Best Jeff Hays Audiobooks
Jeff Hays is, for a huge chunk of the LitRPG community, synonymous with one series: Dungeon Crawler Carl. He's narrated every installment — from the original Dungeon Crawler Carl through Carl's Doomsday Scenario and The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook — and at this point it's nearly impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. His performance style is chaotic in the best possible way: fast, irreverent, packed with distinct character voices that range from deadpan sarcasm to full-on unhinged. Carl himself lands as a genuinely funny everyman, but Hays clearly relishes the weirder supporting cast even more. That average Goodreads rating above 4.5 isn't an accident — listeners are obsessive about this series partly because of what Hays brings to it. If you like your audiobooks loud, comedic, and slightly unhinged, Jeff Hays is your guy.
Where to Start with Jeff Hays
- New to Jeff Hays? Start here → Dungeon Crawler Carl
- What fans keep coming back to → Carl's Doomsday Scenario
- Short listen, big payoff → Irrelevant Jack 4
- Highest rated by listeners → The Butcher's Masquerade
- Best narrator–author pairing → The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
Best Jeff Hays Audiobooks
- 1
The Butcher's Masquerade
Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 5
Narrated by Jeff Hays
★ 4.88 ABR Score (135.3K ratings)★ 4.69 Goodreads (108.1K) ★ 4.94 Audible (27.2K)More about this pick
Carl and Princess Donut navigate a dinosaur-infested jungle floor while alien viewers vote on their survival. Hays captures the series' perfect blend of video game logic and genuine emotional stakes.
- 2
This Inevitable Ruin
Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 7
Narrated by Jeff Hays, Travis Baldree
★ 4.87 ABR Score (96.2K ratings)★ 4.68 Goodreads (74.1K) ★ 4.93 Audible (22.1K)More about this pick
Jeff Hays and Travis Baldree tackle the chaos of Faction Wars as Carl's team faces nine alien armies in a massive battle for the ninth floor's central castle.
- 3
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride
Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 6
Narrated by Jeff Hays, Patrick Warburton, Travis Baldree, Annie Ellicott
★ 4.83 ABR Score (110.3K ratings)★ 4.66 Goodreads (91.7K) ★ 4.92 Audible (18.5K)More about this pick
Chaos reigns on floor eight as Carl and friends face scattered challenges, forgotten gods, and an AI system falling apart. This ensemble cast including Patrick Warburton creates pure audio mayhem.
- 4
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 1
Narrated by Jeff Hays
★ 4.80 ABR Score (335.5K ratings)★ 4.48 Goodreads (284.3K) ★ 4.86 Audible (51.2K)More about this pick
When Earth becomes a literal death game show, one man and his ex-girlfriend's cat fight for survival in underground dungeons designed to entertain alien viewers. Jeff Hays channels Carl's desperate humor perfectly, making the absurd premise land with surprising emotional weight.
- 5
The Gate of the Feral Gods
Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 4
Narrated by Jeff Hays
★ 4.79 ABR Score (150.1K ratings)★ 4.55 Goodreads (125.6K) ★ 4.91 Audible (24.5K)More about this pick
Carl and Princess Donut face floating gnome fortresses and haunted crypts in their deadliest floor yet. Jeff Hays continues his exceptional character work, especially with Princess Donut's regal cat attitude amid apocalyptic absurdity.
- 6
Carl's Doomsday Scenario
Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 2
Narrated by Jeff Hays
★ 4.78 ABR Score (217.5K ratings)★ 4.51 Goodreads (187.5K) ★ 4.89 Audible (30.0K)More about this pick
Carl and his magic cat Princess Donut navigate the second level of an alien game show designed to kill humans for entertainment. Jeff Hays perfectly captures the absurd humor of this death-trap RPG scenario.
- 7
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 3
Narrated by Jeff Hays, The Critical Drinker
★ 4.75 ABR Score (182.0K ratings)★ 4.43 Goodreads (152.4K) ★ 4.9 Audible (29.6K)More about this pick
Carl and Princess Donut face the impossibly twisted Iron Tangle subway system where up is down and logic doesn't apply. Jeff Hays and The Critical Drinker's dynamic narration perfectly captures this series' blend of absurd humor and genuine stakes.
- 8
Shadow Sun Rebellion
Shadow Sun • Book 3
by Dave Willmarth
Narrated by Will M. Watt, Annie Ellicott, Andrea Parsneau, Jeff Hays
★ 4.44 ABR Score (1.6K ratings)★ 4.78 Audible (1.6K) - 9
Shadow Sun Expansion
Shadow Sun • Book 2
by Dave Willmarth
Narrated by Will M. Watt, Annie Ellicott, Andrea Parsneau, Jeff Hays
★ 4.41 ABR Score (1.8K ratings)★ 4.75 Audible (1.8K) - 10
Shadow Sun Survival
Shadow Sun • Book 1
by Dave Willmarth
Narrated by Will M. Watt, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau, Annie Ellicott
★ 4.36 ABR Score (2.8K ratings)★ 4.67 Audible (2.8K) - 11
Sequel.exe
Industrial Strength Magic • Book 2
by Macronomicon
Narrated by Steve Campbell, Jeff Hays, Justin Thomas James, Annie Ellicott, Laurie Catherine Winkel, Andrea Parsneau
★ 4.34 ABR Score (2.1K ratings)★ 4.57 Goodreads (1.5K) ★ 4.84 Audible (590)More about this pick
Perry returns to find Franklin City controlled by a mad god playing cruel games with reality, while an ancient force from the age of capes plans humanity's extinction.
- 12
Operation Bounce House
Narrated by Travis Baldree, Jeff Hays
★ 4.26 ABR Score (13.8K ratings)★ 4.06 Goodreads (10.8K) ★ 4.67 Audible (3.1K)More about this pick
A rancher must defend his planet when Earth gamers target his world for remote destruction. Travis Baldree and Jeff Hays work together seamlessly, alternating perspectives while maintaining the story's frantic energy throughout.
- 13
Irrelevant Jack 4
Irrelevant Jack • Book 4
by Prax Venter
Narrated by Justin Thomas James, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau
★ 4.22 ABR Score (1.4K ratings)★ 4.36 Goodreads (697) ★ 4.8 Audible (707)More about this pick
King and Queen lead an enormous party of Heroes and Townsfolk to balance Blackmoor and visit neighboring unknown lands. James, Hays, and Parsneau handle the expanded cast as Jack faces leadership challenges both inside and outside Subroutine Sana's Towers.
- 14
Irrelevant Jack 3
Irrelevant Jack • Book 3
by Prax Venter
Narrated by Justin Thomas James, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau
★ 4.22 ABR Score (1.9K ratings)★ 4.34 Goodreads (1.0K) ★ 4.74 Audible (912)More about this pick
Jack's defiant leadership of Blackmoor Cove faces consequences as Emberstone's displaced heroes seek refuge from advancing Corruption. The three-narrator team expertly handles the expanding cast and escalating magical conflicts.
- 15
A Parade of Horribles
Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 8
Narrated by Jeff Hays
★ 4.18 ABR Score (650 ratings)★ 4.71 Goodreads (650)More about this pick
Carl and Donut face the dungeon's tenth floor where simple races hide deadly eliminations after each event. Jeff Hays continues to perfect his character voices as the series reaches new heights of controlled chaos.
- 16
Irrelevant Jack 5
Irrelevant Jack • Book 5
by Prax Venter
Narrated by Justin Thomas James, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau
★ 4.15 ABR Score (1.0K ratings)★ 4.3 Goodreads (501) ★ 4.77 Audible (530)More about this pick
NPCs gain self-consciousness and explore beyond their programmed boundaries while cosmic infection spreads through Motarn's unexplored regions. The multiple narrators handle the expanding cast as characters seek individual paths.
- 17
Cherry Blossom Girls 4: A Superhero Adventure
Cherry Blossom Girls • Book 4
by Harmon Cooper
Narrated by Justin Thomas James, Jeff Hays, Laurie Catherine Winkel, Annie Ellicott, Andrea Parsneau
★ 4.10 ABR Score (936 ratings)★ 4.27 Goodreads (377) ★ 4.77 Audible (559)More about this pick
The full voice cast brings energy to this meta-fictional superhero story where the protagonist becomes 'Cherry Blossom Boy' and deals with media attention. The multiple narrators handle the ensemble cast and genre-awareness perfectly.
- 18
Irrelevant Jack
Irrelevant Jack • Book 1
by Prax Venter
Narrated by Justin Thomas James, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau
★ 4.09 ABR Score (3.8K ratings)★ 4.13 Goodreads (1.9K) ★ 4.55 Audible (1.9K)More about this pick
Pulled into a game-like world, Jack finds his Hero Class filled with coding errors while trying to save a seaside town from an unknown threat. The trio of narrators brings energy to this LitRPG adventure.
- 19
Bunny Girl Evolution 1: A Monster Evolution LitRPG
Bunny Girl Evolution • Book 1
by Sir Bedivere The Mad
Narrated by Dorrie Sacks, Justin Thomas James, Ryan H. Reid, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau, Tess Irondale
★ 4.03 ABR Score (939 ratings)★ 4.22 Goodreads (521) ★ 4.62 Audible (418)More about this pick
Bullied girl dies and reincarnates as a rabbit with big ears and buck teeth, facing magical world survival. Six-narrator cast handles the evolution mechanics and character growth.
- 20
Wizard's Tower 2: A LitRPG Adventure
Wizard's Tower • Book 2
Narrated by Justin Thomas James, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau
★ 3.96 ABR Score (721 ratings)★ 4.24 Goodreads (633) ★ 4.61 Audible (88)More about this pick
Grumpy wizard Nemon Fargus continues unlocking magical secrets in this high fantasy LitRPG, brought to life by a stellar trio of narrators who capture every cantankerous moment.