Promoting student engagement for all students in physical education, and specifically in game play, is a challenge faced by many middle and high school physical education teachers. Often, the games we play in physical education are not "good games" because, as early as middle school, some students are already resistant to playing specific games due to differences in skill level, experience, interests and histories with the games (e.g., "I always lose and you always win in badminton"). Students who are not appropriately challenged may get bored or they may get frustrated and ultimately become disengaged. This article will highlight two fundamental ways in which secondary physical educators can transform students' experiences during game play by a) designing modified games called adaptation games and by b) fostering the development of tactical decision-making competence during adaptation game play. This integration will be explored through the example of a badminton adaptation game called Hit and Touch Baseline. The simple tools discussed in this article allow students to engage in good game play and help the teacher to design game play experiences that foster student engagement and success.