When Corey Hyden, along with his wife Kelsie Hyden and brother-in-law Richard Tregilgas, opened Free Play in Richardson in 2015—followed by a location in Denton in 2018—he expected the primary customer base to reflect people like himself. However, in the ensuing decade, he has been pleasantly surprised by the far-reaching demographic his arcade business attracts.

“I was 29 [years old] and a lawyer, so I assumed we're gonna target young professionals,” Hyden said. “I very quickly found out this is a place for everyone. Our primary core [demographic] is families and the going-out-at-night crowd.”

The setup

An entry fee of $12.89 per person allows customers to play over 95 arcade games and pinball machines, which are all set to free play. Guests under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. Adult-only times are in effect after 9 p.m.

What makes them special?


Hyden said Free Play attracts people from across the nation. Some tourists have a five-stop itinerary including four Free Play locations in Richardson, Denton, Dallas and Abilene, and Tokyo Station in Arlington, a Japanese-focused arcade featuring claw games and obscure arcade games.

From museum-quality monitors and consoles to original laser discs, Free Play strives to offer one-of-a-kind experiences.

A closer look

Hyden said Free Play boasts the biggest Killer Queen—a 10-player arcade game—league in the world. There are 500 active members, and about 350 members play at the Dallas, Denton and Richardson Free Play locations weekly.


“People show up just to play that game. They'll build their own teams and hang out waiting their turn to play this social arcade game,” Hyden said. “There's all sorts of stories from the community about people meeting while playing the game, getting engaged, getting married and having kids.”

The specifics

Free Play Denton is located in a two-story building on the Square.

“We bought the whole building on the Square. It’s my first time being a landlord, and it's really great,” Hyden said. “I bought that building entirely because of the huge basement.”


What else?

Free Play has a food and beverage program. Food options include appetizers, sandwiches, flatbread pizzas and more. The beverage menu features a variety of beers and themed cocktails, including Mario Mario, The Fresh Prince, Jeff Spicoli and more.

The ambiance

From the music to the games, Free Play aims to provide a “time-travel experience”, Hyden said.


“We have spent 10 years building the greatest ‘80s playlist that exists in the world,” Hyden said. “We are not technologically advanced. We're running the cutting edge of 1988 ... and that's really hard to do. It's really special that we have it here in DFW.”