Contract Killer: Zombies

Zombie shooters from 2011 mostly wanted you running and gunning, whereas Glu Mobile’s spin-off of its hitman game Contract Killer planted you in one spot and made the zombies come to you. Developed by Glu Mobile Moscow and released for free on iOS and Android in the fall of 2011, it was a small game, only a few megabytes on Android at launch, built around aiming and shooting.

What Is Contract Killer: Zombies

You control an elderly hunter in a wheelchair, which is the story’s explanation for why you never move, and he fights alongside his partner Evelyn. The job is to shoot zombies before they reach you or the people you are protecting. Each mission sets a target, such as collecting supplies, rescuing civilians or surviving a wave, and reaching a certain score opens a scenario in which you cover survivors as they run for a helicopter. The Android package name, com.glu.android.zombsniper, hints at how much of the game is about picking off targets from range.

How Shooting Works In Contract Killer: Zombies

Because movement is removed, the whole game rests on the crosshair. You drag to aim, tap to fire and reload between bursts while zombies shamble toward you from different distances. Kills earn money and experience, and headshots pay a bonus, so slow careful shots usually beat spraying. Experience unlocks new weapon classes, while money buys the guns inside them.

The arsenal was one of the parts reviewers liked most:

• Pistols for steady early work
• Uzis for crowds at close range
• Pump-action shotguns
• Sniper rifles for the long-range headshots that paid best

The Freemium Problem Critics Pointed Out

Italian site Multiplayer.it scored it 6.5 out of 10 in October 2011 and summed up the main issue clearly: difficulty climbed much faster than your arsenal, so you either replayed missions over and over or bought premium currency. The same review disliked the control layout, with aim and fire placed at opposite ends of the screen, and called the 3D models angular and the animation mediocre. Pocket Gamer was kinder with four stars, and on Android it collected a high user rating at the time, mostly from players who enjoyed it as a free time-killer. The general verdict was a fun free shooter for a few days that turned into a grind once the free weapons stopped keeping up.

Is Contract Killer: Zombies Still Available?

No. The Google Play listing is gone, and Glu never published a date or reason for the removal. Glu itself was bought by Electronic Arts in April 2021, and many of its older titles had already left the store before then. A build from 2011 also predates the 64-bit requirements of current phones, so it is unlikely to install on a modern device even from an old backup.

How It Fits Into The Contract Killer Series

The original Contract Killer was a hitman shooter in which you took jobs and eliminated targets, and it was a big freemium hit for Glu on iOS. Zombies kept the scoped shooting but swapped human targets for the undead and the hitman story for a rescue one. Glu followed it with Contract Killer: Zombies 2 and with a separate line of Contract Killer sequels, so this first zombie spin-off is mostly remembered as the start of that branch.

Who It Suited Back Then

It worked best for players with five spare minutes who liked lining up headshots rather than navigating levels. Anyone looking for a story or variety tended to drop it after the first dozen missions, while collectors of guns stayed longer to unlock the sniper rifles.