What is "freecol"

FreeCol is a 4X video game, a clone of Sid Meier's Colonization. Released under the GNU General Public License, FreeCol is free and open source software.

FreeCol is mostly programmed in Java and should thus be platform-independent. In practice, it is known to run on Linux and Windows, as well as Mac OS X (with some limitations). In February 2007 it was SourceForge.net's Project of the Month.

While remaining faithful to the original in terms of mechanics and gameplay, Freecol sports a new set of redesigned graphics. Moreover, in addition to the classical Colonization rules, it features an additional ruleset that incorporates ideas that didn't make it to the final version of Meier's game, requests by fans and original concepts like new European players with new national bonuses.