This study demonstrates a game-based learning (GBL) approach to engage students in learning and enhance their programming skills. The paper gives a detailed narrative of how an educational game was mapped with the curriculum of a prescribed programming course in a computing diploma study programme. Two separate student cohorts were invited to participate in the GBL experiment. One student cohort had not yet started study of the programming module, while the second student cohort had recently completed the module on programming. Findings reveal that educational games add to the fun element in learning, and students rated the game as an effective way to learn programming. Students could easily relate gaming elements to difficult programming constructs. Animated game scenarios showed high levels of engagement among students. Some students found the use of gaming elements as a better way to express their program's logic when giving oral presentations for the final assessment. Results indicate that a majority of study participants passed the programming module in the first attempt. The study contributes to the use of gaming elements for ongoing development of innovative pedagogies in teaching and learning.