Firefly, the development team best known for the Stronghold series, has taken its next step into publishing by unveiling a new label dedicated to strategy games, called Wuselfaktory. The label’s debut title, Fool King, was showcased at UKIE’s For One Night Only event earlier this year. Fool King is the brainchild of first‑time developer Loot Donkey and bills itself as a tactical autobattler with a roguelike twist: players assemble and position their forces, then sit back as the battles resolve automatically. Nick Tannahill, the studio head, admits that moving into publishing is a path many indie studios are currently exploring, but he believes Firefly’s deep roots in the strategy niche give it a distinct advantage.
"We’ve been building strategy experiences for decades, so we understand the market, the community, and the production pipelines better than most," he told GamesIndustry.biz. While veteran publishers such as Paradox Interactive and newer entrants like Hooded Horse have already proven the viability of the genre, Firefly’s ambitions are more modest in scope and volume.
Rather than trying to release a slate of blockbuster titles at once, Wuselfaktory intends to nurture a handful of carefully chosen projects that fit the studio’s resources. For Fool King, Firefly is providing the financial backing and marketing muscle, while its parent company Devolver has assigned a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance. Tannahill notes that the long‑term plan is for Firefly to bring those functions in‑house, leveraging its existing 50‑person team. "We already run our own publishing pipeline, from localisation to community outreach, because we’ve self‑published since 2010," he explained.
"Our relationships with platform holders and our internal workflows mean we can support third‑party developers without needing a massive external team." Beyond the business side, Firefly’s experience as a developer translates into tangible assistance for partners. "Being on the other side of the table gives us insight into negotiations, but we also can roll up our sleeves and help with actual development tasks," Tannahill said.
For Fool King, the studio has offered guidance on the game’s online component, consulted on user‑interface design, and delivered multiple rounds of feedback on core mechanics. While such hands‑on support consumes time that could be spent on Firefly’s own projects, the team believes a brief, focused conversation can dramatically accelerate a partner’s schedule and improve overall quality. The decision to launch a publishing arm was spurred by Devolver’s own admission that it lacks deep expertise in the strategy arena. "Devolver bought us in late 2021 and basically said, ‘You know strategy; we don’t.
Why not fill that gap?’" Tannahill recalled. This encouragement, combined with Firefly’s habit of scouting emerging strategy titles, led the studio to discover Fool King through a Rock Paper Shotgun article. Tannahill regularly plays smaller Steam and itch.io titles to keep his creative instincts sharp and to spot potential collaborations. "When I see a game that could benefit from funding, mentorship, or a partnership, I reach out," he said.
Devolver is comfortable letting Firefly steer both acquisition and promotion because the studio has cultivated strong connections with the strategy community. "They trust us to know which press outlets, content creators, and sub‑genre communities matter," Tannahill explained. In a genre where the audience expects developers to speak its language, those relationships are crucial. Firefly also relies on direct feedback from players to shape its products.
The studio embeds short surveys into every demo, asking respondents about price expectations, desired features, and future game ideas. "We get around 6,000 responses per survey, which gives us a solid data set to inform our decisions," Tannahill noted. This data has revealed a surprisingly youthful player base, with a significant portion aged 18‑25. To reach these younger gamers, Firefly focuses its outreach on the social platforms they frequent, aiming to grow both the IPs and the studio’s fan community.
The strategy genre, according to Tannahill, is vast yet under‑served. A quick glance at Steam’s most wish‑listed titles shows that strategy games dominate the upper echelons of interest. However, classic franchises such as Command and Conquer have faded from the spotlight, not because the intellectual property lacks appeal, but because few new entries have been produced. "That gap is an opportunity," Tannahill argued, especially as other high‑profile genres encounter market headwinds.
"Strategy isn’t the flashiest genre, but it’s quietly one of the most successful on Steam. While Roblox expands and consoles face challenges, Steam remains a strong home for deep, systems‑driven experiences that reward long play sessions and emergent gameplay." Firefly’s own development portfolio reflects this diversity. The studio continues to create 2.5D isometric titles reminiscent of early Command and Conquer or Age of Empires, while also delivering fully 3D experiences such as Stronghold 4.
The resurgence of pixel‑perfect, isometric visuals is evident, yet Tannahill cautions against putting all eggs in one basket. "We want to experiment across the strategy spectrum, but we also need to keep our risk exposure manageable," he said. Wuselfaktory currently represents a single published title, but the team hopes to add a few more as capacity allows. Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with additional projects in development.
Third‑party publishing will be a long‑term goal, but the studio will integrate external titles into its existing schedule rather than overcommitting. "We won’t announce a label and then immediately have three big releases ready. We’ll start small, work within our limits, and grow sustainably," Tannahill concluded. In summary, Firefly’s foray into publishing is built on a foundation of strategy‑game expertise, a proven self‑publishing workflow, and a data‑driven relationship with its community.
By leveraging these strengths, the studio aims to support emerging developers, fill gaps in the genre’s catalogue, and reinforce Steam’s position as the premier platform for deep, strategic experiences.