Civilization II: 5 Open Source Clones Compared
Freeciv, Freeciv21, and Freeciv-web share a common lineage: Freeciv21 is built on top of the Freeciv codebase and adds a Qt-based interface, hex-tile maps alongside the original square tiles, and over 500 nations with a focus on competitive multiplayer 'Longturn' play, while Freeciv-web puts a browser-playable HTML5/WebGL front end and WebSocket proxy in front of the same Freeciv C server, plus support for asynchronous play-by-email games. None of the three requires the original Civilization II assets. civ2-clone, by contrast, is a separate from-scratch C#/.NET rewrite that does require the player's own original Civ II files and is currently unplayable — it can load saves and scenarios and move units, but core gameplay isn't implemented yet.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Web
- Play in browser
- YesPlay in Browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Sporadic
- Last updated
- 6mo ago
- Stars
- 2,199
- Contributors
- 36
- License
- —
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoAll content is original free/open source; no original game assets required.
- Modding support
- YesSupports custom ruleset editing and sharing with other players via Weblate-based translation system.
- Multiplayer
- Online
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- today
- Stars
- 1,596
- Contributors
- 173
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoAll content is original free/open source; no original game assets required.
- Modding support
- YesSupports ruleset customization and modifications through data files.
- Multiplayer
- Online
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, OSX, Linux
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 1d ago
- Stars
- 267
- Contributors
- 157
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoAll content is original free/open source; no original game assets required.
- Modding support
- YesEasily modified to create custom rules; supports over 500 nations.
- Multiplayer
- Online
Availability
- Status
- Unplayable
- Platforms
- Linux, OSX, Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 1mo ago
- Stars
- 107
- Contributors
- 12
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Engine
- raylib
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires the original Civilization II game assets (sounds, images, texts); original game installation files must be provided.
- Modding support
- YesLua scripting support is listed as a goal for implementation.
- Multiplayer
- —
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Not tracked
- Last updated
- Not tracked
- Stars
- Not tracked
- Contributors
- Not tracked
- License
- Not tracked
- Engine
- Not tracked
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
| Title | Freeciv-web | Freeciv | Freeciv21 | Civ2-clone | C-evo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable | Playable | Unplayable | Playable |
| Platforms | Web | Windows, Linux | Windows, OSX, Linux | Linux, OSX, Windows | Windows |
| Play in browser | YesPlay in Browser | No | No | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No | No | No | No |
| Project health | |||||
| Development status | Sporadic | Active | Active | Active | Not tracked |
| Last updated | 6mo ago | today | 1d ago | 1mo ago | Not tracked |
| Stars | 2,199 | 1,596 | 267 | 107 | Not tracked |
| Contributors | 36 | 173 | 157 | 12 | Not tracked |
| License | — | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 | Not tracked |
| Engine | — | — | — | raylib | Not tracked |
| Compatibility | |||||
| Requires original assets | NoAll content is original free/open source; no original game assets required. | NoAll content is original free/open source; no original game assets required. | NoAll content is original free/open source; no original game assets required. | YesRequires the original Civilization II game assets (sounds, images, texts); original game installation files must be provided. | — |
| Modding support | YesSupports custom ruleset editing and sharing with other players via Weblate-based translation system. | YesSupports ruleset customization and modifications through data files. | YesEasily modified to create custom rules; supports over 500 nations. | YesLua scripting support is listed as a goal for implementation. | — |
| Multiplayer | Online | Online | Online | — | — |
| Preview | | | | | |
Known limitations
- audio: Audio does not work in the Docker-based dev setup, only in production.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Civilization II clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
What license do these Civilization II clones use?
Freeciv (GPL-2.0); Freeciv21 and Civ2-clone (GPL-3.0).
Do I need to own the original Civilization II to play these clones?
Freeciv-web, Freeciv, and Freeciv21 run standalone, no original files needed; Civ2-clone requires original game assets to play.
Can I play any of these Civilization II clones directly in a browser?
Yes — Freeciv-web has a browser-playable build linked in the comparison table above, no install required.
Which Civilization II clone is the most actively maintained?
Freeciv, Freeciv21, and Civ2-clone are currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Civilization II.