diff --git a/src/game/game.c b/src/game/game.c
index 8645c8c..6b5bd55 100644
--- a/src/game/game.c
+++ b/src/game/game.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <time.h>
 
 #include "../main.h"
+#include "../window/colour.h"
 #include "./tetromino/shapes.h"
 #include "tetromino/placing.h"
 
@@ -21,9 +22,9 @@ void game_init(GameData* const game_data) {
     // zero-initialize the game data
     *game_data = (GameData){0};
 
-    // write the pointer information for the rows
+    // allocate size for each row
     for (int8_t i = 0; i < ROWS; i++)
-        game_data->row[i] = game_data->row_raw[i];
+        game_data->rows[i] = calloc(COLUMNS, sizeof(Colour));
 
     // set a random seed using the system clock
     srand(time(NULL));
@@ -48,3 +49,11 @@ void game_update(GameData* game_data, const uint8_t* keys) {
 
     // dbg_set_all(game_data);
 }
+
+void game_free(GameData* const game_data) {
+    // clear each row
+    for (int8_t i = 0; i < ROWS; i++) {
+        free(game_data->rows[i]);
+        game_data->rows[i] = NULL;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/game/game.h b/src/game/game.h
index 2a92e2d..5b4cd68 100644
--- a/src/game/game.h
+++ b/src/game/game.h
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ typedef const Colour* CRow;
 typedef Colour* Row;
 
 typedef struct {
-    Colour* row[ROWS];             // stores how to interpert the raw level data
-    Colour row_raw[ROWS][COLUMNS]; // stores the raw level data
+    Row rows[ROWS];
     SelectedShape selected;
     ShapeId next_shape;
 } GameData;
@@ -28,3 +27,4 @@ typedef struct {
 void set_next_shape(GameData* game_data);
 void game_init(GameData* game_data);                        // initializes the game
 void game_update(GameData* game_data, const uint8_t* keys); // updates the game's state
+void game_free(GameData* game_data);                        // free all data stored with the game
diff --git a/src/game/tetromino/placing.c b/src/game/tetromino/placing.c
index 4679fe1..21b1943 100644
--- a/src/game/tetromino/placing.c
+++ b/src/game/tetromino/placing.c
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ void place_update(GameData* const game_data, const InputData move) {
     // set the shape if we moved vertically and intersected
     if (move & 4) {
         const int8_t y = selected->y + 1;
-        if (shape_intersects(game_data->row, selected->id, selected->x, y)) {
-            set_shape(game_data->row, selected->id, selected->x, selected->y); // if the shape intersects vertically, write the shape at the current position and return
-            clear_rows(game_data->row);                                        // clear the rows that have been completed
+        if (shape_intersects(game_data->rows, selected->id, selected->x, y)) {
+            set_shape(game_data->rows, selected->id, selected->x, selected->y); // if the shape intersects vertically, write the shape at the current position and return
+            clear_rows(game_data->rows);                                        // clear the rows that have been completed
 
             game_data->selected = (SelectedShape){game_data->next_shape, COLUMNS / 2 - SHAPE_WIDTH / 2, 0};
             set_next_shape(game_data);
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ void place_update(GameData* const game_data, const InputData move) {
     // update shape's X coordinate movement
     if ((move & 3) != 3 && (move & 3)) {
         const int8_t x = selected->x + ((move & 3) == 1 ? -1 : 1); // either move along -x or +x
-        if (shape_intersects(game_data->row, selected->id, x, selected->y) == false) {
+        if (shape_intersects(game_data->rows, selected->id, x, selected->y) == false) {
             selected->x = x; // set X if the shape does not intersect
         }
     }
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ void place_update(GameData* const game_data, const InputData move) {
     // update the shape's rotation
     if (move & 8 || move & 16) {
         const ShapeId id = move & 8 ? rotate_id(selected->id, -8) : rotate_id(selected->id, 8);
-        if (shape_intersects(game_data->row, id, selected->x, selected->y) == false) {
+        if (shape_intersects(game_data->rows, id, selected->x, selected->y) == false) {
             selected->id = id;
         }
     }
@@ -127,6 +127,6 @@ void place_update(GameData* const game_data, const InputData move) {
 void dbg_set_all(GameData* game_data) {
     for (uint8_t i = 0; i < TETROMINO_COUNT; i++)
         for (uint8_t r = 0; r < 4; r++)
-            set_shape(game_data->row, i | (r << 3), r * 4, i * 4);
+            set_shape(game_data->rows, i | (r << 3), r * 4, i * 4);
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 8eab4ba..202247e 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     }
 
     // cleanup of resources
+    game_free(&game_data);
     SDL_Quit();
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/window/renderer.c b/src/window/renderer.c
index 3377612..3169df9 100644
--- a/src/window/renderer.c
+++ b/src/window/renderer.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static void render_selected(SDL_Renderer* renderer, SelectedShape selected) {
 // draw the block data in the level
 static void render_level(SDL_Renderer* renderer, GameData* data) {
     for (int8_t y = 0; y < ROWS; y++) {
-        Row row = data->row[y];
+        Row row = data->rows[y];
 
         for (int8_t x = 0; x < COLUMNS; x++) {
             if (row[x].packed != 0) {