Day occurs every year on September 15. Across the world, formerly regular people awaken with superhuman abilities—and labels to go with them. They become the next generation of Heroes . . . and Villains.

September 15 is also Emily Wright's first day on campus. While everyone else is out celebrating the start of their college career, Emily's hiding in her dorm room. She wonders if it's possible to earn a degree while completely avoiding eye contact with anyone.

All…


If you love Erin Ampersand...

Book cover of Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman by Alexis Krasilovsky,

Kate from Jules et Jim meets I Love Dick.

A young woman filmmaker’s journey of self-discovery, set against a backdrop of the sexual liberation movement of the 1970s and 1980s. In Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman, we follow Ana Fried as she faces the ultimate…

Book cover of The Wandering Inn

E G

From E's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why E loves this book

The beginning was tough but once it gets going it doesn’t stop

By pirateaba ,

Why should I read it?

32 authors picked The Wandering Inn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

(This novel is the e-book version of the free web serial. You may read the entire ongoing story at wanderinginn.com free of charge.)

“No killing Goblins.”

So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours.

It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of…


Book cover of Dungeon Crawler Carl
Book cover of He Who Fights with Monsters
Book cover of Mark of the Fool

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