Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, a research project was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of video games as inquiry-based learning experiences for the science classroom. As a result, the video game, "Creature Control: The Quest for Homeostasis" was developed and field-tested in select middle schools in the United States. Based on "Understanding by Design" (UbD), the curriculum is framed around an enduring understanding that homeostasis is a balancing act maintained through the interactions of body systems with the environment. The designers constructed the curriculum as a unique hybrid of the UbD approach and the 5E learning cycle constructivist model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), using the video game as the exploratory experience in the unit. (Contains 1 figure and 2 resources.)