Game-based learning (GBL) has emerged as a powerful instrument for enhancing student engagement and motivation in education. This paper evaluates the impact of Gamify-IT, an educational game designed for programming education, on student motivation and learning experiences. Building on the foundational work by Speth et al., we extended Gamify-IT with novel features, including diverse minigames, leaderboards, and a redesigned achievement system, to align with Marczewski’s HEXAD player types. The platform was used in a first-semester programming course with about 500 students, and its impact was evaluated through comparative analyses of two cohorts in consecutive CS1 programming courses: one limited to traditional teaching methods and the other incorporating Gamify-IT. Our results show that Gamify-IT positively affects student motivation, as evidenced by higher initial and sustained motivation levels throughout the semester. Feedback from a survey regarding usefulness and experiences highlights the platform’s strengths, including its engaging and innovative learning approach, game design, and visuals, while also identifying areas for improvement, such as addressing technical issues and expanding game variety. Despite these challenges, Gamify-IT demonstrates the potential of GBL in programming education, offering valuable insights for designing inclusive and effective gamified educational tools for programming education.