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Discount Dan's Backroom Bargains #1
Discount Dan
Noclip In, No Way Out... All Dan wants is to find a way home. He'd settle for a beer, a bite to eat, and a place to sleep off his hangover.
But, in an endless, ever-changing dungeon cobbled together from twisted carnivals, abandoned shopping malls, janky laundromats, and condemned insane asylums, getting a bit of shut-eye is harder than it sounds.
Dan has accidentally "Noclipped" into the Backrooms—a bizarro, extra-dimensional Alice-in-Wonderland world, overrun with horrific nightmare creatures known as the Dwellers. No one ever gets out. Hell, forget about leaving, if Dan wants to survive the week, he's going to need to harness the strange game-like magic of the Backrooms, make some very sketchy allies, and carve out a little safe haven to call his own.
And he's going to need to do it fast because Dan is being hunted. The Flayed Monarch of the 999th floor has marked him for death and no one walks away from the Skinless Court with their hide intact...
“The book is a f***ing delight. I enjoyed the absolute hell out of it and think it's an excellent use of pop culture to make something fun and horrific and awesome.” – Eric Ugland, Author of the Good Guys and Bad Guys
“Buckle up, buttercup! James Hunter takes you on a balls-to-the-wall adventure that's as insane as it is awesome.” – Jez Cajiao, Author of Arise and Rise of Mankind
"Discount Dan is a fun, fast-paced read with awesome game mechanics, surprising humor, and a brutal adventure you won’t want to put down!" – Dakota Krout, Author of Completionist Chronicles, Full Murder Hobo, and The Divine Dungeon
But, in an endless, ever-changing dungeon cobbled together from twisted carnivals, abandoned shopping malls, janky laundromats, and condemned insane asylums, getting a bit of shut-eye is harder than it sounds.
Dan has accidentally "Noclipped" into the Backrooms—a bizarro, extra-dimensional Alice-in-Wonderland world, overrun with horrific nightmare creatures known as the Dwellers. No one ever gets out. Hell, forget about leaving, if Dan wants to survive the week, he's going to need to harness the strange game-like magic of the Backrooms, make some very sketchy allies, and carve out a little safe haven to call his own.
And he's going to need to do it fast because Dan is being hunted. The Flayed Monarch of the 999th floor has marked him for death and no one walks away from the Skinless Court with their hide intact...
“The book is a f***ing delight. I enjoyed the absolute hell out of it and think it's an excellent use of pop culture to make something fun and horrific and awesome.” – Eric Ugland, Author of the Good Guys and Bad Guys
“Buckle up, buttercup! James Hunter takes you on a balls-to-the-wall adventure that's as insane as it is awesome.” – Jez Cajiao, Author of Arise and Rise of Mankind
"Discount Dan is a fun, fast-paced read with awesome game mechanics, surprising humor, and a brutal adventure you won’t want to put down!" – Dakota Krout, Author of Completionist Chronicles, Full Murder Hobo, and The Divine Dungeon
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2025
929 people are currently reading
1671 people want to read
About the author
James A. Hunter
97 books1,120 followersJames Hunter is a full-time ink slinger, a member of SFWA, and the bestselling author of Vigil Bound, Rogue Dungeon, Shadowcroft Academy, Bibliomancer (The Completionist Chronicles Expanded Universe), and the litRPG epic Viridian Gate Online! In addition to writing, James also runs Shadow Alley Press, an industry leader that specializes in publishing LitRPG, Fantasy, and selection Science Fiction.
James is a former Marine Corps Sergeant, combat veteran, and pirate hunter (seriously). He’s also a member of The Royal Order of the Shellback—’cause that’s totally a real thing. And a spaceship captain, can’t forget that. Okay … the last one probably isn’t true. When not writing or spending time with family, James occasionally finds time to eat and sleep.
Find out more about James Hunter at www.ShadowAlleyPress.com
James is a former Marine Corps Sergeant, combat veteran, and pirate hunter (seriously). He’s also a member of The Royal Order of the Shellback—’cause that’s totally a real thing. And a spaceship captain, can’t forget that. Okay … the last one probably isn’t true. When not writing or spending time with family, James occasionally finds time to eat and sleep.
Find out more about James Hunter at www.ShadowAlleyPress.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
June 16, 2025
- was recommended as similar to DCC.
-I've read some bad, mediocre and some great books of this type and this falls into the bad to mediocre range.
- it always bugs me when author's have their character just zap (or whatever method) into the game environment and they just go with flow without questioning what is happening and don't freak out.
- there seems to be no goal, no real backstory or storyline in general. we get a lot of "I did this, I walked there, I fought this and long explanations of relics, etc.
- there are a lot of very specific names given to things that the reader is supposed to know ?
- to sum up, it tries to be a knock off DCC (same big dude with military background and stupid clothes and instead of wearing crocs, he has a dog made out of croc material???) but doesn't even come close. it feels robotic and lacks story, emotion and heart.
PS - and why would he even think starting a store would be a great idea when he doesn't even meet another person until 50% into the book???
-I've read some bad, mediocre and some great books of this type and this falls into the bad to mediocre range.
- it always bugs me when author's have their character just zap (or whatever method) into the game environment and they just go with flow without questioning what is happening and don't freak out.
- there seems to be no goal, no real backstory or storyline in general. we get a lot of "I did this, I walked there, I fought this and long explanations of relics, etc.
- there are a lot of very specific names given to things that the reader is supposed to know ?
- to sum up, it tries to be a knock off DCC (same big dude with military background and stupid clothes and instead of wearing crocs, he has a dog made out of croc material???) but doesn't even come close. it feels robotic and lacks story, emotion and heart.
PS - and why would he even think starting a store would be a great idea when he doesn't even meet another person until 50% into the book???
October 17, 2025
3.5. Discount Dan has the fortunate(?) distinction of being a Dungeon Crawler Carl clone. But what if it had a third less charm, half the wit, a quarter of its emotional intelligence, but twice the action? The weird thing is that it’s successful. A former Marine finds himself sent to a universe made up of RPG levels based on human places like malls and department stores. He witnesses a high-level fight in which a hero dies and a high-level villain loses a valuable item. Bestowed with high-level defense abilities, a mapmaking skill, and a deadly screwdriver-and-hammer combo for weapons, he soon meets an inexplicably New Zealander dog named Croc, a shapeshifter made out of blue plastic. They really don’t meet many other characters until the second half, so it’s a lot of human-animal banter (except it’s not Carl and Donut, but a different gruff guy with a heart of gold and a mimic with low self-esteem).
Because as DCC moves onward to increasingly ambitious literary heights, where’s the guy who likes those first three books? Discount Dan takes those LitRPG fundamentals and delivers solid turn-based RPG combat. I’ve read a handful of LitRPGs now, and this one does detailed stat-based combat particularly well while also being a creative sci-fi urban fantasy and comedy. By focusing more on the details of the action, this series feels like it takes its influence and mixes it into something different. Sure, it’s a spin-off. But that’s a compliment. It’s like being a Star Wars clone. The big monster fight at the end was a very satisfying use of the game mechanics, and I feel like a lot of those books don’t pull that off. I’ll look forward to book two, but think that might be enough.
Because as DCC moves onward to increasingly ambitious literary heights, where’s the guy who likes those first three books? Discount Dan takes those LitRPG fundamentals and delivers solid turn-based RPG combat. I’ve read a handful of LitRPGs now, and this one does detailed stat-based combat particularly well while also being a creative sci-fi urban fantasy and comedy. By focusing more on the details of the action, this series feels like it takes its influence and mixes it into something different. Sure, it’s a spin-off. But that’s a compliment. It’s like being a Star Wars clone. The big monster fight at the end was a very satisfying use of the game mechanics, and I feel like a lot of those books don’t pull that off. I’ll look forward to book two, but think that might be enough.
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December 30, 2025Carl Lite
TL; DR: A litRPG that focuses on humor and quips, but doesn’t have the same depth and connection as other…similar stories.
I want to preface by saying that this isn’t a bad book, and we all know what it’s doing, it does seem like, to quote another “it wears its inspiration on its sleeve.” The depth and format of the book just doesn’t reach the same lengths as its inspiration, though I’ll likely keep reading, even without that perfection.
Characters: We love Croc, honestly a big fan of Jacob too, but there are surprisingly few characters here or, put more aptly, they don’t get much depth. That’s something that DCC excels in: you never can tell who’s a major or minor character because no one is safe and the story grants the same support to both returning and unimpactful characters. Dan doesn’t have the same charm, but does offer a taste of a good protagonist, but there’s been no development of him thusofar and he’s just really shallow. We shall see in the future where it takes us.
Setting: The backrooms are a good jumping off point and I get what the author is doing, but there’s only so much you can do with the limited detail. It’s like he never fleshed out any area completely enough for me to take interest and I often found myself mistakenly on autopilot for the description periods.
Story: Pretty decent although again, I feel like nothing was fleshed out. Never did I ever receive enough background for me to care about any of the characters. All I really know is their existence post-backrooms. It’s fine, but nothing to sink your teeth into.
Writing: Meh, it’s very pulpy; I often found myself looking and going “what kind of deadline were you on, buddy?” It’s not bad and this isn’t meant to degrade the writer, but it felt like trying to cram a DCC story into half (or less) of the book size.
I’ll listen to more when the next one come out but DDBB wasn’t anything too snazzy, even if I liked it, but I suppose it’s a good pause before the next DCC.
3.3 🌟
TL; DR: A litRPG that focuses on humor and quips, but doesn’t have the same depth and connection as other…similar stories.
I want to preface by saying that this isn’t a bad book, and we all know what it’s doing, it does seem like, to quote another “it wears its inspiration on its sleeve.” The depth and format of the book just doesn’t reach the same lengths as its inspiration, though I’ll likely keep reading, even without that perfection.
Characters: We love Croc, honestly a big fan of Jacob too, but there are surprisingly few characters here or, put more aptly, they don’t get much depth. That’s something that DCC excels in: you never can tell who’s a major or minor character because no one is safe and the story grants the same support to both returning and unimpactful characters. Dan doesn’t have the same charm, but does offer a taste of a good protagonist, but there’s been no development of him thusofar and he’s just really shallow. We shall see in the future where it takes us.
Setting: The backrooms are a good jumping off point and I get what the author is doing, but there’s only so much you can do with the limited detail. It’s like he never fleshed out any area completely enough for me to take interest and I often found myself mistakenly on autopilot for the description periods.
Story: Pretty decent although again, I feel like nothing was fleshed out. Never did I ever receive enough background for me to care about any of the characters. All I really know is their existence post-backrooms. It’s fine, but nothing to sink your teeth into.
Writing: Meh, it’s very pulpy; I often found myself looking and going “what kind of deadline were you on, buddy?” It’s not bad and this isn’t meant to degrade the writer, but it felt like trying to cram a DCC story into half (or less) of the book size.
I’ll listen to more when the next one come out but DDBB wasn’t anything too snazzy, even if I liked it, but I suppose it’s a good pause before the next DCC.
3.3 🌟
May 5, 2025
More like Discount Carl
This book feels inspired by Dungeon Crawler Carl: edgy humor, gore, sassy game interface, surreal game world, animal sidekick, players that change species, first-person narrator with a grumbly voice and military training.
Sadly, it lacks a couple of the major perks of DCC: a clear goal from the get go, beside survival, and solid side characters who can get the narrator out of his head.
The idea of opening a shop is pretty weak both in theory and execution. Running a store and adventuring seems a cute idea for a game (spoiler, you'll end up with two half-baked systems) but very bad for fiction, and indeed we don't see much of the store.
And also is pretty cruel to sell base equipment to people forced in a survival situation instead of giving it away. The whole economy of the dungeon is pretty wonky.
At least our big boy Dan is a magic user instead of another tank or brawler. That at least makes him stand out
This book feels inspired by Dungeon Crawler Carl: edgy humor, gore, sassy game interface, surreal game world, animal sidekick, players that change species, first-person narrator with a grumbly voice and military training.
Sadly, it lacks a couple of the major perks of DCC: a clear goal from the get go, beside survival, and solid side characters who can get the narrator out of his head.
The idea of opening a shop is pretty weak both in theory and execution. Running a store and adventuring seems a cute idea for a game (spoiler, you'll end up with two half-baked systems) but very bad for fiction, and indeed we don't see much of the store.
And also is pretty cruel to sell base equipment to people forced in a survival situation instead of giving it away. The whole economy of the dungeon is pretty wonky.
At least our big boy Dan is a magic user instead of another tank or brawler. That at least makes him stand out
May 4, 2024
I adore both LitRPG and horror novels and have devoured many of each the genre, but I've never seen them squished together before. Let me tell you, I'm here for it.
Discount Dan was a wild ride, full of messed up creatures based on real-world characters, insane magic, and featuring a set of unlikely companions making their way through a nightmare world as best they can.
I was both excited to race to the finish and also didn't want to say goodbye to the characters just as things were ramping up. Clearly there's more to come and I'm excited to see where things go.
Discount Dan was a wild ride, full of messed up creatures based on real-world characters, insane magic, and featuring a set of unlikely companions making their way through a nightmare world as best they can.
I was both excited to race to the finish and also didn't want to say goodbye to the characters just as things were ramping up. Clearly there's more to come and I'm excited to see where things go.
January 20, 2026
Humor: 3/5
Character depth: 2/5
Emotional impact: 2/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5
Originality: 3/5
I could also choose the easier path (like many other readers/reviewers before me) and simply point out the parallels between Discount Dan and DCC, dismissing it as nothing more than a “Discount” copy. But I hold myself to a higher standard, and this novel deserves more than that.
It delivers the basics solidly, yet I feel as though it wants to present itself as something it is not quite yet—though it is not impossible that it may grow into it over time. I am thinking here, for example, of a seasonal worker who goes off to pick strawberries for three months, then spends their earnings on a 15-year-old BMW and an adidas tracksuit, scattering the remaining loose change on Starbucks, before moving back in with their parents in an apartment complex, praying to be called back for the next season.
The LitRPG elements are well developed and creative. It is by no means a one-to-one copy of another system. There is enough uniqueness present, along with a novel combination of familiar elements, to view it as having its own identity.
The humor, driven by a relaxed, slang-heavy, blunt, uncensored language, is not forced, but it is not strong enough to provoke continuous, out-loud laughter.
Character depth and emotional impact, however, are where the novel mirrors our aforementioned seasonal worker. Despite the fact that the first 48% of the book is a soulless, raw narration, the storytelling constantly gives me the feeling that I am supposed to care about the characters, while the author lays absolutely none of the groundwork required for that. Almost nothing is said about the characters’ inner lives, nor about the trauma of having their past erased entirely and being thrown into a new world. The protagonist sets himself a goal that later becomes a symbol of belonging and family, yet all of this feels entirely superficial, without any sense of real layering behind it.
In the second half of the novel, some emotional construction finally begins, but at the same time a large number of combat scenes are compressed into this section, making it insufficiently effective to overwrite the earlier monotony.
I do see potential in it and will continue with the next installment. However, if the author once again provides so little backstory for the characters and offers similarly minimal insight into their emotional worlds, then I can only imagine the series as something to be consumed in audiobook form, as background noise, rather than as a form of escapism worthy of full attention.
Even though it doesn’t quite stand alongside my other four-star reads, I’ll round it up from 3.5 stars because I believe it has the potential to go a long way.
Character depth: 2/5
Emotional impact: 2/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5
Originality: 3/5
I could also choose the easier path (like many other readers/reviewers before me) and simply point out the parallels between Discount Dan and DCC, dismissing it as nothing more than a “Discount” copy. But I hold myself to a higher standard, and this novel deserves more than that.
It delivers the basics solidly, yet I feel as though it wants to present itself as something it is not quite yet—though it is not impossible that it may grow into it over time. I am thinking here, for example, of a seasonal worker who goes off to pick strawberries for three months, then spends their earnings on a 15-year-old BMW and an adidas tracksuit, scattering the remaining loose change on Starbucks, before moving back in with their parents in an apartment complex, praying to be called back for the next season.
The LitRPG elements are well developed and creative. It is by no means a one-to-one copy of another system. There is enough uniqueness present, along with a novel combination of familiar elements, to view it as having its own identity.
The humor, driven by a relaxed, slang-heavy, blunt, uncensored language, is not forced, but it is not strong enough to provoke continuous, out-loud laughter.
Character depth and emotional impact, however, are where the novel mirrors our aforementioned seasonal worker. Despite the fact that the first 48% of the book is a soulless, raw narration, the storytelling constantly gives me the feeling that I am supposed to care about the characters, while the author lays absolutely none of the groundwork required for that. Almost nothing is said about the characters’ inner lives, nor about the trauma of having their past erased entirely and being thrown into a new world. The protagonist sets himself a goal that later becomes a symbol of belonging and family, yet all of this feels entirely superficial, without any sense of real layering behind it.
In the second half of the novel, some emotional construction finally begins, but at the same time a large number of combat scenes are compressed into this section, making it insufficiently effective to overwrite the earlier monotony.
I do see potential in it and will continue with the next installment. However, if the author once again provides so little backstory for the characters and offers similarly minimal insight into their emotional worlds, then I can only imagine the series as something to be consumed in audiobook form, as background noise, rather than as a form of escapism worthy of full attention.
Even though it doesn’t quite stand alongside my other four-star reads, I’ll round it up from 3.5 stars because I believe it has the potential to go a long way.
July 14, 2025
I’m definitely new to the LitRPG genre but have quickly fell in love.
Overall, I enjoyed how Discount Dan was written. I love the premise of the main character, Dan, creating a convenience store filled with common items, food, and shelter for other individuals who have found themselves thrown into this video game dungeon.
My biggest issue with the book was that I kept comparing it to Dungeon Crawler Carl in my head, which isn’t fair to the author. It’s definitely different and able to exist in its own space but I would be lying if I wasn’t expecting a little more humor from the characters. I will definitely read the rest of the series.
Overall, I enjoyed how Discount Dan was written. I love the premise of the main character, Dan, creating a convenience store filled with common items, food, and shelter for other individuals who have found themselves thrown into this video game dungeon.
My biggest issue with the book was that I kept comparing it to Dungeon Crawler Carl in my head, which isn’t fair to the author. It’s definitely different and able to exist in its own space but I would be lying if I wasn’t expecting a little more humor from the characters. I will definitely read the rest of the series.
January 31, 2026
This book referenced Twilight more than 2008 teen magazines.
March 17, 2024
This book was insanely fantastic!! I couldn't put it down and immediately looked for the next book in the series. Reminded me of Ready Player One but more irreverent and fun! I really hope to be contacted to read the next one!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 26, 2025
Definitely written by AI
You can always tell an AI written book by some of the words used. Eldrich is one of them. As soon as I saw it I lost interest. There are other tale tale signs as well. Good idea just AI written things aren't my preference.
You can always tell an AI written book by some of the words used. Eldrich is one of them. As soon as I saw it I lost interest. There are other tale tale signs as well. Good idea just AI written things aren't my preference.
April 29, 2025
Horrifying how much fun I had
The references were many, the action was plentiful, and the story was wild.
Though I wouldn't want to get sent myself, it was still pretty fun to see how cool but nightmarish this world is.
The references were many, the action was plentiful, and the story was wild.
Though I wouldn't want to get sent myself, it was still pretty fun to see how cool but nightmarish this world is.
December 24, 2025
Super good.
Frankly I thought this would just be a dungeon crawler carl rip off, and in some ways it’s thematically similar but nah this was outstanding. I’ve read rip off books, and like most LitRPGs this has similar themes (snarky system, isekai, etc) but it’s not dungeon crawler carl. This is more like smiling friends meets SCP foundation meets dungeon crawler carl. It’s grimdark, it’s funny, (often less funny than DCC) but charming. Very creative. I love the use of crazy items. Reminds me of that one guy from one of Blaise Corvin’s novels.
One of my favorites if not my favorite read of 2025. Can’t wait to see more of this!
Frankly I thought this would just be a dungeon crawler carl rip off, and in some ways it’s thematically similar but nah this was outstanding. I’ve read rip off books, and like most LitRPGs this has similar themes (snarky system, isekai, etc) but it’s not dungeon crawler carl. This is more like smiling friends meets SCP foundation meets dungeon crawler carl. It’s grimdark, it’s funny, (often less funny than DCC) but charming. Very creative. I love the use of crazy items. Reminds me of that one guy from one of Blaise Corvin’s novels.
One of my favorites if not my favorite read of 2025. Can’t wait to see more of this!
August 2, 2025
I mean just read Dungeon Crawler Carl and if you're really starved for more litrpg then read this. Not plagiarism or anything but it seems like if you extracted key features from DCC and added just a splash of randomness you get Discount Dan. Not poorly written or anything just kind of a blatant copy
November 26, 2025
This book was okay. I think DCC set an unreasonably high bar for me, so I’ll come back to this series later maybe.
I understand Dan was a Marine, but it felt like every other mention he had to mention it. That got a little much. The arcade and loot system were nicely designed though. Not allowing him to have every single thing equipped added a layer of gaming that felt great.
I understand Dan was a Marine, but it felt like every other mention he had to mention it. That got a little much. The arcade and loot system were nicely designed though. Not allowing him to have every single thing equipped added a layer of gaming that felt great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2026
Discount dungeon crawler Carl. The writing gets a bit superfluous in the descriptions like the author was trying to hit the word count for a school essay and just learned how to swear. This book also doesn’t have a wholeeeeee lot of a plot, like I understand what he’s doing but I couldn’t really tell where it was going to go or what the end goal was.
That being said! It was still interesting enough for me to want to read the second book (spoiler, it gets better, more concise, and has a clearer plot. Seems like the author learned from this book) The backrooms world is super interesting and a really cool concept for a dungeon lit rpg. Also, who couldn’t love Croc?? 🥹
That being said! It was still interesting enough for me to want to read the second book (spoiler, it gets better, more concise, and has a clearer plot. Seems like the author learned from this book) The backrooms world is super interesting and a really cool concept for a dungeon lit rpg. Also, who couldn’t love Croc?? 🥹
January 27, 2026
Leider zu viel Content auf einmal! Viele coole Ideen, aber es zerstört etwas die Integrität der Geschichte.
July 8, 2025
take Dungeon Crawler Carl, but make it 90s themed, and add a dog made of croc material
December 26, 2025
Saw this recommended for fans of DCC and gave it a chance and it does NOT disappoint. So fun, can't wait to read the next one.
April 14, 2025
not fully thought out
It seems like the main character is either very dense or the plot isn’t as well thought out as it should be.
Beware minor spoiler:
A great example is the fight at the very beginning of the book between the wandering king and the flayed monarch. The book never goes into why these beings are on floor 1 (especially as later it makes it clear that dwellers get weaker if they are on higher floors). As this clash sets up so much of the future plot it feels much more plot device than actual world event.
It seems like the main character is either very dense or the plot isn’t as well thought out as it should be.
Beware minor spoiler:
A great example is the fight at the very beginning of the book between the wandering king and the flayed monarch. The book never goes into why these beings are on floor 1 (especially as later it makes it clear that dwellers get weaker if they are on higher floors). As this clash sets up so much of the future plot it feels much more plot device than actual world event.
January 24, 2026
Lovedddddddd! Scratched my dungeon crawler Carl itch for sure which I’ve been chasing forever. Highly recommend
June 26, 2025
Enjoyable Read
Good start to a story, workable mechanics. Good dose of humor. Makes me wish James would continue the Vigil series, but this is a solid replacement
Good start to a story, workable mechanics. Good dose of humor. Makes me wish James would continue the Vigil series, but this is a solid replacement
March 16, 2025
I was fortunate enough to have met James Hunter at my local Comic Con and rest assured not only is he a good writer, but a nice human being too! I always love finding new small or indie authors and then binging all their books if they're good and I can say that this book was more than good.
There's a time and a place for real life references and this was the time and the place! Mixing sarcasm, cheesy comedy, and a whole lot of self-deprivation turned out to be the perfect mix. I'll be honest and say originally, I wasn't so sure if I'd be the audience this book needed because of my limited knowledge in things like D & D (and some 90's references), but this book was so easy to consume because you're learning with Dan along the way!
Every character felt like they could stand on their own and I cannot wait to read more about Croc and Dan because I feel so attached to the characters and plot that it would be a horror to forsake me to never pick up this series again!
The 5 stars was well earned and with whatever comes next, I am sure will be something weird.
There's a time and a place for real life references and this was the time and the place! Mixing sarcasm, cheesy comedy, and a whole lot of self-deprivation turned out to be the perfect mix. I'll be honest and say originally, I wasn't so sure if I'd be the audience this book needed because of my limited knowledge in things like D & D (and some 90's references), but this book was so easy to consume because you're learning with Dan along the way!
Every character felt like they could stand on their own and I cannot wait to read more about Croc and Dan because I feel so attached to the characters and plot that it would be a horror to forsake me to never pick up this series again!
The 5 stars was well earned and with whatever comes next, I am sure will be something weird.
August 2, 2024
This is a bizarre and fun book! That definitely keeps you guessing what is going and what is at the next breath what will happen. Lots of throwbacks to the 80s and 90s, my nerdy self was so delighted to see it too. It is a horrorish version of DnD game. If John Dies at the end, Eldritch Horror, Ready Player One had a demented child this would be it. I'm looking forward to the next book. I will say that the beginning of it, it is hard to piece together what is going on.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 12, 2026
Finally a litrpg I enjoyed through and through. We all know Dungeon Crawler Carl has made it way across the bookverse, and everyone is obsessed. I haven't found many other litrpgs that have drawn me in so completely. Until Discount Dan with his Backroom Bargains.
I'll start by saying Dan did initially freak out as a hungover confused dude would, unlike some reviewers claimed.. but thanks to the brief aid from a random occurrence with a veteran Delver, Dan was able to adapt quickly which would be normal for a war hardened Marine who had multiple tours in Iraq. As women its easy to forget men adapt very very well in high stress situations. It would be considered typical behavior for not only a man, but a marine, especially one well versed in RPG game style. A factor that helped his adaptation was the fact he had a background in playing RPG's including D&D and a reference to Titan's Realm, and that the Backrooms leveling and playstyle were similar, giving him a higher chance of being proficient with his skill points and level knowledge. He gave background and a connection to family as to why he would want to suddenly form an opportunistic venture such as the store, and related it as something he wished for himself when he was dropped in. Influence of the Wanderer, a legend of a Delver, and knowledge Croc was actively giving aided that probability of meeting and greeting other Delvers. It didn't seem to me to be a far fetched idea when you understand there will be no escape, this is your new reality, adapt or die. A fact drilled into him from a young age.
As with all litrpg, they are based on Roll Playing Games, which all have similar game mechanics, play styles, spells, etc. They will all have things in common and its up to the author to make it original. While some factors were similar to other litrpgs due to their similarities closely linked to D&D I did not think there was anything directly copied from other litrpg. Nor will this book be exactly like other litrpgs. I would absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy DCC but want more while they wait for book 8. I think if our MC hadn't been a previous soldier I would find it much more unrealstic for him to have adapted well, and would not consider it a recommenation for a DCC reader. Its a point that helped connect those two books for me, their background and dark humor. I have yet to find another litrpg, other than this one, that has been similar in depth, character development, chemistry in the found family, realistic leveling, background, etc.
This was a really good read but I did notice slight discrepancies.. feel free to correct me if I'm wrong or misread, but they were very minor points I had noticed.
In all, read it, it won't have been a waste of time. 4.5 🌟
I'll start by saying Dan did initially freak out as a hungover confused dude would, unlike some reviewers claimed.. but thanks to the brief aid from a random occurrence with a veteran Delver, Dan was able to adapt quickly which would be normal for a war hardened Marine who had multiple tours in Iraq. As women its easy to forget men adapt very very well in high stress situations. It would be considered typical behavior for not only a man, but a marine, especially one well versed in RPG game style. A factor that helped his adaptation was the fact he had a background in playing RPG's including D&D and a reference to Titan's Realm, and that the Backrooms leveling and playstyle were similar, giving him a higher chance of being proficient with his skill points and level knowledge. He gave background and a connection to family as to why he would want to suddenly form an opportunistic venture such as the store, and related it as something he wished for himself when he was dropped in. Influence of the Wanderer, a legend of a Delver, and knowledge Croc was actively giving aided that probability of meeting and greeting other Delvers. It didn't seem to me to be a far fetched idea when you understand there will be no escape, this is your new reality, adapt or die. A fact drilled into him from a young age.
As with all litrpg, they are based on Roll Playing Games, which all have similar game mechanics, play styles, spells, etc. They will all have things in common and its up to the author to make it original. While some factors were similar to other litrpgs due to their similarities closely linked to D&D I did not think there was anything directly copied from other litrpg. Nor will this book be exactly like other litrpgs. I would absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy DCC but want more while they wait for book 8. I think if our MC hadn't been a previous soldier I would find it much more unrealstic for him to have adapted well, and would not consider it a recommenation for a DCC reader. Its a point that helped connect those two books for me, their background and dark humor. I have yet to find another litrpg, other than this one, that has been similar in depth, character development, chemistry in the found family, realistic leveling, background, etc.
This was a really good read but I did notice slight discrepancies.. feel free to correct me if I'm wrong or misread, but they were very minor points I had noticed.
In all, read it, it won't have been a waste of time. 4.5 🌟
January 8, 2026
DNF at 41%.
It makes me sad to ditch my first read of the year this soon, but I really tried my best. The little bits of promising stuff were just never enough to keep me bought in. Discount Dan was my second foray into LitRPG after Dungeon Crawler Carl, which I adored. It sounded very similar and the idea of Backrooms LitRPG seemed straight up my alley.
That being said, I was very disappointed when nothing was done with the concept of the Backrooms. Hunter uses a loose version of them with a lot of liberties, but the personality of the setting is completely gone. The whole idea with the backrooms is that they have a liminal, empty and sad feeling to them, and not once when listening to this book did I get that feeling. I do like the relics being used as a means to get stronger and even though I DNFed before I could see them, the idea of gangs hunting dwellers for their relics was cool. I think Hunter shot himself in the foot by trying to use the Backrooms as a setting. I don’t know if he did it to try and market the book or what, but the end result doesn’t feel anywhere close to what was advertised. The setting would have worked a lot better if he’d just completely done his own thing instead of trying to tie it back to something pre-existing.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Hunter got the idea for this story from Dungeon Crawler Carl or took loads of inspiration, but this book never steps into ripoff territory. That’s one of the few things I can give it credit for, since that was my main concern going into it. That being said, Dan does feel a bit like Diet Carl. Both are macho ex-military guys working blue collar who experience a wardrobe malfunction at the inciting incident, but Dan lacks any of Carl’s charm or likeability. I do not like Dan, he feels like a side character in a leading role. He has no personality except for MCU-esque quips. The first several chapters of this book featuring pretty much only Dan made them a slog, since he’s such a hard character to root for. A loaf of wonder bread would have been a more compelling lead than him. I really only started to enjoy the story when Croc was introduced. Croc is the best part of the book. Unlike Dan, I was able to root for it. It’s fun and sweet and I actually wanted to see it succeed in protecting Dan. The audiobook narrator does a good job with it, especially compared to Dan. Dan’s performance feels less like an average joe and more like a 1800s celebrity explorer recounting some Amazon expedition around a campfire.
The main thing that made me put this book down was the prose. It takes on this joking sarcastic tone. That would be fine, except this book just isn’t funny. Discount Dan has only two kinds of jokes: quips and reference humor. 90% of the jokes don’t land, and the 10% that do are dragged on and overexplained just a sentence or two too long. This is also more of a nitpick, but I think this book could’ve done without chapter titles. They all felt like afterthoughts and came across as cringey.
I wish I’d enjoyed this more. I really thought I’d love it and kept waiting for it to get better. Unfortunately, the things I enjoyed just never outweighed all of the reasons I wanted to put it down.
It makes me sad to ditch my first read of the year this soon, but I really tried my best. The little bits of promising stuff were just never enough to keep me bought in. Discount Dan was my second foray into LitRPG after Dungeon Crawler Carl, which I adored. It sounded very similar and the idea of Backrooms LitRPG seemed straight up my alley.
That being said, I was very disappointed when nothing was done with the concept of the Backrooms. Hunter uses a loose version of them with a lot of liberties, but the personality of the setting is completely gone. The whole idea with the backrooms is that they have a liminal, empty and sad feeling to them, and not once when listening to this book did I get that feeling. I do like the relics being used as a means to get stronger and even though I DNFed before I could see them, the idea of gangs hunting dwellers for their relics was cool. I think Hunter shot himself in the foot by trying to use the Backrooms as a setting. I don’t know if he did it to try and market the book or what, but the end result doesn’t feel anywhere close to what was advertised. The setting would have worked a lot better if he’d just completely done his own thing instead of trying to tie it back to something pre-existing.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Hunter got the idea for this story from Dungeon Crawler Carl or took loads of inspiration, but this book never steps into ripoff territory. That’s one of the few things I can give it credit for, since that was my main concern going into it. That being said, Dan does feel a bit like Diet Carl. Both are macho ex-military guys working blue collar who experience a wardrobe malfunction at the inciting incident, but Dan lacks any of Carl’s charm or likeability. I do not like Dan, he feels like a side character in a leading role. He has no personality except for MCU-esque quips. The first several chapters of this book featuring pretty much only Dan made them a slog, since he’s such a hard character to root for. A loaf of wonder bread would have been a more compelling lead than him. I really only started to enjoy the story when Croc was introduced. Croc is the best part of the book. Unlike Dan, I was able to root for it. It’s fun and sweet and I actually wanted to see it succeed in protecting Dan. The audiobook narrator does a good job with it, especially compared to Dan. Dan’s performance feels less like an average joe and more like a 1800s celebrity explorer recounting some Amazon expedition around a campfire.
The main thing that made me put this book down was the prose. It takes on this joking sarcastic tone. That would be fine, except this book just isn’t funny. Discount Dan has only two kinds of jokes: quips and reference humor. 90% of the jokes don’t land, and the 10% that do are dragged on and overexplained just a sentence or two too long. This is also more of a nitpick, but I think this book could’ve done without chapter titles. They all felt like afterthoughts and came across as cringey.
I wish I’d enjoyed this more. I really thought I’d love it and kept waiting for it to get better. Unfortunately, the things I enjoyed just never outweighed all of the reasons I wanted to put it down.
June 14, 2025
This is the first book in a LitRPG series about a man who noclips into the "backrooms", a bizarre dungeon in which each floor is a twisted version of a 21st century location, such as a shopping mall, parking garage, or carnival. Like a typical LitRPG dungeon crawler, Dan has to figure out how to survive in this dangerous world, full of traps, monsters, and other humans who might or might not be friendly.
The book is very creative and humorous. Dan's interactions with his "best friend" are highlights, some of the funniest moments I've read in a book. So overall I enjoyed this and recommend it to people who enjoy LitRPG.
The book is *very* heavy on RPG elements - large sections dominated by descriptions of skills and gear; these descriptions are often quite humorous, but they dominate the story. If you like long detailed discussions of loot, skills and RPG stats, you'll love this, but I found it too large a part of the story. While there is a story progressing through the book - Dan setting up a neutral space where other characters can be safe, trade with him, and possibly make him rich - the story progression is small; most of the book is dominated by discussions of loot and skills interspersed with some exploration and combat sequences.
I also didn't like that the story starts suddenly without any background, and the character doesn't seem particularly shocked about what is happening to him. Yes, he has to scramble to figure out where he is and what to do, but he handles everything quite well, and questions little about what is happing. I presume the backstory is that this dungeon world is known to people outside it, but we're not provided backstory beyond that Dan was once a US marine, is now in construction, and was drunk at a bachelor party when he noclipped into the dungeon. Everything else is left unknown.
Lastly, this seems to be trying far too hard to be like Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC) in style, though in a different setting. It certainly captures the humor of DCC - that's even better here - but this book has minimal story progression, and lacks the broader world building and character development, that are major parts of DCC.
So, overall I enjoyed this, and will probably continue the series, if mainly because the humor is really fun. I love the interactions between Dan and his best friend". And I enjoy the idea of him setting up his general store, and want to follow how that develops.
I give the book a 3.5 out of 5, which rounds to a 4 in Goodreads scale. I suggest this to people for its creativity and humor, not for the actual story, which is weak.
I listened to the audiobook read by Steve Campbell. He was great, a solid 5 out of 5 performance. His character voices, especially Croc, are excellent. His narration really elevated the experience. I hope he narrates the rest of the series.
My personal rating scale for books: 5 (best of the genre, highly recommended); 4 (good book, recommend to others who like similar types of books); 3 (decent book, enjoyed reading it but not enough to recommend to others); 2 (has merit, but I didn't enjoy it much, and possibly didn't finish it); 1 (trash that shouldn't have been published).
The book is very creative and humorous. Dan's interactions with his "best friend" are highlights, some of the funniest moments I've read in a book. So overall I enjoyed this and recommend it to people who enjoy LitRPG.
The book is *very* heavy on RPG elements - large sections dominated by descriptions of skills and gear; these descriptions are often quite humorous, but they dominate the story. If you like long detailed discussions of loot, skills and RPG stats, you'll love this, but I found it too large a part of the story. While there is a story progressing through the book - Dan setting up a neutral space where other characters can be safe, trade with him, and possibly make him rich - the story progression is small; most of the book is dominated by discussions of loot and skills interspersed with some exploration and combat sequences.
I also didn't like that the story starts suddenly without any background, and the character doesn't seem particularly shocked about what is happening to him. Yes, he has to scramble to figure out where he is and what to do, but he handles everything quite well, and questions little about what is happing. I presume the backstory is that this dungeon world is known to people outside it, but we're not provided backstory beyond that Dan was once a US marine, is now in construction, and was drunk at a bachelor party when he noclipped into the dungeon. Everything else is left unknown.
Lastly, this seems to be trying far too hard to be like Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC) in style, though in a different setting. It certainly captures the humor of DCC - that's even better here - but this book has minimal story progression, and lacks the broader world building and character development, that are major parts of DCC.
So, overall I enjoyed this, and will probably continue the series, if mainly because the humor is really fun. I love the interactions between Dan and his best friend". And I enjoy the idea of him setting up his general store, and want to follow how that develops.
I give the book a 3.5 out of 5, which rounds to a 4 in Goodreads scale. I suggest this to people for its creativity and humor, not for the actual story, which is weak.
I listened to the audiobook read by Steve Campbell. He was great, a solid 5 out of 5 performance. His character voices, especially Croc, are excellent. His narration really elevated the experience. I hope he narrates the rest of the series.
My personal rating scale for books: 5 (best of the genre, highly recommended); 4 (good book, recommend to others who like similar types of books); 3 (decent book, enjoyed reading it but not enough to recommend to others); 2 (has merit, but I didn't enjoy it much, and possibly didn't finish it); 1 (trash that shouldn't have been published).
June 10, 2025
I decided to call it quits after listening to 6 of the 15.5 hours. There are way too many story holes for me and it is lacking significant interaction between the 2 main characters, Dan and Croc.
When I first started listening I was kind of put off because there are so many obvious similarities to Dungeon Crawler Carl, but I decided there were enough differences that I’d keep going. I particularly liked the whole unusual goofy items thing as clever weapons (or total duds). I can imagine a pez dispenser being used to shoot out candy coated artillery.
One significant reason I stopped is because I was frustrated with the huge holes in the storyline. Dan wakes up after a bachelor party not sure how he got to where he finds himself. He quickly adapts to accepting monsters as the reality and that there is a magic/game-style system. In fact, I don’t really recall Dan questioning it much at all. I actually wonder if Dan is supposed to have come from a world like our earth or if he came from a game-lit world and just didn’t recognize the specific location he woke up in because he had been so drunk the night before.
I also was frustrated with how little information there is on how Croc is supposed to be able to help Dan. The story talked about Dan having to fight with this or that monster, and didn’t mention Croc during these. I envisioned Croc was just sitting on the outside of the fight watching, perhaps like he was a sort of guide dog. Then later there is passing mention about Croc killing off something and I was totally spun for a loop. After all these fights there is talk about Dan collecting prizes/tokens to turn in for better prizes. He never talks about splitting these prizes with Croc so why would I think that Croc participated in the fights? In fact, after I realized that Croc was fighting too Dan came across as super selfish for not even asking the dog if he wanted to get prizes as well.
The storyline spent almost all the time focusing on what Dan was doing. There wasn’t much dialogue between Dan and Croc. For example they didn’t shout out to each other who was supposed to kill the monster or asking each other what loot they got. Croc primarily answered Dan’s questions about the game system and the floor they were on. Hence leading me to believing that Croc was just a sort of guide dog staying in the background. The story could’ve been so much better if it wasn’t just Dan’s monologue of what he was doing and thinking interspersed with genial comments by Croc.
Perhaps the series better develops these aspects over time, but I’m tapping out.
When I first started listening I was kind of put off because there are so many obvious similarities to Dungeon Crawler Carl, but I decided there were enough differences that I’d keep going. I particularly liked the whole unusual goofy items thing as clever weapons (or total duds). I can imagine a pez dispenser being used to shoot out candy coated artillery.
One significant reason I stopped is because I was frustrated with the huge holes in the storyline. Dan wakes up after a bachelor party not sure how he got to where he finds himself. He quickly adapts to accepting monsters as the reality and that there is a magic/game-style system. In fact, I don’t really recall Dan questioning it much at all. I actually wonder if Dan is supposed to have come from a world like our earth or if he came from a game-lit world and just didn’t recognize the specific location he woke up in because he had been so drunk the night before.
I also was frustrated with how little information there is on how Croc is supposed to be able to help Dan. The story talked about Dan having to fight with this or that monster, and didn’t mention Croc during these. I envisioned Croc was just sitting on the outside of the fight watching, perhaps like he was a sort of guide dog. Then later there is passing mention about Croc killing off something and I was totally spun for a loop. After all these fights there is talk about Dan collecting prizes/tokens to turn in for better prizes. He never talks about splitting these prizes with Croc so why would I think that Croc participated in the fights? In fact, after I realized that Croc was fighting too Dan came across as super selfish for not even asking the dog if he wanted to get prizes as well.
The storyline spent almost all the time focusing on what Dan was doing. There wasn’t much dialogue between Dan and Croc. For example they didn’t shout out to each other who was supposed to kill the monster or asking each other what loot they got. Croc primarily answered Dan’s questions about the game system and the floor they were on. Hence leading me to believing that Croc was just a sort of guide dog staying in the background. The story could’ve been so much better if it wasn’t just Dan’s monologue of what he was doing and thinking interspersed with genial comments by Croc.
Perhaps the series better develops these aspects over time, but I’m tapping out.
October 25, 2025
Quick synopsis
: Dan, a man who knows basically everything, ends up pulled into a video game. Within the first minutes finds the most powerful item in existence on the floor, and he just gets more powerful from there.
Brief opinion : I wish I could remember who recommended this to me so I would know to never, ever, ever listen to them again.
Plot : For reasons that are never important in LitRPG books, Dan is pulled into what's basically a videogame. Within minutes he just happens to find the most powerful magic item in the game. Just sitting right there on the floor.
He levels up (never a risk or danger, which is the theme for the entire story), and eventually opens a store (What a fun idea!). He picks up a bunch of powerful allies and just waltzes through the rest of the book, getting more and more powerful. He ends at level 20-something with the power to beat a level 99 boss.
Writing/editing : For all of its many other issues, this book was surprisingly well edited. It made the phased/fazed error early on, but later used unfazed correctly, so that was odd.
What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : I really liked the idea of this story (opening a store), which is why I didn't DNF it. Unfortunately the writing let the story idea down at every single opportunity.
To call the main character overpowered would be an understatement. He was a former marine, a general contractor, and also a gamer so he knew every single thing he needed to know to survive in the game world.
At every turn, at every chance for hardship or loss, Dan came out on top. He was handed every win and the most powerful items in the game. There was never any believable risk for him.
The story was supposed to be funny, but to me there was not one single amusing thing in the entire story.
On top of all that, the first half of this book was such a (poor) Dungeon Crawler Carl knockoff. The second half was more original, but barely better for that.
Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : ⭐️⭐️ - Disliked. I don't think I ever said "I really should DNF this" more often while reading a book before. I kept hoping the story would get better, but it never did. I really should have DNFed it.
Brief opinion : I wish I could remember who recommended this to me so I would know to never, ever, ever listen to them again.
Plot : For reasons that are never important in LitRPG books, Dan is pulled into what's basically a videogame. Within minutes he just happens to find the most powerful magic item in the game. Just sitting right there on the floor.
He levels up (never a risk or danger, which is the theme for the entire story), and eventually opens a store (What a fun idea!). He picks up a bunch of powerful allies and just waltzes through the rest of the book, getting more and more powerful. He ends at level 20-something with the power to beat a level 99 boss.
Writing/editing : For all of its many other issues, this book was surprisingly well edited. It made the phased/fazed error early on, but later used unfazed correctly, so that was odd.
What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : I really liked the idea of this story (opening a store), which is why I didn't DNF it. Unfortunately the writing let the story idea down at every single opportunity.
To call the main character overpowered would be an understatement. He was a former marine, a general contractor, and also a gamer so he knew every single thing he needed to know to survive in the game world.
At every turn, at every chance for hardship or loss, Dan came out on top. He was handed every win and the most powerful items in the game. There was never any believable risk for him.
The story was supposed to be funny, but to me there was not one single amusing thing in the entire story.
On top of all that, the first half of this book was such a (poor) Dungeon Crawler Carl knockoff. The second half was more original, but barely better for that.
Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : ⭐️⭐️ - Disliked. I don't think I ever said "I really should DNF this" more often while reading a book before. I kept hoping the story would get better, but it never did. I really should have DNFed it.
March 11, 2025
Title: An excellent and fun read for the target audience
Content Ratings: Language – R; Violence – PG13; Other – R
Now that I'm using content ratings to provide information potential readers would want to know without harping on excessive profanity, crude humor, etc. Nope. Not going to bring up that profanity and crude humor, so don't even ask. I'm not going to mention it.
So, having dismissed talking about my preference for no profanity (which I'm not mentioning that this book has plenty of) or crude humor (which I'm also not going to point out, despite the numerous examples), let's talk about why I gave this book five stars.
There are a few things that I really enjoy in a book.
Progression - check, plenty of it
Interesting characters and character interaction - check, plenty of it
Humor - check, plenty of it (and much is not of the variety I'm not going to talk about)
A character with a COMPLETELY different perspective to take things literally or otherwise completely misinterpret (subset of humor) - check, plenty of it
And finally, silliness (which can be found in all of the above categories). Check - plenty of it.
So despite reasons I'm not mentioning, things that may have had me cringing here and there, but that I'm not going to mention, I connected with this book on just about every level. The wacky nature of the "game" universe / system, the random characters (especially Croc), and the author's good writing and sense of pacing rolled together into something I really couldn't put down, and I am really looking forward to the next book (other than aspects which I refuse to talk about despite any pleas to the contrary).
Content Ratings: Language – R; Violence – PG13; Other – R
Now that I'm using content ratings to provide information potential readers would want to know without harping on excessive profanity, crude humor, etc. Nope. Not going to bring up that profanity and crude humor, so don't even ask. I'm not going to mention it.
So, having dismissed talking about my preference for no profanity (which I'm not mentioning that this book has plenty of) or crude humor (which I'm also not going to point out, despite the numerous examples), let's talk about why I gave this book five stars.
There are a few things that I really enjoy in a book.
Progression - check, plenty of it
Interesting characters and character interaction - check, plenty of it
Humor - check, plenty of it (and much is not of the variety I'm not going to talk about)
A character with a COMPLETELY different perspective to take things literally or otherwise completely misinterpret (subset of humor) - check, plenty of it
And finally, silliness (which can be found in all of the above categories). Check - plenty of it.
So despite reasons I'm not mentioning, things that may have had me cringing here and there, but that I'm not going to mention, I connected with this book on just about every level. The wacky nature of the "game" universe / system, the random characters (especially Croc), and the author's good writing and sense of pacing rolled together into something I really couldn't put down, and I am really looking forward to the next book (other than aspects which I refuse to talk about despite any pleas to the contrary).
January 12, 2026
Obviously very DCC-like, which is fun, but the wackiness felt a little less clearly motivated (and less funny). DCC can always fall back on "it's for the views" when something crazy happens. Maybe that will clear up in time.
I liked the weird items, the "dog" character. The main character is alright too.
There's decent depth of mechanics, both in the upgrade systems and the fights themselves. Lots of satisfying variation and possibilities for improvement in different axes. Some meaningful upgrade decisions, which is great. I think that the rarity tier of items ends up getting blown out really quick. Would have been nice for rare things to feel rarer. The combining mechanic kind of ends up broken (for Dan) in this way, I really wish something different had been done there. Democratize crafting!!
The setting was much less SCP/backrooms than I had expected/hoped. It's kind of just ends up being random real worldy settings filled with monsters. I actually saw ads for this book before reading it and they really seemed to be overselling that aspect.
A weird thing is that the core concept (Dan having a store) felt like it was invented before the story was written and then shoehorned in. It doesn't really make sense narratively. Both the motivation for doing it, and the certainty that it will be successful are flawed from the beginning.
Still, I'm reserving the right to see where this goes in the second book.
I liked the weird items, the "dog" character. The main character is alright too.
There's decent depth of mechanics, both in the upgrade systems and the fights themselves. Lots of satisfying variation and possibilities for improvement in different axes. Some meaningful upgrade decisions, which is great. I think that the rarity tier of items ends up getting blown out really quick. Would have been nice for rare things to feel rarer. The combining mechanic kind of ends up broken (for Dan) in this way, I really wish something different had been done there. Democratize crafting!!
The setting was much less SCP/backrooms than I had expected/hoped. It's kind of just ends up being random real worldy settings filled with monsters. I actually saw ads for this book before reading it and they really seemed to be overselling that aspect.
A weird thing is that the core concept (Dan having a store) felt like it was invented before the story was written and then shoehorned in. It doesn't really make sense narratively. Both the motivation for doing it, and the certainty that it will be successful are flawed from the beginning.
Still, I'm reserving the right to see where this goes in the second book.
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