Start Strong and Protect Your First Bills
Bills Must Be Paid is easiest when you treat each run as a financial decision, not just a smashing spree. Your cash must both improve your hammer and cover the next invoice, so spending everything on upgrades can end a promising cycle immediately.
Each run uses stamina. Swinging the hammer costs energy, and the run ends when your hand is tired. Smash Piggies efficiently, collect loot, then inspect the desk before buying anything. The right upgrade is the one that fixes what ended the previous run.
| If this happens | Your likely bottleneck | Best response |
|---|---|---|
| Piggies survive too many hits | Damage is too low | Buy Base Damage |
| The desk empties before stamina does | Too few targets | Add Starting Piggies or spawn effects |
| Killable Piggies remain when stamina ends | Run duration is too short | Buy Stamina or reduce stamina drain |
| Several Piggies overlap | Area damage is underused | Buy Hit Radius or Collateral Damage |
| You destroy targets reliably but earn little | Loot scaling is low | Add Loot, Luck, or crit effects |
In the opening cycle, secure two accuracy achievements before increasing Attack Speed. A slow hammer is easier to control, and missed swings can ruin an otherwise perfect run.
- Complete Not a Single Miss with 100% accuracy in one run.
- Follow it with Twice as Precise by maintaining 100% accuracy for two consecutive runs.
- Aim through the center of a Piggy rather than dragging over empty desk space.
- Do not chase a Piggy at the edge if doing so risks a miss.
After those achievements are done, focus on reaching the next bill. Keep its full amount separate from your upgrade budget. If you have $320 and a $200 bill is due tomorrow, you only have $120 available to spend.
Paying bills unlocks stronger Piggies, additional systems, and new skill choices. Paying early can be worthwhile when the reward improves your next few runs, but do not do it if it prevents a needed damage purchase.
Upgrade Route for a Reliable Cycle
There is no perfect build because Piggy density, stamina, damage, and loot can become limiting at different times. Still, a practical purchase order prevents common early mistakes.
Start by getting enough damage to break low-tier Piggies without spending most of a run on one target. Add one useful stamina improvement, then increase starting targets when the desk begins to run dry. Loot upgrades become much better after you can consistently destroy available Piggies.
| Upgrade type | Buy it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| Base Damage | Basic Piggies take too many swings | One-hit kills are already common |
| Stamina | Targets remain alive when runs end | The desk empties first |
| Starting Piggies | You frequently have no targets | You lack damage to clear existing targets |
| Hit Radius | Piggies cluster together | Targets usually stay spread apart |
| Attack Speed | You have enough targets and stamina | You still need accuracy achievements |
| Loot and Luck | You clear Piggies consistently | Damage is preventing kills |
Hit Radius and Collateral Damage become valuable when multiple Piggies overlap. Some effects reward striking two or more targets, so do not automatically hit the nearest Piggy if waiting briefly creates a better group.
Prioritize valuable Piggies when they are realistically breakable. Tougher Piggies can provide larger payouts, but repeatedly spending stamina on one target is poor value if your damage is too low. Smash weaker targets, buy damage, and return later.
Shop Hammers and gadgets can be powerful, but they are current-cycle purchases. Before buying one, ask whether it will generate enough income before the next deadline. A late expensive Hammer is not a bargain if bankruptcy will erase it shortly afterward.
Coin effects add variance. Double or Nothing can double a run’s loot, but it can also leave you with nothing. Use gambles only after the upcoming bill is protected. The same rule applies to Piggy Shuffle and all-in betting: money reserved for survival is never disposable.
Bankruptcy, Prestige, and the Main Ending
Bankruptcy is part of progression, not a ruined save. When a cycle can no longer meet the next bill without unrealistic luck, convert paid bills into Legacy Points and begin a stronger cycle.
Legacy Points are awarded from bills paid, at a rate of one point per $50 in paid bill value. Unspent wallet money does not provide the same benefit, so try to pay one more safe bill before resetting rather than hoarding cash in a doomed cycle.
| Cycle goal | What to prioritize | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 | Accuracy achievements, basic bills, first Prestige | Forcing an unwinnable late bill |
| Cycle 2 | Risky achievements, loans, stronger permanent bonuses | Gambling bill-reserve money |
| Cycle 3 | Main bill sequence, collections, King Piggy | Resetting before post-game upgrades |
| Post-game | Remaining Skill Tree nodes and Maxed Out | Declaring bankruptcy too early |
| Final cycle | Remaining Rings and Bracelets | Rebuying temporary power unnecessarily |
Spend early Legacy Points on permanent improvements that solve the weakness from the last cycle. Damage helps if targets took too long to break. Starting Piggies help if you ran out of targets. Stamina helps if runs ended with profitable Piggies still alive. Loot becomes stronger once clearing power is dependable.
Big Toni loans can bridge a short-term gap, but they should not become permanent income. Take a small loan when a strong payout can repay it soon, then clear the balance before the daily cut becomes expensive. This is also the cleanest time to earn the loan-related achievements.
The core completion route is:
- Pay bills until your cycle stops scaling well.
- Bankrupt strategically and buy permanent bonuses.
- Build a stronger second cycle while completing difficult achievement setups.
- Use a profitable late cycle to unlock every Piggy, shop item, and Coin.
- Defeat King Piggy, pay the Taxes bill, and choose Keep Playing.
- Finish the late Skill Tree branches before your final bankruptcy.
- Use the final Prestige currency to buy remaining Rings and Bracelets.
Do not reset immediately after reaching the apparent ending. The post-game contains expensive King Piggy Skill Tree branches, and those count toward the Maxed Out achievement. Bankruptcy removes temporary items, current cash, gadgets, normal Skill Tree progress, and Piggy progression, while Rings and Coins remain permanent.
Achievement and 100% Completion Checklist
Most achievements unlock naturally through normal play: smash Piggies, earn money, and pay bills. The following ones need deliberate setup and are easiest when planned around your cycle.
| Achievement | Reliable setup |
|---|---|
| Strong Start | Make your first swing destroy two nearby, low-health Piggies |
| Multismasher | Use clustered weak Piggies with enough damage and radius |
| Eyes on the Piggy | Track the selected Piggy in Piggy Shuffle using a small stake |
| All or Nothing | Go all in only after reserving the next bill |
| Take a Loan / Pay Back a Loan | Borrow a small amount and repay after a strong run |
| Super Jackpot | Buy its Skill Tree node, then continue late-game farming |
| The Richest Broke Person | Stop marginal spending until your wallet reaches $1,000,000 |
| Prestige Jewelry | Purchase every Ring and Bracelet after enough resets |
For Strong Start, your first hit of a run must destroy two Piggies. Wait until you have enough opening targets, damage, and Hit Radius. For Multismasher, use weak clustered targets instead of trying to overpower tougher Piggies.
Piggy Shuffle is intentionally uncertain, especially near the end of its movement. Track only the chosen Piggy and use a stake you can afford to lose. One successful attempt is enough; repeatedly risking bill money is not.
For collection objectives, stay in a profitable late cycle long enough to unlock every Piggy type, complete the Coin Collection, and clear the shop. High-income runs are the right time for expensive Hammers and final shop purchases.
The final achievement order matters less than protecting progress. Finish current-cycle objectives such as the shop, Piggy unlocks, normal Skill Tree, King Piggy content, and Taxes ending before the final reset. Save permanent jewelry purchases for afterward.
FAQ
What is the best Bills Must Be Paid walkthrough strategy for beginners?
The best Bills Must Be Paid walkthrough strategy is to protect the next bill first, buy only upgrades that solve the current bottleneck, and use bankruptcy for permanent growth instead of forcing a failing cycle.
Should I buy Attack Speed early?
No. Complete the two 100% accuracy achievements first. Attack Speed makes the hammer harder to place precisely, while early damage and stamina usually provide more reliable progress.
When should I declare bankruptcy?
Reset when the next bill requires far more income than your recent normal runs can produce. Try to pay any realistically reachable bill first, since paid bills become Legacy Points.
What survives bankruptcy?
Rings and Coins remain permanent. Current cash, Hammers, gadgets, normal Skill Tree upgrades, and current Piggy progression are lost.
How do I reach the ending?
Build through multiple cycles, pay the main bill sequence, defeat King Piggy, pay the Taxes bill, then choose Keep Playing to access post-game completion progress.