In the 1980 book The Complete Book of Wargames, game designer Jon Freeman commented, "Stalingrad is another classic and was for many years one of the most popular wargames around." He noted that play balance had always been considered an issue, saying, "since the original made it almost impossible for the Germans to win, innumerable variants sprang up over the years to even things up."
In Jon Freeman's 1980 book, The Complete Book of Wargames, he noted, "Stalingrad is another classic and was once one of the most popular wargames. He observed that balance had always been a challenge, saying, 'since the original made it nearly impossible for Germans to win, many variants were created over time.'"