One of the key features that draws many people to play video games is the fact that they are interactive. Video games allow the user to be actively engaged and in control of the action (Prensky, 2006). Seventh grade students at Canonsburg Middle School are actively engaging in the creation of video games. The students are engaged at a much deeper level by creating their own games and programming them to function however they desire. One of the key implications of implementing an instructional unit based around video games is the student engagement that inherently comes with it. While not all students will be avid gamers in their free time, the opportunity to work with video games at school feels so much less like work that most students are compelled to eagerly participate. The problem-based learning experience that this type of activity creates helps to foster a feeling of independence while at the same time encouraging peer collaboration, both key areas of development beneficial for middle level learners. (Contains 3 figures.)