About
Colonization is an older turn-based strategy game similar to Civilization, in which players build colonies and work toward creating an independent nation. FreeCol is an open-source, GPL-licensed turn-based strategy game aiming to closely clone Colonization while modernizing its visuals; version 1.0.0 is intended as an almost-exact Colonization clone with modern conveniences like an isometric map and multiplayer support. It builds with Ant on Java 11 and ships weekly binary releases for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
How it differs from the original
FreeCol modernizes Colonization's visuals and adds an isometric map and built-in multiplayer support, while the team intends 1.0.0's core gameplay and rules to remain exactly the same as the original.
Getting started
Weekly binary installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux are published as GitHub releases; building from source requires Java 11 and Ant.
History
FreeCol's development is planned in two phases: version 1.0.0 as a near-exact Colonization clone, to be followed by a more ambitious 2.0.0 envisioned as what a hypothetical 'Colonization 2' might have been.