{"rewrite":{"id":"r_a15735e636e5a3e864cd0a39","clusterId":"c_e9efe54c98993ff46b5a0a91","slug":"piggy-bank-smashing-game-bills-must-be-paid-launches-on-steam","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Piggy Bank Smashing Game Bills Must Be Paid Launches on Steam","summary":"Rike Games released its piggy bank smashing incremental game Bills Must Be Paid on Steam on July 30, 2026. The game is priced at 905 yen, with a 30% launch discount bringing it to 633 yen until August 13. Players control a wrist holding a hammer to smash piggy banks that appear on a desk, collecting coins to pay off time-limited bills. Each swing consumes stamina, and the run ends when the wrist is exhausted. Piggy banks vary in durability, movement, and coin value, with some restoring stamina. Funds earned can be spent on a skill tree, new hammers, and bills like water bills and parking fines. Missing a bill deadline results in a 20-50% deduction of earnings. The game recorded 3,740 concurrent players on SteamDB at the time of writing and holds a 'Very Positive' rating with 97% of 202 user reviews favorable. A demo version released in April attracted attention in China, leading to clone games on Douyin that reused the developer's assets. Rike Games filed a copyright claim with ByteDance, and the clones were removed.","whyItMatters":"The game's popularity, evidenced by over 3,000 concurrent players and a 'Very Positive' Steam rating, follows a viral demo that spawned unauthorized clones on Douyin, prompting a copyright enforcement action that led to their removal.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePiggy banks vary by type in durability, coin value, and movement; some barely move, some resist attacks, and some restore stamina when hit.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eCoins fly out in $1, $5, $25, or $100 denominations according to probability, and repeatedly destroyed piggy banks level up to unlock new types.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe skill tree lets players increase maximum stamina, the number of initially placed piggy banks, and coin acquisition multipliers.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAfter paying a bill, players choose one of three perks, such as increased hammer damage or luck, to strengthen subsequent runs.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePermanent enhancement elements carry over even after bankruptcy, making growth feel quick in short sessions.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eUnlockable hammers include ones with high critical hit rates but small attack radius, and ultra-fast ones with wide radius but low damage.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSkill tree options include training grip strength, becoming a caffeine addict, going to the gym, pumping up wrists, increasing luck, and unlocking abilities such as stone rain and hammer electrification.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSome piggy banks hold loan sharks, and rare coins can be collected.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe demo released in April drew contract proposals from Chinese publishers alongside the clone wave.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSome clone games were distributed in an incomplete state, and Rike Games filed a copyright claim with ByteDance, which operates Douyin.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe full version incorporates many new elements from the demo, and a demo supporting Japanese display remains available on Steam.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Bills Must Be Paid hit 3,740 concurrent players on Steam, but the real story is the Douyin clones that reused the dev's assets until a copyright claim took them down.","twitterPost":"Smash piggy banks, pay bills, go bankrupt. Bills Must Be Paid is out now on Steam with a 30% launch discount. The demo that went viral in China is still up.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Rike Games' piggy bank smashing incremental game Bills Must Be Paid launched on Steam to strong numbers, with over 3,000 concurrent players and a 'Very Positive' rating. The game's demo had previously spawned unauthorized clones on Douyin, which were removed after a copyright claim.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/029/G102931/20260730061/\",\"title\":\"Incremental Game 'Bills Must Be Paid' Where You Smash Piggy Banks with a Hammer Launches on Steam\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/bills-must-be-paid-20260730-457338/\",\"title\":\"'Bills Must Be Paid' Piggy Bank Smashing Game, Even Fakes Have Been Made, Starts Off Strong and Popular. Smash Piggy Banks to Pay Off Debt, Keep Earning as Long as Your Hands Move\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/30/169973.html\",\"title\":\"Bills Must Be Paid, a game where you keep smashing piggy banks with a hammer, released on Steam. Keep paying the bills that arrive one after another until you go bankrupt.\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":12309,"outputTokens":1400,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1785789214,"createdAt":"2026-08-03T20:11:18.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-03T20:12:23.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-03T20:11:18.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_e9efe54c98993ff46b5a0a91","canonicalTitle":"“ニセモノまで作られた”ブタの貯金箱破壊ゲーム『Bills Must Be Paid』人気そのまま絶好調スタート。貯金箱を砕いて借金返済、手が動く限り稼ぎ続ける","representativeArticleId":"a_1429041a23261b1cb03ffe5a","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Bills Must Be Paid\"],\"studios\":[\"Rike Games\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-30T03:42:42.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-30T12:06:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-03T20:12:23.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/029/G102931/20260730061/","title":"ハンマーを振って貯金箱を破壊しまくるインクリメンタルゲーム「Bills Must Be Paid」，Steamで配信開始"},{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/bills-must-be-paid-20260730-457338/","title":"“ニセモノまで作られた”ブタの貯金箱破壊ゲーム『Bills Must Be Paid』人気そのまま絶好調スタート。貯金箱を砕いて借金返済、手が動く限り稼ぎ続ける"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/30/169973.html","title":"貯金箱をハンマーで破壊し続ける『Bills Must Be Paid』Steamにてリリース。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":["Rike Games"],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Bills Must Be Paid launched on Steam on July 30, 2026, priced at 905 yen with a 30% discount to 633 yen until August 13.","The game recorded 3,740 concurrent players on SteamDB at the time of writing.","Steam user reviews are 'Very Positive' with 97% of 202 reviews being favorable.","Missing a bill deadline deducts 20-50% of earnings.","A demo version was released in April, and clone games on Douyin were removed after a copyright claim with ByteDance."]}