The Battle for Wesnoth is the best open-source turn-based strategy game for most players, at 4.5/5. It ships 17 single-player campaigns, plays online, over a local network or hotseat (taking turns on one device), and has a map editor and an official add-ons server. Its upkeep also looks steady: a stable 1.18 branch whose versions are compatible with each other, and donations that pay for servers and art.
If you want to build an empire across history, Freeciv (4.1/5) has several bundled rule sets and a fresh stable release. Unciv (3.8/5) is the pick for a Civilization V-style game on an Android phone or a desktop, and it updates every few days. FreeCol (2.5/5) recreates Colonization, but its latest stable release is from July 2024.
Our picks
- Best overall The Battle for Wesnoth 4.5 /5
- Best for empire building Freeciv 4.1 /5
- Best on Android Unciv 3.8 /5
- Best for Colonization fans FreeCol 2.5 /5
Scores
1–5 per criterion · total is the weighted average · select a score to see its source| # | Product | Single-player content ×3 | Multiplayer modes ×3 | Map editor and mods ×2 | Release activity ×2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Battle for Wesnoth | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4.5 |
| 2 | Freeciv | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4.1 |
| 3 | Unciv | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3.8 |
| 4 | FreeCol | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.5 |
How each criterion is scored
Single-player content ×3
What a solo player gets out of the box, as the project documents it: computer opponents, a tutorial, bundled scenarios, a choice of rule sets, and story campaigns with difficulty levels.
- 5 Several story campaigns with difficulty levels, plus computer opponents
- 4 Computer opponents plus two or more of a tutorial, bundled scenarios or a choice of rule sets
- 3 Computer opponents plus one of a tutorial, bundled scenarios or a choice of rule sets
- 2 Computer opponents only
- 1 No computer opponents are documented
Multiplayer modes ×3
Which ways to play against other people the project documents: online over the Internet, on a local network, and hotseat (taking turns on one device).
- 5 All three, plus a documented public server, lobby or listing for finding opponents
- 4 All three of online, local network and hotseat play
- 3 Two of online, local network or hotseat play
- 2 One of online, local network or hotseat play
- 1 Single-player only
Map editor and mods ×2
Tools for making and sharing new content: a map editor, support for mods or alternative rule sets, a way to install add-ons from inside the game, and a documented way for players to build their own scenarios.
- 5 All of level 4, plus a documented way for players to create their own scenarios or campaigns
- 4 A map editor, mod support, and installing add-ons from inside the game or a bundled installer
- 3 A map editor and mod support
- 2 A map editor or mod support, not both
- 1 No editor and no mod support documented
Release activity ×2
How recent the latest stable release was on 5 November 2026, from the project's release data, download listing or news page.
- 5 Less than 2 months old
- 4 2 to 6 months old
- 3 6 to 18 months old
- 2 18 months to 3 years old
- 1 More than 3 years old
The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based fantasy strategy game and the only one of the four that documents story campaigns: 17 single-player campaigns, plus 55 multiplayer maps and over 200 unit types in seven major factions. You can face other players over the Internet, on a local network or hotseat, or play against the computer. A map editor lets you build and share maps and scenarios, and the official add-ons server holds new campaigns, factions and maps.
For the long run, the signs are good. The stable 1.18 branch gets occasional bug-fix updates, its versions are compatible with each other, and 1.18.8 is dated 18 August 2026. Donations through Software in the Public Interest and Liberapay pay for server rent and art commissions.
- 17 single-player campaigns with multiple difficulty levels
- Online, local network and hotseat multiplayer
- A map editor and an official add-ons server for player-made content
- Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
- The iOS port is unmaintained, and Android is available only for the 1.19 development branch
Skip it if: Anyone who mainly wants to play on a phone.
Freeciv is an empire-building game inspired by the history of civilization. It comes with computer opponents, an interactive tutorial scenario, and several rule sets, including Civilization 1 and 2 compatibility modes. For multiplayer you can join a server from the Internet metaserver list or play on a local network, though the project itself runs no game servers.
Bug-fix releases continue in the stable 3.2 series: 3.2.6 came out on 4 September 2026 and 3.2.7 is dated 6 November 2026. Your old games should travel with you, since Freeciv can load savegames from older versions, though how far back depends on the version.
- Computer opponents, an interactive tutorial and several rule sets
- Internet and local network play, with a public list of servers
- Map editor, modpacks and a way to save your own scenarios
- Loads savegames from older versions
- No story campaigns
- The project runs no game servers of its own; listed servers are run by third parties
- Hotseat play is not documented
Skip it if: Anyone who wants a story campaign rather than open-ended games.
Unciv is an open-source remake of Civilization V for Android and desktop. It has an in-game tutorial and computer-controlled rival civilizations. Mods can add, replace or remove units, nations and buildings, and you can download them from the game’s Mod Manager.
Online play works by uploading and downloading save files through a shared server. By default that is a free Dropbox account, and the project warns that so many people use it that access is uncertain. You can host your own server on any computer that runs Java. The game also has a hotseat mode, which appears in its release notes. Releases are frequent: 4.22.16 and 4.22.17 came out on 31 October and 3 November 2026.
- Runs on Android and desktop
- A Map Editor, mods and mod downloads inside the game
- New releases every few days
- Online play depends on a free Dropbox account by default, which the project says may not be reachable consistently
- Local network play is not documented
- Scenarios and other rule sets come from mods, not the base game
Skip it if: Anyone who wants reliable online play without running their own server.
FreeCol is a turn-based strategy game based on Colonization: you start with a few colonists and work toward an independent nation. It offers a Classic ruleset that plays close to the original, a map editor, and what the project calls extensive modability.
It ranks last mainly on activity. Version 1.2.0 was announced on 4 July 2024 and is still the latest release on GitHub. The project does take care of your saves: savegames without mods from 0.12.0 and up should keep working with 1.2.0.
- Recreates Colonization, with a Classic ruleset
- Map editor and extensive mod support
- Savegames from 0.12.0 onward still load in 1.2.0
- Latest stable release is from July 2024
- Multiplayer is listed without saying which modes
Skip it if: Anyone who wants frequent updates.
Questions
Which of these can I play against friends on one computer?
The Battle for Wesnoth documents hotseat play, and Unciv’s release notes mention a hotseat mode. The captured pages for Freeciv and FreeCol do not mention it.
Will my saved games still work after an update?
Freeciv can load savegames from older versions, FreeCol says savegames without mods from 0.12.0 and up work with 1.2.0, and The Battle for Wesnoth says each version of its stable branch is compatible with the others.
Which one can I play on a phone?
Unciv, which is made for Android as well as desktop. The Battle for Wesnoth has an Android port only for its 1.19 development branch, and its iOS port is unmaintained. FreeCol lists Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.
Method
Each game was scored 1–5 on four weighted criteria, each against a published scale: single-player content (×3), multiplayer modes (×3), map editor and mods (×2) and release activity (×2). The total is the weighted average. Every score cites quotes from each project’s own documentation, website and GitHub data, captured on 5 November 2026.
We did not install or play the games, so the scores reflect what each project documents. How our rankings work