This dissertation follows a manuscript-style format, beginning with an introduction and literature review, followed by three distinct studies and a concluding section. All three studies use "Lucky Codes," an educational board game designed to foster computational thinking skills in elementary students, as the intervention. The first article details the development process of the board game with findings from addressing the challenges of balancing learning objectives with enjoyable gameplay and engaging students with higher-level programming concepts. The second article investigates the game’s efficacy through a qualitative pilot study with four elementary students. The study demonstrates how the game facilitated student engagement and their understanding of programming concepts. The third article provides a more in-depth analysis of the game through an exploratory case study, using a mixed methods approach to gain a more nuanced understanding of students’ game-based learning experiences. The study examines gameplay trends, changes in CT knowledge, and attitude patterns while also looking at gender differences. Together, these articles offer a comprehensive understanding of how educational board games can be designed, developed, and utilized to support CT education in K-12 classrooms. The collective findings underscore the potential of unplugged games as engaging and effective tools for teaching CT skills, providing practical recommendations for educators and game designers. This dissertation aims to provide deeper insights into the role of board games in CT education, address student needs in game-based learning environments, inform instructional strategies, and guide the development of more effective educational games.