There is a large body of literature confirming game-based learning as a high impact practice on learning (Li, Meng, Tian, Zhang & Xiao, 2021; Reinhardt, 2018; Munday, 2016; Sundqvist & Wikstrom, 2015; Lui, 2014; Schell, 2008; Gee, 2008).Research shows that games lower anxiety and promote willingness to communicate (Ryan, Rigby, & Przybylski, 2006). They transform the classroom into an engaging, low-pressure environment that supports confidence and language production, which are especially critical in L2 classrooms

Gee (2008) and Bond (2014) highlight that games embody “learning by doing,” encouraging learners to interact with logical systems and feedback loops rather than absorb static content. This interaction deepens understanding of both language and cognitive processes.

Munday & Hooper (2016) found that technology-enhanced games cultivate critical analysis — helping learners identify relevant information, filter noise, and make strategic decisions while problem-solving in the target language.

Hunicke, LeBlanc, & Zubek’s (2004) MDA framework reminds us that the essence of a game is its behavioral system. Effective language games engage learners through feedback, interaction, and emergent behavior and the process, they make learning visible and measurable.

Player agency in game studies literature includes varying definitions that highlight several key elements(interactivity, user choice, and other properties of the game design that afford agency, and choice mapping. Agnecy means students are not merely passive recipients of gameplay mechanics; they engage in deliberate decision-making that shapes their path through the game. It includes active participation in the design and customization of the game experience itself. Involving students in the creation of the game's core assets constitutes a layer of "soft-modding"(Gee and Hayes, 2010, cited in Duncan, 2011), allowing learners to exert influence over the game beyond their performance in play. This form of player agency that promotes collaboration and retention of information is linked to high impact learning practices that place students front and center in the learning experience.

With enrollments reaching record lows in 2021 (Lusin et al., 2023), game-based strategies have emerged as engaging, community-building tools that spark renewed interest and sustain learners’ curiosity (Barab et al., 2007; Gee, 2003; Shaffer, 2006).

Although digital tools and educational games are increasingly common in language learning, research shows that teachers can benefit from training in these areas to help them feel fully prepared to use them effectively. Most existing studies focus on learners as game players rather than on teachers, and empirical work on how teachers integrate games into foreign language classrooms remains limited.