<jats:p> Motivations for, and outcomes of, playing rhythm-based music video games have had little direct study. The current research showed that fantasy-seeking motivations combined with self-esteem to create either unregulated game play habits or an incentive to play a musical instrument in real life. We obtained measures from adult players of rhythm-based music video games (N = 421), regarding their gaming habits, fantasy-seeking motivations, and self-esteem. Regression analyses showed that the interaction of low self-esteem with high fantasy-seeking motivation predicted unregulated game play. Self-esteem was negatively related to habitual and solitary game play. Fantasy-seeking motivations positively predicted a player’s desire to learn or play a musical instrument in real life. These results suggest that fantasy-seeking motivations reflect escapism under certain conditions and a desire to develop game-related skills in real life under other conditions. We discuss potential educational benefits of fantasy seeking and the implications for theory and scholarship regarding video game motivations. </jats:p>