The game proved popular and sold more than 120,000 copies, but was dogged by criticisms of historical inaccuracies, and was finally replaced by a completely new edition in 1981.

Reinforcements enter the field of battle on historical dates but generally possess some flexibility regarding entry position.

Both are 30 turns long, the difference being that the Advanced rules used in the Tournament game cover forts and fortresses, isolation and supply, American air supremacy, and one-way road traffic.

As Turnbull noted, this CRT "rarely dictated the complete elimination of a unit but rather attained its objectives by retreats and advances".

In the 1981 game, both players accumulate Victory Points for destroying enemy units and for taking and holding significant geographic objectives.

However, as the official company history noted, "Always popular as a game, in later years it was roundly criticized for its lack of historical accuracy.

[7] A year after its publication, Avalon Hill provided a major revision of the rules, first included in the pages of The General and subsequently incorporated into re-printings of the 1981 game.

The 1991 edition, with artwork by Charles Kibler and George Parrish Jr., was published by Avalon Hill as part of the Smithsonian American History Series.

[10] In response, Thomas Shaw, at the time in charge of Avalon Hill, asked Dunnigan to design and submit his own wargame.

Nonetheless, Palmer commented that "The special charm of this game is that it is usually almost impossible to tell who is winning for a long time, as the German advance always looks spectacular — but the US will turn the tide."

Palmer found the game fairly balanced, and concluded "it remains frequently played and guarantees an exciting time".

[13] In his 1980 sequel, The Best of Board Wargaming, Palmer complimented the 1965 edition again, saying "The art of conveying atmosphere by terrain and a few special rules mastered in the first classics come to full bloom in this game."

The only way the allies can win is not by confronting them head on but by attacking the flanks of the Bulge in hopes of cutting off supply to the powerful units in front."

He concluded "The balance of forces has been totally distorted in this game with the effect of making the German attack look like a sane military operation with reasonable objectives.

Bagley also pointed out several other historical inaccuracies such as the presence of a bridge over the Ours River on the game map that in reality had been destroyed and had delayed the German advance by a day.

However, the optional rules and lively game system make for a lot of replay enjoyment, even for experienced war gamers...

[16] Avalon Hill's magazine The General, Vol.5 #27, made Battle of the Bulge the featured game with articles on both German and American strategy .