The Recommended Reading Order
For the best experience, readers should follow the main series in its publication order, as it tracks a continuous storyline of Runt, a 12-year-old Minecraft villager who dreams of becoming a hero. The spin-off series, such as the Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten, can be read in tandem or after the main books, as they expand on characters from the same world (specifically the Nether).
Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior (Main Series)
This is the core saga of Runt. Originally self-published digitally as shorter stories under the title Diary of a Wimpy Villager, these were later adapted, revised, and expanded with professional illustrations by Saboten for their physical print release. We recommend reading the physical consolidated books in this exact sequence:
- Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior (2016) - Introduces Runt and his dream of escaping farmer life to join the warrior training program.
- From Seeds to Swords (2016) - Follows Runt as he begins his official training and faces tougher competition.
- Crafting Alliances (2017) - Runt and his friends face new threats and must build alliances to survive.
- Path of the Diamond (2017) - The stakes rise as the young trainees prepare for real-world dangers.
- Ultimate Warrior (2018) - (Also published in some regions as Quest Mode) Runt faces his ultimate challenge yet to prove his worth.
- Forging Destiny (2019) - The culmination of Runt's initial training arc as he steps up to save his village.
- Shadow Over Aetheria (2024) - Runt enters a new adventure phase exploring the wider world of Aetheria.
- Hour of Enchantment (2025) - The newest installment in the main sequence, detailing the magical training and dark forces rising in Aetheria.
Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten (Spin-Off)
This series shifts the perspective to Eeebs, a curious kitten who gets lost in the Nether. It is set within the same universe and features overlapping lore, making it a perfect companion read. You can read these after finishing Book 4 or Book 5 of the main series, or as a standalone adventure.
- Lost in the Nether (2017) - Eeebs is separated from his owner and must survive the dangerous Nether.
- A Call to Arms (2020) - Eeebs rallies allies in the Nether to face a growing menace.
A Noob's Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior
This series acts as a younger-reader friendly adaptation of Runt's adventures. If you have younger readers who find the main novels a bit long, this series is the perfect entry point. It is not necessary to read both, but they cover similar ground in a more digestible format.
- A Noob's Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior (2023)
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
Because the books follow a linear sequence of events, publication order matches chronological order for the main series. The only caveat is the transition from Cube Kid's early self-published ebooks to the revised, officially published versions. The original self-published ebook series, titled Diary of a Wimpy Villager, ran from 2015 to 2018. When Andrews McMeel Publishing picked up the series for print, they combined and edited multiple shorter ebook segments into single, longer volumes under the Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior banner. Therefore, readers looking for a complete and polished story should stick exclusively to the 8-Bit Warrior physical books.
The "Wimpy Villager" and "Nether Kitten" Ebook Origins
Before his books were widely distributed in bookstores, Cube Kid published his stories in serialized digital parts. For readers looking at older listings or digital libraries, here is how those early releases map to his current bibliography:
- Diary of a Wimpy Villager (Ebook Series): The early digital releases (such as Diary of a Wimpy Villager #2, Trash the Dungeon, and Wimpy Villager 16.5) contain the raw drafts of what eventually became the first few volumes of Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior.
- Nether Kitten (Ebook Series): Similar to the villager diaries, the early Nether Kitten ebooks (like Minecraft: Nether Kitten: Book 1, 2 & 3 and Nether Kitten 6) were the prototype drafts that Cube Kid later polished and officially released as the Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten series.
- Path of Exile / Aetheria Offline: These were experimental, online-focused projects. Aetheria Offline was a collaborative LitRPG experiment published on Kindle where readers could submit characters to be included in the narrative. Because it is non-canon and discontinued, it is not required reading for the main series.
Reader Tips: Where to Start?
The definitive starting point is the first volume of the main series: Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior. Starting anywhere else will leave readers confused, as the plot builds heavily on the skills, spells, and character friendships developed in previous books. The books are designed to look like journals with handwritten fonts and illustrations, making them highly accessible for reluctant readers, particularly gamers who enjoy the mechanics and lore of Minecraft.