Every run in Bills Must Be Paid is a race between your stamina and your bills. This guide explains the systems in the order they matter, using the store page, the official Rike Games site and the official achievement list. Some online guides invent piggy names and upgrade numbers that do not match the official material, so this page sticks to what the developer has published and what the achievements confirm. Buying questions are on the FAQ page, and resets and achievements on the walkthrough page.
1 Stamina is the clock
Smashing costs stamina, and when your hand is too tired the run is over. InsertCoins describes this as the tension at the heart of the game: every swing is income and cost at the same time. Two consequences follow.
2 Know your piggies
The store says some piggies run away, some are too lazy to move, and others carry black money. The official site names five types and says rarer ones appear later.
| Piggy | Behaviour (official site) | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|
| Normalito | Predictable and weak | Steady income; hit them in groups |
| The Tourist | Large; restores stamina | Priority target when stamina is low |
| Woody | Slow moving | Easy to line up with others |
| Piñata | Random loot | Worth a swing for the surprise |
| El Loco | Chaotic; zigzags and charges | Wait for it to come to you rather than chasing |
Some piggies drop rare coins instead of regular ones. They carry over across runs, and the Coin Collector achievement asks for the full set, so pick them up whenever they appear. Piggy Bank Collector asks you to unlock every piggy bank type.
3 Accuracy matters
The game tracks accuracy. The official list includes Not a Single Miss for a run with 100% accuracy and Twice as Precise for keeping 100% across two runs in a row. That tells you missed swings are counted, which lines up with the stamina logic above. Multismasher (three piggies at once) and Strong Start (two piggies with your very first hit) reward waiting for a good angle instead of swinging early.
4 Bills and perks
Bills show up while you play. Paying one unlocks a perk that helps you pay later bills faster, so early payments snowball. Ignoring bills is expensive: the official site says a debt collector starts taking a cut of everything you earn, which slows every future run until you catch up.
5 Reading the skill tree
The skill tree has multiple paths. The store lists improving your grip strength, getting addicted to caffeine, hitting the gym, pumping up your wrist and getting more lucky, plus abilities such as rock rain and an electrified hammer. The official site adds that weirder options open up deeper in the tree. Maxed Out asks you to buy every upgrade eventually, so order matters more than choice.
6 Choosing a hammer
Hammers differ in damage, swing speed, critical chance and hit radius. The store gives two contrasting examples.
| Style | Trade-off | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Precise | Higher crit chance, smaller radius | Players who aim carefully at tough piggies |
| Fast and wide | Very fast, big radius, less damage | Crowds of weak piggies and accuracy runs |
A wide hammer is more forgiving, which helps both stamina efficiency and the accuracy achievements. A precise hammer shines once tougher piggies make crits worth more. The store frames it as choosing whichever fits your playstyle, so try both.
7 Your first runs
Hit groups, avoid empty swings, and watch for The Tourist.
The perk and the achievement both start the snowball.
More stamina means more coins from every later upgrade.
When progress stalls, read the walkthrough page before resetting.
Stamina ends every run, so avoid empty swings, hit piggies in groups and smash The Tourist to recover stamina. Accuracy is tracked, and patient multi-hits pay best. Pay bills as early as possible, because each one unlocks a perk and unpaid bills let a debt collector take a cut. Buy upgrades that lengthen runs first, then damage and area abilities, and pick a wide hammer for crowds or a precise one for crits.
Bills Must Be Paid Bankruptcy and Achievements / Walkthrough
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