The idea of flesh-eating monsters has persisted since the 1930s and 40s, when the first zombie films were being released. But in terms of games, it didn’t gain mainstream appeal until the release of the original Resident Evil, much later, in 1996. Since then, various zombie games have made their way to the latest Android tablets and smartphones.

Horror is now among staple genres that makes up some of the best games on Android, and so are zombie games. Some titles focus on storytelling and the general hopelessness of a zombie apocalypse. Others place a lighter spin on the premise by providing you with the most ridiculous zombie-killing tools. This list puts a spotlight on all of them.

Prepare to install some horror genre bangers as we’ll round up the best zombie games currently playable on Android.

1 Dead Ahead

What would you do if a zombie outbreak were to happen? Apparently, the guy in Dead Ahead decides to make his escape on a scooter. He’s also determined to wheelie over as many of the undead as possible. Take control of the hero and his scooter and try to rush past obstacles, jump ramps, and kill zombies while you accumulate a top score. Dead Ahead throws bigger challenges at you the further you get.

But fret not; collected points allow you to purchase better wheels, from dirt bikes to choppers, weapons, and even locations that boast greater rewards. Dead Ahead has an appealing visual style and fast-paced gameplay that will keep you coming back for another race.

2 Dead Trigger 2

Forget about fast zombies, bulky zombies, or exploding zombies for a moment. How about zombies the size of a skyscraper? Welcome to Dead Trigger 2. In this apocalypse-driven first-person shooter, you must not only fend for yourself but also help out other survivors by blasting zombies in the face with a selection of guns.

Thankfully, most of them return the favor by joining your base of operations and crafting valuable supplies. Control your character by using digital on-screen controls and guide them through desolate ruins. Fend off zombies by using various weapons and help survivors in need to possibly gain new allies.

Unlike Dead Ahead and its sequel, Dead Trigger 2 has a more serious vibe to it.

3 Death Road to Canada

The apocalypse finally happened! Zombies have taken the world by surprise, and allegedly, there’s only one safe place left on Earth. Take control of an unlikely cast of survivors as you traverse the treacherous roads between Florida and Canada.

Death Road to Canada is an undead-filled action RPG in which you face off against hordes of flesh-eating monsters. You can recruit new characters to your cause to bolster your offensive capabilities. But it comes with a downside as each character requires a weapon and consumes valuable provisions.

Death Road to Canada goes for $9.99, but it’s also included in the Play Pass subscription. Plus, you get jokes written by an actual Canadian, which ensures the trip to Canada is genuinely humorous.

4 Doomsday: Last Survivors

Doomsday is an isometric adventure game that throws you into a world ravaged by the undead. It takes obvious cues from popular games in the genre, such as The Last of Us and Lollipop Chainsaw. For example, a group you take control of consists of a gruff middle-aged man with a fluffy beard and a brash teenager wearing a baseball cap. Doesn’t that sound like Joel and Ellie? Early on, you also meet a vibrant girl in a school uniform who takes out zombies with a pink… chainsaw.

During frequent encounters against zombies, you can use conventional weapons and abilities unique to each character.

5 Dysmantle

Dysmantle is an Android game that has already garnered many positive responses on the Play Store. Prepare to partake in almost every survival aspect of a zombie apocalypse: foraging and cooking to hunting and scavenging.

The game’s main selling point comes in the form of being able to break and salvage materials from almost any object. Turn materials into weapons and supplies to help you fend off the undead as you inevitably venture out to explore the apocalyptic wasteland.

At $9.99, Dysmantle is also a fairly expensive title for a mobile game. That said, it’s a small price to pay for never seeing a single ad or in-app purchase.

6 Earn to Die 2

Escaping on a scooter certainly has style to it, but Earn to Die 2 gives you control over a more robust four-wheel vehicle. The world has gone to hell, and a rescue ship is waiting for you on the other side of the country. To get to it, you’ll have to plow your way through hordes of zombies.

Earn to Die 2 features a number of vehicles for selection, including a police enforcer, and an ice cream truck. As you progress, you’ll earn money to upgrade your vehicle with. This could be a new engine or transmission, armor plating or even a mounted weapon to help you on your path.

7 Into the Dead 2

Into the Dead 2 follows the tale of a father who desperately tries to get home to his family. Seemingly endless waves of the undead stand in his way, and it’s up to you to guide him across desolate fields and grim forests while evading danger. If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you can play Into the Dead 2 at no additional cost.

You’ll unlock new weapons to defend yourself with as you complete levels and various challenges. Into the Dead 2 strikes a great balance between risk and reward by placing loot right amidst groups of zombies. Do you run for safety? Or risk dying while trying to grab hold of valuables? The choice is yours, and if you choose wrongly, you’re dead.

8 Plants vs Zombies 2

If a zombie apocalypse were to break out, the last thing you’d expect is your backyard’s flora to retaliate. Yet that’s exactly what Plants vs Zombies 2 is all about. EA’s vibrant zombie game builds upon the gameplay mechanics established by its predecessors.

Plants vs Zombies 2 takes a novel approach to the genre. Instead of using conventional firearms and melee weapons to fight off the hordes, you’ll take control of various plants and their unique abilities. Furthermore, you can improve their abilities by feeding them seeds.

Unlike many other contemporary zombie games that focus on action, this title puts emphasis on strategy. And with regular updates and daily tasks, you’ll always have something new to accomplish.

9 Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville

Much like Plants vs Zombies 2, Rebuild 3 takes a different approach to its predecessor. A zombie apocalypse has struck, and now it’s all about rebuilding whatever’s left of humanity. Rebuild 3 puts you in charge of forming relationships with other survivors and establishing communities with them. Some will join your noble cause, while others might have other plans in mind.

Your survival rests on fixing various amenities and helping those in need. It also depends on your ability to outfit your survivors with appropriate gear because zombies will often barge in to hinder your efforts. Rebuild 3 costs $4.99 and is included with a Play Pass subscription.

10 State of Survival: Zombie War

Existing as an isometric adventure game, State of Survival plays similarly to Doomsday. In fact, it’s amazing that both games aren’t made by the same company. State of Survival puts you in charge of a small group of survivors who band together to form a settlement.

To ensure their well-being, you must expand the settlement, collect produce for sustenance, and clear nearby areas of zombies. Much like in Doomsday, you have access to conventional weaponry as well as abilities unique to each character, such as gun turrets, grenades, and much more.

11 The Walking Dead No Man’s Land

As an officially licensed video game adaptation of the show, No Man’s Land features pivotal characters from the Walking Dead series. In other words, expect characters like Daryl, Merle, Abraham, and many more to eventually join your cause.

Combat takes place on a grid-based field, and you progress by completing the requirements, like killing all the zombies or collecting all the supplies. In essence, The Walking Dead No Man’s Land is a strategy game filled with tons of things to grind as you build your team.

12 The Walking Dead Survivors

The Walking Dead definitely deserves more than one mention. This time, with Survivors. Based on the series, Survivors is an isometric tower defense game in which you recruit characters and protect your settlement from the attacks of increasingly greater zombie hordes.

Survivors also features characters from the series, including Glenn, Rick, Shane, and many more. With enough luck, you can recruit them to help you fortify your base of operations, erect guard towers, and fix up surrounding walls to, hopefully, survive the next onslaught of zombies in this strategic tower defense game.

13 The Walking Zombie 2: Shooter

The world as we know it has gone to hell. Bloodthirsty zombies now roam the locales previously inhabited by humans, and danger lurks around every corner. Welcome to The Walking Zombie 2, a first-person shooter RPG that happens to offer thousands of zombies for target practice.

With a plethora of quests and objectives found in its open-world setting, The Walking Zombie 2 is sure to keep you busy. It puts you in control of a survivor, one with a natural immunity against being zombified. Getting bit still hurts, though, so you may want to equip some armor and weapons from the game’s vast selection of tools.

Make the right calls, and you may just last through another day.

14 They are Coming Zombie Defense

They’re dead, and they’re coming. They are Coming entrusts you with a simple task of surviving against an onslaught of zombies. Considering the amount of tools you have at your disposal, this should be another day at the office. The game provides you with conventional pistols, shotguns, and assault rifles, as well as katanas, molotovs, and much more.

Need an extra line of defense? No problem, set up a turret gun. Feeling like Mike Tyson? Send a tiger to deal with the zombies. You’ll need every advantage you can get because if you die, it’s back to square one. They are Coming is an unforgiving roguelike zombie defense game, and it’s an absolute blast.

15 Dead Ahead: Zombie Warfare

Zombie Warfare takes a more tactical approach than Dead Ahead. In this sequel, you take charge of an armored bus and a group of survivors. Your goal is to guide the bus across the zombie-infested wasteland, clear areas of the undead, and restock on valuable supplies.

Zombie Warfare progresses at a slower pace. Most levels see you sending your troops to a barricade in order to break it down and allow the bus to move forward. Of course, zombies don’t simply let you do that, and every level becomes a race of clearing the path while also protecting your bus from attacks.

16 Zombie Hive

Inspired by 90s anime visuals, Zombie Hive is an idle game that sees you fend off hordes of the undead. An infection spread in an underground lab has caused zombies to overwhelm the facility.

Your goal is to assemble a team formidable enough to descend 1000 floors below ground and eliminate the source of the plague. Reaching lower floors will require a great deal of firepower as you’ll face increasing undead resistance. Thankfully, completing challenges rewards you with new troops and abilities to help you deal with the especially resilient zombies.

Tuck into some tasty brains with the best zombie games on Android

Being affordable premium titles, Death Road to Canada and Dysmantle should be at the top of your list. Find yourself a compatible Android controller to make the most of your zombie slaying escapades.

If you’ve played a better zombie game than the ones on the list, by all means, take to the comments and let us know. Any suggestions could potentially make it into the next update, so don’t be shy.