Firefly, best known for the Stronghold series, has taken its next step into publishing by unveiling a new label dedicated to strategy games, Wuselfaktory. The label’s inaugural release, Fool King, was showcased at UKIE’s For One Night Only event earlier this year.
Fool King comes from first‑time developer Loot Donkey and bills itself as a "tactical autobattler" with a roguelike twist: players assemble and arrange their forces, then sit back as the combat resolves automatically. Nick Tannahill, the studio head, says the decision to become a publisher mirrors what many indie studios are doing right now.
He believes Firefly’s long‑standing experience with strategy titles gives it a distinct advantage in a genre that consistently ranks among the most profitable on PC. While veteran publishers such as Paradox Interactive and newer entrants like Hooded Horse have already proven the market’s depth, Wuselfaktory intends to operate on a smaller scale, focusing on a limited slate of titles rather than attempting to rival the output of larger houses. For Fool King, Firefly is providing the development funding and handling the marketing push.
Devolver, Firefly’s parent company, has assigned a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance. Tannahill notes that, as the label matures, those responsibilities will shift in‑house to Firefly’s own team of roughly fifty staff members. "We already run a small publishing operation," he explains, "so we have the processes in place to manage localisation, marketing, and platform relationships." Firefly’s publishing expertise is built on more than a decade of self‑publishing experience, dating back to 2010. Over those years the studio has refined its workflows for localisation, community outreach, and platform liaison, and it has cultivated strong ties with Steam, GOG, and other digital storefronts.
Moreover, because Firefly has spent decades crafting strategy games, it can also lend development support to its partners. "Being on the other side of the table gives us insight into negotiations and relationships, but we can also roll up our sleeves and help with actual game development," Tannahill says. The support Firefly is providing to Loot Donkey illustrates this hands‑on approach. The studio has been consulting on the game’s user interface, delivering multiple rounds of feedback on core mechanics, and even assisting with the online component that powers the asynchronous battles.
While such involvement consumes time that could be spent on Firefly’s own projects, the team views it as an investment: a brief, focused conversation can accelerate a partner’s development timeline and lead to a smoother final product. The push into publishing was encouraged by Devolver, which recognized its own limited experience in the strategy sector.
"We were bought by Devolver in late 2021," Tannahill recalls, "and they basically said, ‘You know strategy inside out; we don’t, so why don’t you fill that gap.’" This endorsement gave Firefly the confidence to scout promising indie titles. In fact, the studio discovered Fool King after reading a feature on Rock Paper Shotgun, highlighting how the team stays attuned to emerging releases across Steam, itch.io, and other platforms. Tannahill admits that he regularly plays smaller strategy experiments to keep his creative instincts sharp. "I dive into tiny Steam or itch.io games to refresh my brain and harvest ideas for the next Stronghold," he says.
When he encounters a game he enjoys, he considers whether the title could benefit from funding, mentorship, or partnership opportunities. Devolver has deliberately handed the sourcing and marketing duties over to Firefly because the latter has deeper connections within the strategy community.
"Devolver doesn’t have the same network of press contacts, content creators, and niche audiences that we do," Tannahill explains. In a genre where the audience expects developers to speak its language, those relationships are essential.
To stay close to its fans, Firefly employs a surprisingly straightforward method: surveys embedded in game demos. After each demo, players are asked how much they’d be willing to pay, which features they’d like to see, and what future games they’d enjoy. The studio receives roughly 6,000 responses per title, providing a robust data set that informs design decisions and marketing strategies.
This feedback loop has revealed an unexpected demographic shift – a sizable portion of the audience falls within the 18‑25 age bracket. Recognising this, Firefly tailors its outreach to the social platforms where younger gamers congregate, hoping to nurture long‑term loyalty to its IPs. Tannahill views the strategy genre as both expansive and under‑served.
"If you scan the top‑hundred wish‑listed games on Steam, many are strategy titles," he notes. Yet classic franchises such as Command & Conquer receive little new development, not because the intellectual property lacks appeal, but because few studios are tackling the space. He sees this gap as an opportunity, especially as other high‑profile genres encounter market headwinds. "Strategy isn’t the flashiest genre anymore, but it quietly dominates Steam’s sales," Tannahill asserts.
"While Roblox expands and console sales plateau, PC‑centric, systems‑driven games thrive. Players love to sit at their desks for hours, tweaking variables and watching emergent outcomes. That’s why publishers like Hooded Horse have discovered a massive, hungry audience for premium strategy experiences." Firefly’s own development pipeline reflects a diversified strategy. The studio continues to produce classic‑style 2.5D titles reminiscent of early Command & Conquer and Age of Empires, while also working on fully 3D projects like Stronghold 4.
The current resurgence of pixel‑perfect isometric graphics aligns with market trends, but Tannahill cautions against over‑committing to any single aesthetic. "You want a varied basket of eggs, not all the same colour," he jokes, emphasizing the need for flexibility. At present, Wuselfaktory’s catalogue consists of a single title, Fool King, but the label aims to add a few more modest releases over time.
Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with additional projects in development. Third‑party publishing will be integrated into that schedule as capacity allows. "We won’t announce a label and then flood the market with dozens of games," Tannahill says.
"We’ll start small, keep the workload sustainable, and grow organically." In summary, Firefly’s foray into publishing leverages its deep strategy pedigree, its established workflows, and its close ties to a passionate community. By offering funding, marketing, and hands‑on development support, the studio hopes to nurture indie talent while expanding its own footprint in one of Steam’s most reliable revenue generators.