The increasing demand for innovative learning approaches, especially in the field of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), highlights the necessity of engaging educational tools. Traditional teaching methods often fail to sustain student motivation, which is crucial for effective learning. This study addresses the challenge of fostering higher motivation among university students learning OOP by developing an educational game using the visual novel genre. The game integrates gamification principles to present complex programming concepts in an engaging and interactive format, aiming to enhance learning experiences and outcomes. To achieve this, the game was developed using the Ren’Py game engine, following the Game Development Life Cycle (GDLC). The game incorporates storytelling, interactive choices, designed to teach fundamental OOP concepts, such as encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. Evaluation of the game’s effectiveness involved pre-test and post-test questionnaires based on the ARCS Model of Motivation. The Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) framework was utilized to measure changes in attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction among students. The study also employed statistical analysis, including paired t-tests, to validate findings. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in student motivation, with the total average score increasing from 3.45 to 3.79 post-intervention. Categories like attention and confidence showed notable gains, indicating the game’s impact on student engagement and understanding of OOP concepts. These findings affirm the potential of gamified visual novel games as effective learning tools for complex subjects, encouraging further exploration and development of similar educational technologies.