Zombies, Run! was already one of my favorite running apps because it made a regular run feel like part of a story. Even if you are not especially into zombies, the idea is strong: put on your headphones, start moving, and let the app turn your run into a mission.
With Zombies, Run! 2 arriving on the App Store, I wanted to take a quick first look at what changed, what stayed the same, and whether it still feels like a running app first instead of just a story with a fitness feature attached.
Quick Answer
Zombies, Run! 2 is still a running app built around story missions. You run or walk while your own music plays, and the app drops story clips between songs. Along the way, you collect supplies, build up your base, review run logs, and continue missions from different chapters.
The big change in this version is that it adds more structure around seasons, missions, and in-app purchases. Instead of releasing a completely separate app and charging again, the older app was upgraded, with new Season 2 content available through purchases like missions, side missions, and race missions.
What Zombies, Run! 2 Is
The basic idea is simple: you are not just tracking distance and pace. You are part of an audio story while you run. The app gives you missions, characters, supplies, and events that play out as you move.
That is what makes it different from a standard run tracker. It still records real running information, but it gives you a reason to keep going beyond just staring at distance, time, and pace.
For someone who needs a little extra motivation, that story layer matters. It can make a short run or walk feel more purposeful.
The Main App Layout
The bottom of the app has five main areas. The first is for news and updates. The second is the mission list, where you can pick missions, continue chapters, and go back to earlier story sections.
The mission screen keeps track of your playlist and lets you start from different chapters if you left off. That is useful because the app is built around longer story progression, not just one-off workouts.
The middle icon is the base. This is where the supplies you collect during runs become part of a larger base-building system.
Base Building
While you are running, you can pick up materials, health packs, and other items. After the run, those supplies can be used to build up your base.
The base builder gives the app a light strategy layer. It reminded me a little of a simple city-building system, where the miles you put in also feed into something persistent after the run is over.
You can inspect buildings, upgrades, add-ons, population, supplies, and materials. The app also ties into the Zombies, Run! website, so you can manage and review more of your account from the web as well.
Season Pass and Purchases
Zombies, Run! 2 introduces a store and season pass-style purchases. From what I saw, Season 2 missions were available as an in-app purchase, with additional side missions and race missions listed as future or separate content.
That included 5K, 10K, and 20K race mission packs. For people who use the app seriously as part of their running routine, that gives the story more room to grow.
I actually think this approach makes sense. They did not just release a separate version two app and ask everyone to buy the whole thing again. The existing app was upgraded, and the new story content is where the ongoing purchase model comes in.
Music and Story Timing
One of the best parts of the app is how it handles your music. Zombies, Run! can use music from your iTunes library, then wait for quieter moments between songs before inserting the story.
That is much better than having narration randomly cut into the middle of a song. It makes the whole thing feel more natural while you are moving.
You can set mission length to around 30 minutes or an hour, and the app adjusts how often it drops in story moments based on that length. The settings also include options for game volume, pickup speech, distance units, and music player behavior.
During a Run
The run screen shows the usual running information like time and pace. As you pick up items, they appear during the mission, and the story clips you hear show up as audio entries.
If you miss something, you can replay the audio. You can also pause or stop a mission, and there are sharing options for Facebook and Twitter.
There was a server connection error while I was testing, but that was not too surprising since the app had only just released. Early launch traffic can make servers a little rough for the first few hours.
Run Logs and Stats
The run logs are detailed enough that this still feels like a real running app. You can see distance, time, pace, supplies collected, story moments, and the items picked up during the run.
The web view adds even more context. It can show a map of your route with a red line, plus markers for songs, story clips, and collected items.
That is the balance I like here. Zombies, Run! is not just a story app pretending to track exercise. It gives you the normal running details while also making the run more interesting.
Zombie Chases
The app also has zombie chase-style moments that can push you to speed up. You can turn that option on or off, but when it is enabled, you may hear zombies behind you and need to run faster to get away.
That works especially well for 5K-style training because it gives you short bursts where you have to pick up your speed. Instead of manually planning intervals, the app gives you a story reason to move faster.
Key Takeaways
- Zombies, Run! 2 is still a real running app first, with story layered on top.
- The app uses your own music and inserts story clips between songs instead of interrupting randomly.
- Runs can collect supplies and materials that feed into a base-building system.
- Mission logs include useful details like pace, distance, items collected, story clips, and map data.
- Season 2 content and race missions appear to be handled through in-app purchases instead of a completely separate app.
- Zombie chase moments can add short speed bursts to a run, which is useful for 5K-style training.
Watch the Video
The video above above for the full first look inside Zombies, Run! 2, including the mission list, base builder, run logs, settings, and web profile view.
