Technological progress has enhanced classroom gamification in a number of learning contexts. Kahoot! as a digital game-based learning platform is being increasingly integrated into teaching environments to facilitate effective classroom learning. The research focused on Chinese students' perceptions of using Kahoot! in classroom teaching in order to ascertain whether games can contribute to students' classroom learning and how it works. Eighty freshmen students from an international university in mainland China participated in this research. All of them completed an anonymous questionnaire and thirteen students were selected for a face-to-face interview. The results indicated that Chinese students perceive Kahoot! as a useful game-based application that can enhance learning motivation, classroom engagement, learning effectiveness and classroom interaction. Therefore, it is suggested that teachers may use Kahoot! as a facilitator to support learners' EFL learning. The findings of the study are of relevance to the teaching pedagogy not only in the Chinese higher education context but also in extended circumstances where learners tend to sit and listen rather than interact and communicate.