How to Play TrickleDown.io
- Pick a billionaire on the main page. Brock Ledger III is unlocked first.
- Grab a bill and drag it away from his fist. He holds on tight, so pull hard until it rips free.
- Spend the money you free on upgrades in the shop.
- Take every last dollar to bankrupt him and unlock the next billionaire.
1. Prying bills loose
Press on any bill in the billionaire's hand and drag it away. The bill stretches, the fist shakes, and he starts sweating. Keep pulling until it rips free. Let go too early and it snaps back into his grip.
- Grip: every billionaire has a different grip strength, shown as a 1 to 5 meter on their card. Stronger grips need longer pulls.
- Refills: when his hand is empty he reaches into his fortune for another handful. Use the pause to shop.
- Combos: grab bills in quick succession to build a combo multiplier. Each fast grab adds 0.1x, up to x2 at first.
- Excuses: he'll complain the whole time. That part is just for fun.
2. Upgrades
Everything you free goes into your pockets, and you spend it in the shop. Prices rise each time you buy an upgrade.
Swap his cash for bigger money: $1s, $5s, $20s, Benjamins, money clips, cash bricks, briefcases, gold bars, diamonds, yacht deeds, island deeds and, finally, senators.
He grabs one more bill per handful, so there's more to pry loose before every refill.
Sneak lotion into his palm. Each level makes his grip 15% weaker.
Hire auditors who collect bills on their own, each worth 6 bills. More auditors collect faster.
Raises your combo cap by 0.5x per level, up to x4.5 for fast, greedy grabbing.
Only for billionaires who earn dividends. Each level cuts their income by 20%.
Slam the gavel and seize 6% of whatever he has left. The price doubles each time.
3. Dividends and interest
After the first billionaire, your targets earn money while you play: from 0.5% of their remaining fortune a minute for Sen. Pat Porkbarrel up to 2.5% for Margaret Megamart. Barry Blockchain's crypto gains are volatile and can swing either way. If you're too slow, their fortune grows back. Close Loopholes shrinks that income.
4. Leaked Files: the 7x frenzy
Every few minutes a folder of leaked files may drift across the screen. Tap it before it's gone to start a FRENZY: for 20 seconds, every bill you free is worth 7x. Upgrade before a frenzy and grab as fast as you can.
5. Bankruptcy, unlocks and seasons
Take a billionaire's whole fortune and they go bankrupt, followed by a short epilogue about their new life. That unlocks the next billionaire:
| # | Billionaire | Type | Starting fortune | Earns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brock Ledger III | Old Money Heir | $1.2 billion | Nothing |
| 2 | Sen. Pat Porkbarrel | Career Politician | $3 billion | 0.5%/min |
| 3 | Gwendolyn Glow | Wellness Mogul | $6 billion | 1%/min |
| 4 | Barry Blockchain | Crypto Bro (slippery) | $12 billion | ~1.5%/min, volatile |
| 5 | Chad Moonshot | Tech Billionaire | $48 billion | 1.5%/min |
| 6 | Rex Crude | Oil Baron | $95 billion | 2%/min |
| 7 | Margaret Megamart | Retail Empress | $210 billion | 2.5%/min |
Bankrupt all seven and a new season begins: every billionaire crawls back with 10x the money and a tighter grip. Seasons never end, and the numbers keep climbing past trillions into quadrillions and far beyond.
6. Your total and your stats
Total trickled down counts every dollar you've ever freed, across every billionaire and season. The Stats page turns it into what it could pay for (teacher salaries, school meals, library books and more), plus your records, fastest bankruptcies and share buttons.
7. Tips and strategy
- Don't only buy Bigger Bills. It's tempting, but a mix of upgrades bankrupts billionaires about twice as fast as Bigger Bills alone. Fuller Fists and Butter Fingers make every pull count, and auditors earn while you drag.
- Keep the combo alive. Short, quick pulls on the easiest bill beat long struggles.
- Save Wealth Tax for big fortunes. 6% of a huge fortune is a lot of money, so it's best early against each new billionaire.
- Race the dividends. Against high earners, buy Close Loopholes early or their fortune keeps growing back.
- Upgrade right before a frenzy to multiply its payoff.
8. Saving your progress
Progress saves automatically in your browser, with no account needed. Open Stats › Save backup › Copy save code to back it up or move it to another device, then paste the code under "Load a save code" there.
Frequently asked questions
Is TrickleDown.io free?
Yes. It's free to play in any browser, supported by ads. There's nothing to download or buy.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. It runs in mobile and desktop browsers. On touch screens, drag the bills with your finger.
Do I need an account?
No. Your progress is stored in your browser. Use the save code to back it up.
Is any real money involved or donated?
No. All money in the game is imaginary, and the "what it could pay for" figures are illustrative.
Are the billionaires real people?
No. Every character is fictional. The game is a parody about extreme wealth in general.
Does the game ever end?
No. After all seven billionaires, new seasons start with fortunes 10x bigger, forever.