Piggy Bank Smashing Game Bills Must Be Paid Launches on Steam
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.
Key Facts
- 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.
Reporting from 3 sources: 4Gamer.net, Automaton, Game Spark.
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.
- Piggy banks vary by type in durability, coin value, and movement; some barely move, some resist attacks, and some restore stamina when hit.
- Coins fly out in $1, $5, $25, or $100 denominations according to probability, and repeatedly destroyed piggy banks level up to unlock new types.
- The skill tree lets players increase maximum stamina, the number of initially placed piggy banks, and coin acquisition multipliers.
- After paying a bill, players choose one of three perks, such as increased hammer damage or luck, to strengthen subsequent runs.
- Permanent enhancement elements carry over even after bankruptcy, making growth feel quick in short sessions.
- Unlockable hammers include ones with high critical hit rates but small attack radius, and ultra-fast ones with wide radius but low damage.
- Skill 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.
- Some piggy banks hold loan sharks, and rare coins can be collected.
- The demo released in April drew contract proposals from Chinese publishers alongside the clone wave.
- Some clone games were distributed in an incomplete state, and Rike Games filed a copyright claim with ByteDance, which operates Douyin.
- The full version incorporates many new elements from the demo, and a demo supporting Japanese display remains available on Steam.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.