{"rewrite":{"id":"r_07aff978d23a7f090cf7ee7a","clusterId":"c_1991c24e1184bd548b4263f6","slug":"piggy-bank-smashing-game-bills-must-be-paid-launches-july-29-on-steam","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Bills Must Be Paid Releases July 29 on Steam","summary":"Developer Rike Games announced that the piggy bank smashing incremental game Bills Must Be Paid will launch on PC via Steam on July 29 (July 30 in Japan due to time zone differences). The game tasks players with repeatedly smashing piggy banks with a hammer to earn money and pay off accumulating bills before going bankrupt. Each swing consumes stamina, and the round ends when the player is exhausted. Unpaid bills result in collectors taking a portion of earnings. Between runs, players spend money on a skill tree that includes upgrades such as increased grip strength, caffeine intake, and an electrified hammer. New piggy bank types, hammers, and perks appear as the game progresses. The full version adds a prestige system that awards points based on bills processed before bankruptcy, which can be spent on permanent upgrades like rings. A gambling mechanic is also included. The game gained attention in China after an April demo, leading to clone games on Douyin that were removed after Rike Games filed a copyright claim. The price is $6.99 with a 30% launch discount for the first week. A demo is available during Steam Next Fest.","whyItMatters":"The game's journey from a niche demo to attracting Chinese publisher interest and clone removals shows how a simple, satisfying loop can generate viral attention and copyright challenges before its full release.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe game\u0026#39;s full version adds a prestige system that awards points based on the number of bills processed before bankruptcy. Players can spend those points on rings and other items for permanent upgrades and special perks.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA gambling mechanic is included that, if successful, can make bill payments much easier. The full version also adds new piggy bank types, perks, and hammers, and an ending is implemented.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe demo, released in April, attracted particular attention in China. Rike Games received contract proposals from Chinese publishers. At the same time, clone games of \u003cem\u003eBills Must Be Paid\u003c/em\u003e were created in China and uploaded with ads to Douyin, also known as Chinese TikTok. The clone games used assets directly taken by Rike Games, with some released in an unfinished state, potentially damaging the original game\u0026#39;s reputation. Rike Games filed a copyright infringement claim with Douyin\u0026#39;s parent company ByteDance, and the clone games were successfully removed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKey features listed on the store page include:\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Bills Must Be Paid's prestige system ties permanent upgrades to how many bills you processed before bankruptcy, not to total earnings. That design choice penalizes safe play.","twitterPost":"Bills Must Be Paid rewards bankruptcy proximity: prestige points scale with bills processed before going under, not cash hoarded.","threadsPost":"Bills Must Be Paid's prestige system rewards how many bills you processed before bankruptcy, not how much money you saved. The game's incentive structure is calibrated to make players ride the edge of insolvency, not avoid it.","newsletterBlurb":"Rike Games' Bills Must Be Paid, a game about smashing piggy banks to pay bills, launches July 29 on Steam. The full version adds a prestige system, new pig types, and a gambling mechanic. A demo is available during Steam Next Fest.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260616j\",\"title\":\"Demo of 'Bills Must Be Paid', a game where you just keep smashing piggy banks, now available. Go to the gym, increase grip strength, even electrify your hammer, and just keep destroying pigs.\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260616-449928/\",\"title\":\"Game 'Bills Must Be Paid' That Drew Attention in China and Even Suffered Cloning to Release July 30; Break Piggy Banks to Earn Cash in This Satisfying Incremental Game\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/16/168021.html\",\"title\":\"'Bills Must Be Paid' Releases July 29 - Keep Smashing Piggy Banks with a Hammer to Pay Bills Until You Go Bankrupt\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":10663,"outputTokens":1315,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1781567641,"createdAt":"2026-06-15T23:45:53.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-15T23:49:57.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-15T23:49:57.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_1991c24e1184bd548b4263f6","canonicalTitle":"貯金箱をハンマーで破壊し続ける『Bills Must Be Paid』7月29日リリース！次々届く請求書の支払いを破産するまで続けよう","representativeArticleId":"a_d08e6d20fbdab9512559f106","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Bills Must Be Paid\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-15T23:00:04.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-16T03:50:07.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-16T04:00:34.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260616-449928/","title":"中国で注目集め“盗用までされた”ゲーム『Bills Must Be Paid』7月30日発売へ。ブタの貯金箱を壊して稼ぐ、がっぽり爽快インクリメンタル"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260616j","title":"ただただ豚の貯金箱をひたすら叩き割っていくだけのゲーム『Bills Must Be Paid』体験版が配信中。ジムに通い、握力を上げ、ハンマーを電撃化までしてひたすら豚を破壊する"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/16/168021.html","title":"貯金箱をハンマーで破壊し続ける『Bills Must Be Paid』7月29日リリース！次々届く請求書の支払いを破産するまで続けよう"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Bills Must Be Paid"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Bills Must Be Paid launches on PC via Steam on July 29, 2025, with a 30% launch discount for the first week.","The game's full version adds a prestige system that awards points based on bills processed before bankruptcy, which can be spent on permanent upgrades like rings.","A gambling mechanic is included that can make bill payments easier if successful.","Clone games of Bills Must Be Paid appeared on Douyin in China using assets taken from Rike Games, and were removed after the developer filed a copyright infringement claim with ByteDance.","The game costs $6.99 and a demo is available during Steam Next Fest."]}