What is SwordLord.com?

Updated

SwordLord.com is the website of SwordLord, a non-profit organisation that describes itself as "the coding crew" and says it has been "talking to hardware since 1996." It is aimed at people interested in learning about hardware, software, and technology generally, and it presents three main areas of activity: Maker, Games, and Mentoring. If you want to know whether the site is worth browsing, the short answer is that it is a small, long-running collective's home page rather than a commercial product or service, and its value lies in the projects and games its members have produced.

What SwordLord says it is

The site's own description is the most reliable starting point. SwordLord presents itself as:

  • A non-profit organisation working on "all things digital."
  • Interested in learning about hardware, software and generally all things technology.
  • A group whose members work on maker projects, games, and support for open source projects and third-party organisations.

The tagline "talking to hardware since 1996" and the copyright notice covering 1996–2020 indicate a long-running project rather than a newly launched site.

The three main sections

The homepage points visitors to three sections, each covering a different kind of member activity.

Section What it covers
Maker Hardware and maker projects that members are working on
Games Games for Windows, Linux and Mac written by members, including shareware and other games
Mentoring Where members help out, including support for open source projects and third-party organisations

Maker

The Maker section is described as where members "make our hands dirty" — that is, hands-on hardware work. The site says members work on "a few nice maker projects some of which you might find interesting," so this is the place to look if your interest is physical computing or hardware tinkering.

Games

The Games section lists games written by SwordLord members. The site explicitly notes availability for Windows, Linux and Mac, and mentions shareware alongside other games. If you want to play or examine what the group has built, this is the relevant section.

Mentoring

The Mentoring section covers two related things:

  • Members supporting open source projects and third-party organisations with technology know-how, including helping to design and develop software systems.
  • SwordLord supplying hosting and other services to different open source projects.

The site directs readers to the mentoring section for further details, so specifics on which projects are supported are best checked there.

Who it is for

Based on the site's own framing, SwordLord.com is relevant if you:

  • Are curious about a long-standing non-profit group's hardware and software projects.
  • Want to find games written by its members for Windows, Linux, or Mac.
  • Are looking for an example of a small organisation that mentors and hosts open source work.

It is less useful if you are looking for a commercial product, a store, or a formal membership programme — the homepage describes activities and sections but does not present pricing, sign-up, or payment information.

Practical notes before you browse

  • Start with the section that matches your interest. The homepage is essentially a directory: Maker, Games, and Mentoring each lead to their own details.
  • Expect a modest, member-driven site. The description is written in the group's own voice ("How me make our hands dirty"), which suggests informal, project-focused content rather than polished documentation.
  • Check the mentoring section for specifics. The homepage only summarises the open source support and hosting work; the details live on the mentoring page.
  • Treat the 1996–2020 copyright range as a signal of age. The site has existed for a long time, but the notice does not tell you how recently content was updated, so verify currency on the individual section pages if that matters to you.