Bills Must Be Paid Releases July 29 on Steam
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.
Key Facts
- 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.
Reporting from 3 sources: Automaton, Denfaminicogamer, Game Spark.
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.
The game'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.
A 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.
The demo, released in April, attracted particular attention in China. Rike Games received contract proposals from Chinese publishers. At the same time, clone games of Bills Must Be Paid 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's reputation. Rike Games filed a copyright infringement claim with Douyin's parent company ByteDance, and the clone games were successfully removed.
Key features listed on the store page include:
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.