Joel and Chris celebrate tax day by talking about exercise and birthdays, woodworking and pirates, and whether or not Joel’s only defining quality is being bald. Chris becomes a bit of an auspicious beast himself when he puts Azure from Bitewing Games on the Chopping Block. Then the guys discuss taxes in games by identifying three games that feature a tax mechanism, two games that feel like paying taxes, and one game worth spending your tax return on. Finally we check back in with the highlight reel for another look at what has our attention on the crowdfunding front. All that and more, like Joel offering to provide marriage counseling for Chris, on this episode of the Oak and Onion podcast!

Segments:

• 00:00:00—Welcome and Introduction
• 00:00:37—What we've been up to
• 00:14:11—What we've been playing
• 00:53:55—Chopping Block: Azure
• 01:20:04—3-2-1 Taxes!
• 01:49:42—Highlight Reel
• 02:03:58—Closing and Sign Off

It’s an episode of excess for Joel and Chris, where Chris watches the entire Marvel franchise, Joel plays games with his college friends for three days straight, and we tackle one of the questions at the heart of our consumerist hobby: how much is too much when it comes to board games? We’re not done there, either: Joel puts Perch on the Chopping Block to see whether cute stacking birds justify mean gameplay, and then Joel challenges Chris to a game of Two Truths and a Lie to see whether Chris can determine which 2026 releases are real and which are fake. Doing all that while we’re both still sleep deprived means we never know what we’ll say on this episode of Oak and Onion!

Segments:

• 00:00:00—Welcome and Introduction
• 00:00:33—What we've been up to
• 00:22:00—What we've been playing
• 00:43:31—Chopping Block: Perch
• 01:05:36—Game: Two Truths and a Lie
• 01:17:23—QOTE: How Much is Too Much?
• 01:45:46—Closing and Sign Off

Chris spent the weekend at his local convention, TokenCon, in Oklahoma City. He, and his wife Kaitlin, recap their experience at the convention, including their favorite moments, favorite games, and more. You’ll also hear interviews from Scott Brady, designer of boop., Hues and Cues, and Caution Signs, as well as Paula Deming, a few Oklahoma game publishers and designers, the TokenCon founder, and several con goers throughout the episode. Segments:

• 00:00:00—Welcome and Introduction
• 00:00:51—Meet our guest host: Kaitlin
• 00:02:17—Interview: Mike, Co-Director of TokenCon
• 00:08:05—Interview: Brandon, Art Director of TokenCon
• 00:11:04—Overall Thoughts on the Con
• 00:13:52—Interview: Cassie Sikes, Designer of Jibber Jabble
• 00:20:32—Favorite Moments of the Weekend
• 00:23:41—Interview: Paula Deming, Things Get Dicey
• 00:32:38—Interview: Scott Brady, Game Designer
• 00:44:24—#3 Game of the Weekend
• 00:49:19—Interview: Baron's Game Room
• 00:53:30—Interview: Scrapper Games
• 00:56:24—Interview: Absurdist Productions
• 01:00:45—#2 Game of the Weekend
• 01:05:38—Interview: The Guilded Grayland Game Store
• 01:10:12—Interview: Bearded Rat Mysteries
• 01:12:56—Honorable Mentions
• 01:16:59—Attendee Favorites of the Weekend
• 01:21:01—#1 Game of the Weekend
• 01:27:30—Closing and Sign Off