The digital revolution has heavily influenced digital game-based learning, yet as the revolution progresses, the conception of such learning has shifted along with the increasing complexity of the digital environment. Our study thus aims to identify research standing at this important juncture and to explain the shift in digital game-based learning research fields by adopting an integrated approach of main path analysis that yields this topic's knowledge diffusion. Using key-route 8 to construct the path, we collect a total of 2156 articles and their data from The Web of Science database. From over 30 years of digital game-based learning development, 26 of the most influential studies are identified and visualized using Pajek software. The findings show two development phases for this field: exploring the role of gaming for educational purpose as well as facilitating learning performance. The research focus in the first phase prominently explores the potentials of digital games for educational purposes, and then the focus evolves in the second phase into actualizing the identified potentials. We propose a framework of digital game-based learning affordance actualization to explain these shifting phenomena in the specific research fields. Furthermore, unveiling the changing conception of digital game-based learning research is important for instructional designers, scholars, and educators to truly understand how technology can enhance teaching and facilitate learning performance.