Abstarct: The nature of technology integration into the education process has caused the growing interest in DGBL as a method of increasing student engagement and motivation. In this study, the researcher examined how DGBL affects the motivational intensity - level of effort and perseverance that learners apply when undertaking learning activities. The main goal was to study the hypothesis on whether the digital games instructional design may be significantly more effective in increasing the motivational intensity of the learners than a conventional approach to learning. The research design used was a quasi-experimental research design where two groups of undergraduate students were involved in the study; the first group was exposed to the activities of DGBL and the other group was exposed to traditional instruction. The motivation intensity scale with pre-test and post-test was used to collect data and processed using the descxriptive and inferential statistics. baxsed on the results of this study, the findings confirm a significant positive relationship between DGBL and increased motivational engagement among learners. The quasi-experimental comparison revealed that students in the DGBL group demonstrated markedly higher levels of effort, persistence, and enjoyment compared to those in the traditional instruction group, with statistically significant gains across all motivational subscales (p<.001). These outcomes validate that interactive, game-baxsed environments effectively foster long-term engagement and intrinsic motivation by addressing core psychological needs, autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as outlined in Self-Determination Theory. The study contributes valuable empirical evidence to the fields of educational psychology and instructional design, demonstrating how specific game elements, particularly feedback, rewards, and challenge, can be strategically integrated to enhance motivational dynamics in language learning. Moreover, this research underscores the potential of game-baxsed pedagogical strategies to transform traditional teacher-centered classrooms into dynamic, learner-driven environments, thereby increasing involvement and facilitating academic success. In the context of Iraqi higher education, these findings advocate for the structured adoption of DGBL as a means to revitalize language instruction, promote digital literacy, and support sustainable educational innovation.