Firefly, best known for its Stronghold franchise, has taken its next step into the publishing arena by unveiling a new label dedicated to strategy games, called Wuselfaktory. The debut title under this banner is Fool King, a tactical autobattler with roguelike elements created by first‑time developer Loot Donkey. The game was showcased at the UKIE "For One Night Only" event earlier this year, where it was described as a title that lets players assemble and position their forces before the AI runs the battles automatically.
Nick Tannahill, the head of Firefly, acknowledges that many indie studios are now wearing both developer and publisher hats, but he believes the studio’s deep roots in strategy give it a distinct advantage. "We’ve spent years building and supporting strategy titles, so we understand the market, the community, and the production pipelines better than most," he told GamesIndustry.biz. While the label will operate on a smaller scale than veterans like Paradox Interactive or newer entrants such as Hooded Horse, Firefly intends to focus on a modest slate of games rather than trying to flood the market.
For Fool King, Firefly is providing the development funding and handling the marketing push, while its parent company Devolver has assigned a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance. Tannahill notes that the studio plans to bring those localisation and QA responsibilities in‑house as the publishing team grows, which currently numbers about 50 staff members. "We already run a self‑publishing operation that dates back to 2010, so we have established workflows for localisation, marketing, and platform relationships," he explained. Beyond the financial side, Firefly can also lend its development expertise.
"Being on the publisher side means we’ve sat at the negotiation table before, but we can also roll up our sleeves and help with actual game development," Tannahill said. The studio is already offering support to Loot Donkey on several fronts: they have consulted on the user interface, provided multiple rounds of feedback on core gameplay, and are assisting with the game’s online, asynchronous multiplayer component. While such hands‑on assistance does take time away from Firefly’s own projects, the team believes a brief, focused conversation can dramatically accelerate a partner’s progress.
The decision to move into publishing was encouraged by Devolver, which recognised its own limited experience in the strategy niche. "After we acquired Firefly in late 2021, the conversation was simple: ‘You know strategy inside‑out, we don’t.
Why don’t you lead that effort?’" Tannahill recalled. The studio’s constant monitoring of emerging strategy titles also positioned it well to spot promising indie projects.
In fact, Tannahill first learned about Fool King through a Rock Paper Shotgun article, illustrating how closely the team follows the community. Firefly’s strategy for staying attuned to its audience involves a surprisingly hands‑on approach: the studio embeds short surveys directly into its game demos, asking players how much they would be willing to pay, which features they’d like to see, and what future games they’d enjoy. "We typically receive around 6,000 responses per survey, giving us a solid data set to guide our decisions," Tannahill said. This feedback loop has revealed a younger-than‑expected player base, with a strong concentration of gamers aged 18‑25.
To reach this demographic, Firefly focuses on the social platforms where these players congregate, aiming to nurture long‑term interest in its IPs and upcoming releases. When asked about the broader state of the strategy genre, Tannahill described it as vast and diverse yet surprisingly underserved. "If you look at the top‑hundred wish‑listed games on Steam, a large proportion are strategy titles," he observed. However, many classic franchises, such as Command and Conquer, have faded from the spotlight not because the brand lacks appeal, but because few new entries have been produced.
He sees this as a fertile opportunity, especially as more mainstream genres encounter headwinds. "Strategy isn’t the flashiest genre any more, but it quietly dominates Steam’s sales. While Roblox expands and consoles face challenges, PC‑centric, systems‑driven games remain a strong draw for players who enjoy deep, replayable experiences," he explained. Firefly’s own development pipeline reflects this dual focus.
The studio continues to create traditional 2.5D isometric titles reminiscent of early Command and Conquer or Age of Empires, while also delivering fully 3D experiences like Stronghold 4. The resurgence of pixel‑perfect, isometric graphics is currently in vogue, but Tannahill cautions against putting all of the studio’s eggs in one basket. "We want a diversified portfolio within strategy, but we also have to be realistic about how many projects a small team can handle," he said.
Wuselfaktory, at present, represents a single external title—Fool King—but the label is designed to grow incrementally. Since the Devolver acquisition, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with additional projects in development. Third‑party publishing will be integrated carefully into this schedule, ensuring the team does not overextend. "We won’t announce a publishing arm and then flood the market with three titles at once.
We’ll start with smaller projects that fit our capacity, keeping the operation sustainable," Tannahill concluded. The approach reflects a measured ambition: to nurture a niche yet profitable corner of Steam’s ecosystem while leveraging Firefly’s long‑standing expertise in strategy game design and community engagement.