Portable Horror Gaming on a Budget

Gaming can be a bit of an expensive habit, especially for those of us who don't just play around in the horror or survival horror genre. While the market may not be saturated with quality horror experiences, there are still a number of solid offerings, and they aren't exactly cheap. Chin up though, horror fan, there are ways to get your blood soaked, gore filled, game on.

Below you'll find some of the Android offerings I've come across and enjoyed since purchasing my Kindle Fire HD last Xmas. Many and/or most of these are also available on Android phones as well. I won't be highlighting any IOS games, as I am not a fan of "iThings" and have no experience with them, or their marketplace.

Into the Dead - This is probably my favorite time waster at the moment. It's a pretty simple game, you automatically move continuously forward, but must avoid waves of zombies by either touching the left or right side of your device, or my personal favorite method, tilting it to the left or right. Along the way you unlock weapons by completing "stages" which are just different challenges the game gives you, things like "travel XX distance in one run" or "Shoot XX zombies with the shotgun". You can also unlock three different game modes, each of which presents it's own style of play. Good fun, and the best part is, it's free. Get it either in the marketplace on your device, or que it up on Amazon here, if your device is linked for such.

Zombie Highway - This is one of my latest purchases, as it's finally arrived for Android devices. You may already be familiar with it, as it's a fairly popular game for IOS. Zombie Highway has you driving a vehicle down zombie filled roads, attempting to avoid obstacles as the zombies leap and attach themselves to your ride. You will eventually unlock different vehicles, all with varying weight and speed, and can equip your backseat passengers with weapons to aid you in ridding your vehicle of the nasty flesh eaters. It's at times challenging, but that doesn't take away from the fun, it just makes you want to try again and again. Check it out in the Android marketplace, or on Amazon here for just 99 cents.

Dead Trigger - Unlike "Into the Dead", Dead Trigger is a fully functional Zombie FPS. It's also one of the better looking games out there for Android devices. Like any FPS, this game is filled with all manner of unlockable weaponry to dispatch the undead with, unfortunately they all end up feeling pretty similar though. At least the huge assault rifle makes you look like a badass though. The missions are all pretty simple, but there is some variety to mix things up. Some are "move from point A to point B" but others add in objectives such as protecting a door or holding an area for a specific length of time. The controls are surprisingly responsive for touch screens, and the overall production is triple A for what it is. Dead Trigger is my favorite of all the games I've discovered on my Kindle. As with the others, check it out in the Android market, or download for FREE at Amazon here.

CKZ 2 Origins - Contrack Killer Zombies 2 Origins might be the longest title in the history of Android gaming, but don't let it stop you from playing it. This one is a third person action title, with lots of different story modes, and different types of missions in the main mode. I've spent a good bit of time with it, and feel like I've barely scratched the surface. If you've played Contract Killer or the original CKZ already, you'll be right at home with the controls, which are actually a bit better in Zombies 2 than in the original. Pick it up for FREE at Amazon here, or get it in the marketplace on your Android device.

So there's a small sampling of the great horror gaming you can do on a budget on either your phone or Android tablet. There's still plenty of other fine games to be played for a $1 or less that I haven't talked about. I check the marketplace fairly regularly, looking for new stuff, but if you've got any suggestions for horror games, feel free to share in the comments.

Also! Big shout out to my buddy Eric from Back Online, Back On Duty for the new gaming banner image! Appreciate it homie!