Free Play Arcade - Richardson

We enjoyed Free Play! It was 27$ for 2. They have a ton of games, mostly older stuff. I think that’s because it’s not a ticket based arcade and that’s all the newer games. They had a new pong machine that we played a lot. Many pinball options and a few racing games. It did feel pretty loud so it probably wouldn’t be good for noise sensitive people.

Such a good vibe here. Daily specials and my chilli dog was home cooked goodness. Not a big hot dog person, but they were made with love. Thanks for the fun time and great atmosphere. We'll be back with family n friends!

Fun alone...on a date...or in a group. Price of admission =unlimited play from open to close. Under 21, you'll head out by 9. Over 21, the fun continues into the early morning. Great games. Great food. Great drinks. Check it out. You'll be glad you did. 10 years in and going strong!

Pretty cool place. Unlimited game play for about $13. Alcoholic beverages were reasonably priced and they had a good selection. Some of the games were quite old but still fun. Definitely a cool place for adults. There weren't many kids and plenty of places to sit and drink and eat. Will definitely go back if I'm in the area again.

Has a wonderful time with my family. Spent time playing coop games like retro racing games with my wife and Mortal Kombat and marvel vs capcom with my son (they had a blast) and I loved introducing my 8 year old to the N64 that I grew up playing on a genuine CRT TV Wonderfully clean environment and they didn’t lack on food or nice aesthetic vintage looking drinks Pricing was excellent at a simple entrance fee too

My favorite bar-cade, I’ve been going here since 2021 and they never disappoint. The games are swapped out a lot with other locations and the employees are always very nice. They also have ticketed events for Halloween and NYE that are always really fun.

Fun place. I love how they have all the latest pinball machines. They had the iron Man machine which I've been wanting to play for a while. Also all the old school games everything appeared to be working the price is cheap and it also offer a veteran's discount. Which I took advantage of.

Fun spot for pinball! Not as many machines as their other places but a great selection. Also seems like an active pinball community.

A nice throwback arcade. It's a bit small and although you get a lot of bang for your buck with $13 of free play (pay at entry), I can't imagine being there all night. I'm also not a gamer, though. It still is a great outing for an hour or two that is affordable. They have a full bar and food menu. I didn't eat, but the drinks were affordable. There aren't many places to sit or put drinks down around the games, which makes it a lil tight but they do have a main seating area. It's located in a small.shoppimg center, if you aren't looking for it, you'd probably miss it. The staff stayed very busy with the constant foot traffic but were very friendly.

Pretty good free play arcade for $13 with a bar. Their game selection is deep enough that even going on a Saturday night you can likely find an interesting machine to hunker down and play through that will hold your interest though navigating the crowds might be an issue if you are at all claustrophobic. Wish there was slightly better traffic flow as a couple rows that dead-end with machines going all the way to the wall instead of allowing a cut through but it is mostly an non-issue. They have a nice collection of retro arcade games ranging from beat-em-ups, fighting games, on rails shooters, racing games, etc. In addition they stock more modern multiplayer releases like PacMan Battle Royal and Killer Queen. They also have a handful of pinball games up front if that is more your thing as well. The machines I played seemed to be in pretty good repair for the most part too which is always a toss up for 20+ year old game cabinets. They have multiple locations around the metroplex so if this one is a bit further out, maybe check to see if there is one closer if you think it might be your thing. Sadly I live in a weird dead zone equidistant to many of them but it's worth the trip to check try it out even you aren't lucky enough to have one in your backyard. Would recommend as even your bar tab in addition to entry is unlikely to break the bank. Pretty decent value for an evening out all things considered.

Fun environment. The games are old but they have kept them in good working shape. The price is not bad at all either. The food wasn't the best I've ever had and the pizza was a lot smaller than I would have expected. But at $10 it's not terrible. Fanta, retro games, good company? What more could ya ask for? I have been to this location and the one in Fort Worth. I personally think the Fort Worth Location is better though. Seemed a tad bigger with a better selection of games.

Wonderful atmosphere and wonderful old school arcade games with several modern ones mixed in. Plenty of beer and cider options! Also, an enforced Adults only time!

Fun place and adjacent to some of the best ramen in town ! I was trying to do my speaker on my phone. I want to pick up the TV but it didn't.

We were looking for a rainy-day activity on vacation and found this on Google Maps. We were fine with the $12/person charge, even with six people in our family, but apparently it was half price for arriving in the first hour! Score! There was a decent selection of games, and all the games were in great shape. They were constantly walking around cleaning and looking for things needing fixed. We didn't try any of the food, but it smelled amazing. We love going to retro gaming conventions, so this was right up our alley. If we lived here, we'd be regulars!

Visiting family in Dallas and I suggested we go to this place to kill a few hours with five adults and a 10y/o kid. It was 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday and it was very busy. It's $12/person, no child rate. The first thing we all noticed was that the space is small. It's in a strip center and you're packed in like sardines. Right up front is the bar and behind the bar there are a few tables for people who have parties, etc. The smell of cheesy pizza with a hint of BO and 80s nostalgia envelops you. The bartenders were nice and they have a decent craft beer selection. The games are mainly older games and heavy on the anime-ish games. If it's crowded, you might not be able to play the games you want for awhile. They did have Off Road, the group pac man and other OG faves. But because of the size of the space, they can't really fit in any other games even if they wanted to. My fave game was probably the group game Bishi Bashi (if that's the name?) near the front - it was fun competing with others. Overall, it's no Pinballz in Austin but it's OK if you're looking to kill a few hours.

Really cool, my 9 year old looooooves this place. Lots of vintage games and pinball mixed with some crazy new Japanese games. The prices were OK but they just raised them. Also, I know the games are old, but often there are a few not working. That said, cool place.

I have become a regular here over the past months, I absolutely adore the setup, the employees, the food, the drinks, honestly everything. This location is well maintained, has a killer music playlist, and great game variety. I primarily come here for Dragon's Lair, Killer Queen, Tapper, Pinball, and the Japanese Rhythm games (specifically Museca and Bishi Bashi Channel) but they have many, many more. The employees are friendly, attentive, and do a great job keeping things clean and people served even when it's busy. I constantly rave about this place to anyone and everyone. If you come enough, definitely invest in the monthly membership and prepare for an amazing time! (Check out their other locations too!)

Wish they had opened up sooner! I grew up around this area and just discovered free play on a visit back to Dallas and I would've loved to have something like this as a kid. The fee is more than worth what you're getting and they even have food options in case you need a snack :)

Fun, retro arcade with cocktails. Great for this gen-xer to replay some old classic video games. When we went, barely any kids.. so it was great!

My first time here was so fun! The games were great, the waiters were awesome. At some point they traded at least half their classic games for weird emulators. Me and 2 kids under 5 years old cost $39 to get in now and they don't have any of the games I remember playing. Here's my most recent experience. Go in and pay a crazy amount for me and two little children. Ask for the top IPA on the list and the waiter doesn't know what it is. She pours it and then says it's supposed to go in a smaller glass so she just charged me double. I go back around and ask a different employee for an IPA that will fill a regular glass and get a stout. My two beers totaled $22. I've done this a few times this last year and every time it's worse than the last. I won't go back.

We didn't get a chance to try the food but the drinks were very good for the prices. The service was fast and the staff were very inviting. It's mainly an arcade and the ambiance is very energetic.

The ambiance at this venue was delightful, striking a perfect balance between lively and relaxed. My girlfriend and I have thoroughly enjoyed our visits here, captivated by their extensive and impressive selection of drinks. Having already been here twice, we are eagerly looking forward to our next visit. The array of arcade games available offers a diverse and entertaining experience. Although the food service was a tad slow we did come during a busy evening, it didn't diminish our overall wonderful experience.

Great assortment of games and the customers are lovely. Bartender could be better. I asked for the Russian Imperial Stout and was told 'Are your sure? It's expensive. ' I said it didn't matter, that's what I wanted to drink. Then the bartender goes 'Oh, because he's paying, right?' and pointed at my friend. No honey, I own my own business and am doing just fine. I don't need to rely on the man to buy my drinks, I'm fully capable of doing it on my own so quit making your ignorant assumptions. And yes, I picked up the tab.

Free play is definitely a great place to catch up and hang out with some friends. I definitely had enjoy myself here and played a few of my favorite childhood video games .

Fun games and friendly staff! Lots of games to choose from. Food was okay, the menu is not too big, so maybe eat before you go.

This is a novel idea to take a walk down memory lane. Such a cool idea, but not greatly executed. First off not all the games are in working order, the bartenders aren't trained & don't know how to make drinks, you also need to offer some decent wine, not everyone cares for fruity drinks & beer. And well, the food quality is lacking, taste like it comes out of a venting machine. So many missed opportunities.

This place is amazing! It has all of the old arcade games one could want, and to only pay $12 to get in in awesome! I wish I didn't live 1,200 miles away so I could come here more! The staff was wonderful and very pleasant, would recommend! Food was great and they have a great variety of beers and house crafted cocktails.

Our family had a blast there. All the games were in working order. There's classic games and some newer. We will be back soon!

Worth the hype and the great reviews don't lie! Lots of really fun american and Japanese games. My boyfriend and I had a blast. I prefer this over similar places in Dallas like cider Cade because of the bigger variety of games and more chill crowd. 9pm becomes 21 and over only!

Need a retro video game fix? A little trip back in time when the arcade was THE PLACE to hang out!?!?! Faster than a time traveling DeLorean, you're there! Free Play has what you're looking for! The sights, tons of retro video games and pinball machines! The retro sounds of the 80's are pumping! The only thing missing is parachute pants and hair teased higher than the national debt! The bar, well equipped for being an adequate watering hole for thirsty gamers. Beer, cocktails and soft drinks with a good variety are available. A limited but fair bar snacks menu is available, but in truth it's the games, the atmosphere and the fun that are the big draws, as it should be. After 9 pm it's 21 and up (city ordinance) this does however allow adults of a certain age to enjoy a trip down memory lane and discriminating connoisseurs of all things retro to have a taste of what it was like growing up in arguably the coolest decade evah! The staff is always welcoming and stands ready to help. Good times await!

This place is so much fun, my husband and I took our 3 yo and my 6 yo nephew and they had so much fun. They loved all the games, and choices for pinball. The car racing games were their favorite. I didn't really get to play much since I was chasing them around but this place would be so fun for date night. The atmosphere is laid back and all about the games. They have so many that you can choose from and easily spend a few hours there. I really like that you pay one price and then can play anything you want, especially with little kids that have short attention spans and run from game to game. They are also doing a really good job during covid and we felt completely safe. There is sanitizer everywhere, masks are required and they wipe down the machines. If you want to get out of the house and have some fun this is your spot.

Place seemed cool until I walked in beware of the big bartender lady with all the tattoos(neck tatt), bad service horrible attitude and rude for no reason. Began to talk bad as we were walking out the door. Never again. Racist vibes

This place is fun and cheap! How can you beat that! The only reason I gave them a 4 star is because I feel like it has more potential to be better. If it had some louder music or even a DJ... it's big enough. The amount of games they had was great, the types of games were great, and facility was clean. Full bar and friendly employees. Nothing to complain about here. It is a great place to take a date on especially if it is after 9 because no kids are allowed after 9. $10 entry and all games are free. Can't wait to go back.

Pay $10/person for unlimited video-play, and go back to your youth! The website says 'beer & wine only' but they actually have liquor for BASIC mixed drinks. Don't be the bonehead who asks for a Mojito or sumpin, because they have no mixed drink menu or complex ingredients. Points for Ms Pac-Man, Tron, etc. - but points deducted for the missing Asteroids. Come on; Asteroids was the first 2-D flying game, you gotta have it!!

This place is great! They are following all CDC guidelines and provide sanitation stations to wipe off games/hands. Drinks and food are priced well and you can play every game for $11 a person- you can't beat that!! Will definitely come back.

Wonderful time with our family. Nice environment and a very friendly staff. Games are well cared for. Good beer selection too.

Always love Free Play. Nice set of pinball machines at this location and some classic arcade games, but do wish they had a few more classic games and less of the newer ones. Bar was great and staff were pretty awesome. Would love to visit again.

Exactly as advertised, and that's a good thing. There's a bar and then a ton of arcade games, you play and you drink and have a good time. There's a few tables for you to sit at if you want a break but it's loud, understandably. The selection of games was great, basically everything from dig dug, joust, Simpson's, Pac-Man, Time Crisis 3, and many more. Lots of games I haven't played before. I read that they rotate games out too so if you come back you may find some new ones. The popular games can be hard to get to but if you're patient and quick it's no problem. My only gripe isn't against Free Play but more so on my own expectations. I came with a group and since arcade games usually are only for 2, with max 4, players, combine that with a pretty packed place your group has to split up and do their own thing. I would say this is a great place to come with 2-4 people but any more and you won't really feel like you're there as a group since you'll all be off playing your own game. But if that's what everyone wants then it's great haha

Had a fantastic time at free play Richardson! They are doing their absolute best to keep everyone safe while facilitating tons of fun. Machines were regularly cleaned and people kept their masks on for the most part. $11 for unlimited game play is basically free, if you ask me. Drinks are cheap! Food is good! Employees are kind and fun. Would totally go back - if only to beat the stranger things pinball game hahaha!

I truly expected more from this place. My friend had a lot of fun though. I think it would be a great place for younger kids, but for adults who are seeking nostalgia, as well as a twist on nah

Very nice arcade! They had a great selection of games and pinball machines. Between each game there's a little table to put drinks. You can tell they put alot of thought into the arcade and care about their staff and customers. Had lots of fun!

It was ok. VERY hot inside, kind of a limited menu, and we didn't know people bring their kids there a LOT. Tons of kids. It wasn't the vibe we thought it would be, but that's not their fault. The service was impeccable.

As the name implies, Free Play is an arcade, specifically a video game arcade. Free Play appeals to many, but mainly to the men of my generation who grew up in the 80s video arcades. This Free Play arcade not located in the trendiest shopping center but it's sandwiched between a Baskin Robin's ice cream and a Saigon thai restaurant. The interior is simple and doesn't really have anything decorative on their walls. The bulk of the establishment is filled with 3 long rows of stand up coin operated video games. The remaining third of the room is made up of a small bar and tables with chairs. They do serve food from a simple menu but I did not get anything to eat or drink. I was too preoccupied with playing games. Walking into Free Play took me back to my teenage years when I walked into my neighborhood video arcade. Except this time it was like one of my fantasies come true... all the games were FREE! Well, not really. It costs $10 per person. You get a wrist band and you can play until they close! They usually close at 11 but midnight on Fridays and 1am on Saturdays. Anyone under 18 must vacate the arcade by 9p Sunday through Thursday and if you're under 21 by 9p on Friday and Saturday. I did not count, but they boast over 95 video games and pinball machines. They "rotate" games so if you have a favorite game that they do not have, you can make a request for it. I can tell most of the games were showing their age as the decorative exteriors were worn and many of the screen had signs of screen burn-ins and colors distorted such as Galaga and Dragon's Lair. But that didn't stop me from getting the high score on Galaga! Some of my other favorites they had were Dig Dug, Joust, Tron, Frogger, Qbert, Gaunlet, Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr, and Asteroids. Yes you can play some or all of these games on console or even online, but there's nothing like playing them on their original stand up coin op cases and controllers. Two games I wished they had were Spy Hunter and the original Defender. Free Play had a very nice atmosphere with everyone enjoying themselves. But I could envision on a very busy Friday or Saturday night with a lot of people where there may be a line to your favorite game or if there's a passionate player who just doesn't want to leave the game that could leave to some frustration. Don't forget that there are over 95 games to play. Or take a break and get a drink. I easily played more than $10 worth of quarters in the 2 hours I was there. Had a fun time at Free Play.

Came here for a date night, and we will be back! From the moment you walk in, it is like a flash back to the 80's and in the best way. Old school video games, and pinball. We must have spent 3 hours here. I love the idea of a cover charge to play as much video games as you want. We ended up drinking some fun local beers and going hard on the pinball. Food is fun small bar eats, so Dont expect fancy dining. We spit a turkey club, it was perfect for a quick snack. Hopefully they will have the koozies back in stock, because that is literally the only thing missing while walking around. A way to keep my drink from sweating so my hands can stay dry for optimum gaming . Also- love that after 9pm it becomes a kid free zone. Such a great concept, and really well executed.

Great environment, friendly staff, good service, great selection of games and good competition for competitive players. Make sure you get your drinks from the blonde woman with tattoos, Cortlynn. Always a good conversation and makes excellent drinks. Helped me out with choosing a drink and I always make sure to get served by her. I loved the pineapple upside down drink she made and was super attentive to what I was looking for. Definitely recommend giving it a shot!

I like that all the machines were working, the temperature was good, there was a good variety of games.

This place is fun ASF. Classic arcade game and lots of pinball. There are great local beers and mix drinks available as well.

Great place for kids and husbands! The draft beers were tasty and the games were awesome!

What a fantastic place to come and relive your youth. If you are still rocking the first few decades of your life, this place is for you too. Come experience the greatness that was the 80s. If you are under 21, you'll need to check out the action before 9pm because that's when the youngsters must vacate. Free Play Arcade is located in a dark, somewhat deserted strip mall, but hey, there is always an abundance of parking. Enter and pay $10 at the bar for unlimited play at the machines that got their start when MTV played music videos, Cindi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun was blaring on the radio, and ET was showing in theaters. While there, start a tab and get yourself some beer or hard cider. There are only two beer options on tap. Many of the drinks are served in cans or bottles. Our bartender was apparently new and clueless because he couldn't answer our beer questions about what was on tap, and he had trouble finding the beer we ordered in the cold case. Thankfully in earshot was another bartender who came to our rescue. He got us squared away. You can also order food at the bar. They will give you a number and bring your plate to one of the ten tables near the bar. The food is snack bar quality. We ordered and split a small cheese pizza. Nothing to write home about, but it will tame your hunger pangs. The games are lined up in rows and wedged side by side. There is usually a small wood platform between each where you can place your beer and free up your hands to go for the high score. The throwback machines include favorites like space invaders, Donkey Kong, Frogger, all four forms of PacMan (original, mrs, baby with the pinball, and table), Tron, Centipede, Mario Bros, Adams Family pinball, etc. I only saw two machines out of order during the night, but they were quickly brought back online. Be sure to tell the staff if there is an issue so they can get things running again. The place was crowded on a Friday night after 9pm, but you could still find a few machines open at any one time. People were generally courteous about freeing up a machine after a few rounds at it. The 80s hits blaring in the background put a smile on our faces. You could see people bopping around to the music as they waited their turn at a machine. We had a great time here and look forward to returning with friends so we can take that nostalgic trip back to the 80s together.

Such a cool place. We've been going here since before we had kids - it's great for adults and children! Date nights, play dates, overall an awesome experience. They even had a fold up stool for our 4 year old to use so he could reach the controllers! I am a Burger Time fiend myself.

Really enjoyed date night here! $10 per person and we played pinball games to our heart's content. I 'bout gave myself a heart attack playing centipede after 25 yrs of not playing it! Brought back great memories and a cramped hand and arm! Lol Almost stroked out playing pac man trying to get high score. Had to high tail it back to my pinball favorites and get my heart rate back down and stop sweatin bullets so I wouldn't flood the place. Had so much fun and loved the variety of games! Five stars and thank you for the cool bumper sticker! Yeehaw

Nostalgic 80s and 90s video games, and pinball makes this place cool for all ages. Small, decent selection of food and drink. It can get pretty loud in there tho... They need some sound dampening, or more of it. Also, sometimes they don't staff appropriately - 1 person serving the bar and the line is 20 deep, and 10 people waiting at the door to get in. All in all, a great neighborhood place that embodies the vibe of East Richardson.

It is sooooooo cool. It has all of the old games. I would stay forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We've been several times now since our first visit, and now I can say for certain: we really hate coming here. On our last visit, which was to celebrate our birthday, we could not get on any machine we wanted to play. We would stand behind the person actively playing and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, while the person would keep hitting the "start" button to play AGAIN. We started off by coughing or clearing our throat. Then we would talk loudly about when we might get to play ("How long have you been waiting? GEEZ!"). One of us would stand in a position where the person would clearly be able to see us in their peripheral vision. Sometimes they would even turn around, see us, and hit "play" again. It was the worst at the pinball machines, where the folks there would hit the "start" button four times before starting - that's four games played by one person. Once they would finally finish (it took about 10-15 minutes for them to finish all 4 games), they would hit the "start" button four times again!! We literally waited 35 minutes behind the active player to play a single pinball machine. Finally, I started asking them (as they would hit the "start" button AGAIN) if we could please have the next turn. That was met with dirty looks and snide comments. It's like these people grew up in an alternate universe and never learned how to share their toys. I realize not everyone has the courage to speak up and ask people for their turn, especially when you've paid money to be there and well, it's supposed to be FUN. This is the problem with a place that has all the machines on free play. People abuse the free play function and make it a crappy experience for everyone else. Our party left after about an hour, since it just wasn't fun to wait around. I think Freeplay could be doing a lot more to address this. They could post signs, and they should be reminding people of simple etiquette when they give their spiel at entrance. Maybe they even limit how many people are allowed in at once? Freeplay could also post very simple rules at each game for those folks not familiar with each game. In addition, I think Freeplay could do a lot more on their marketing efforts to cater to game aficiandos. They should be hosting tournaments. They should be posting overall high scores and resetting the high scores on games weekly. They should also have "date nights" where no kids are allowed. Heck, they could even have a singles night, or a GNO. Freeplay does one thing right now and honestly doesn't do it that well. Saving Freeplay from one star: variety of beers in bottle and on tap, and I've only once ever had an issue with any of their machines not working properly. Also, friendly and helpful staff. We'd rather keep making trips to Las Vegas to the Pinball Hall of Fame.

Went August 28. I'm from out of town: California. Coming from there, this place was a bit of fresh air. I've been to an arcade-bar in California, and it was very good, but Free Play Richardson was a step up. I suppose that's because it costs $11 to get in, but hey, totally worth it. Totally. I got to play at least three trippy Japanese games that would probably cost $1 each, if not $2. And I could play them as much as I wanted! Think about it: It costs more to get newer games and keep all the games in good shape. To pay a little more for that is good. I also played thru all of Smash TV. That was probably $20-worth in quarters...really much more, for the peace-of-mind that you'll eventually beat it and not run out of money or waste too much money on it. It was a little sad not to be able to join other groups on multiplayer games, especially as I was solo and new. But I totally get it; COVID, grr. I didn't try the food, but it looked reasonably priced and tasty. Also, the woman at the front (red hair?) was very nice and competent; I never felt pressured to buy food, though I would have if I hadn't lost track of time playing! And she gave me two coasters. You guys should sell those! They're so cute! Thanks for all your hard work, everyone! Long live the arcade(-bar)!

I just LOVE this place! We decided to skip the fancy dinner for our Anniversary and came here instead!! We played games that I have not seen in 30 years. Phoneix, Galaga, Defender, Tron, DigDug, Space Invaders, Asteriods, Frogger, Run On, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Joust... too many to name here. Well worth the $10 cover charge. We also split a margherita pizza and the fruit-cheese platter and both were quite good plus we washed it down with a Big Red and an Orange Crush. We ended the night with a stop at the Baskin-Robbins for ice cream a few doors down in the shopping center. Free Play staff was very response and lots of fun. We will definitely be back! I was told they are opening a new location in Arlington soon!

I met my friend here after he got off work today and it was actually so much fun! Lots of retro games, both ones that I remember and ones I was just introduced to that were lots of fun. They also have a wide drink selection and lots of options for food, but we actually left and grabbed dinner and came back (they give you a wristband to re enter). The evening we were here they were having a video game tournament with a huge belt as the prize and made sure that it was accesible to people of all levels. I also like that at a certain hour they make the venue adults only.

It's a bit small but I personally like that about this place. Lots of old arcade games to choose from and they've recently added a couple newer Japanese music games which was pretty neat! Their beverages are also a must-try