This study investigated the degree to which 48 seventh and eighth grade students of different abilities acquired strategic planning knowledge from an intellectual computer game ("Wumpus"). Relationships between ability and student performance with two versions of the game were also investigated. The two versions differed in the structure and explicitness of instructional cues and the form of directions and feedback provided. The purpose of the game (which requires logical reasoning, strategic planning knowledge, and self-regulated learning skills) is to locate and kill a mythical monster while avoiding several hazards that impede safe movement through a warren of 20 interconnected caves. Results showed that more successful students acquired strategic planning knowledge by induction from examples and performed better on transfer tasks. Ability differences were also found. Both ability groups improved performance; in addition, high ability students, regardless of instructional treatment, performed better than less able students on the game and the transfer tasks. Considerations for further investigation of the relationships among learner characteristics and instructional variations in computer learning are discussed. Implications for the use of cognitively engaging software in educational settings are also discussed. (Author/JN)