Zombie Derby is a variant of the infinite running game, with a single route to navigate and obstacles in your way. It's actually a finite runner, with a fixed goal to reach, but when you first start a level your pickup truck will not have the range to reach the fortified camps at the end of the road.
This is where the grind comes in. As you play through (and invariably run out of fuel and die) you'll earn coins that you can spend on improving your truck. Better tyres, more powerful engines, larger fuel tanks, and nitrous oxide boosts to help you take to the air and make a big jump all help you extend the range of your truck. And while you can run over zombies, this will slow you down, so a truck mounted gun will clear the undead and let you keep your speed up.
Given the freemium nature of the game, you won't be surprised to find that you can also buy coins as well. 5,000 coins cost £1.49/$1.99, which will give you a decent level of upgrades, but I'm glad to see that you can earn a reasonable amount of coins as you play through. It doesn't feel like you have to buy the coins to win.
Zombie Derby, with a 3d view that's just slightly to the side of what a 2d platformer would present, looks the part, and with engine purring, nitro boosts, and crunching bones it sounds the part as well. This is a well presented title that's accessible and easy to play.
For me there's just a big too much grind, and the in-game action needs a little bit more strategy to really hook me in, but this is a title that's very much pick up and play, and delivers on the zombie expectations in 2013.
Zombie Derby is a free download, and you can find it in the AAWP App Directory.