Firefly, the team behind the acclaimed Stronghold series, has taken its first steps into the world of publishing by unveiling a new label dedicated to strategy games, called Wuselfaktory. The debut title for the imprint, Fool King, was showcased during 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 watch the combat resolve automatically. Nick Tannahill, the head of Firefly, admits that the decision to become a publisher mirrors a trend he sees across the indie landscape.
"Almost every indie studio is looking at publishing as a natural extension of what they already do," he told GamesIndustry.biz. What sets Firefly apart, however, is its deep‑rooted expertise in the strategy genre—a segment that consistently ranks among the most profitable on PC platforms. While heavyweight publishers such as Paradox Interactive and newer entrants like Hooded Horse have already proven the viability of strategy‑centric publishing, Firefly is entering the space with more modest goals regarding both the scale of individual projects and the total number of releases.
For Fool King, Firefly is providing 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 as the publishing operation matures, the studio intends to bring those localisation and QA responsibilities in‑house, leveraging its existing 50‑person team.
"We already run a small publishing unit, which is why we can pull this off," he explained. Firefly’s publishing experience dates back to 2010, when the studio began self‑publishing its own titles. Over the years it has built a complete pipeline that includes localisation, marketing, and relationships with platform holders such as Steam and Epic. This long‑standing infrastructure not only streamlines the release process but also gives Firefly a unique advantage: it can provide hands‑on development assistance to the studios it partners with.
"Being on the other side of the table during negotiations gives us insight, but we also bring practical development support," Tannahill said. In the case of Fool King, the support has been multi‑faceted. The game features an asynchronous multiplayer component, so Firefly’s online‑games team has been consulting on network architecture and player‑matching systems. The studio has also offered UI design advice and conducted several rounds of feedback on core gameplay loops.
While these activities consume time that could be spent on Firefly’s own projects, Tannahill argues that a brief, focused discussion can dramatically accelerate a partner’s development timeline and improve the final product. The push into publishing was encouraged by Devolver, which recognised its own gaps in the strategy market. "We were acquired by Devolver in late 2021," Tannahill recalled, "and they basically said, ‘You know strategy inside‑out; we don’t. Why don’t you fill that void?’" This suggestion aligned with Firefly’s habit of scouting emerging strategy titles.
In fact, Tannahill discovered Fool King after reading a feature on Rock Paper Shotgun, illustrating how the studio stays attuned to smaller releases on platforms like Steam and itch.io for inspiration. Tannahill emphasizes that his personal habit of playing niche strategy games fuels the creative direction of the Stronghold franchise.
"I dip into tiny Steam or itch titles to keep my brain fresh and to harvest ideas for new games," he said. "When I see a promising concept, I think about how we could help the developers with funding, guidance, or partnership opportunities." Devolver has given Firefly considerable autonomy over both the sourcing of titles and the marketing strategy. The parent company acknowledges its limited knowledge of the strategy ecosystem and trusts Firefly to handle press outreach, influencer engagement, and community interaction across the genre’s many sub‑communities.
Tannahill stresses that speaking the same language as strategy fans is essential. "Our audience expects us to understand the nuances of the genre," he noted.
To stay close to players, Firefly embeds short surveys into every demo it releases, asking respondents about pricing expectations, desired features, and future game ideas. "We’ve run this for three games now and consistently get around 6,000 responses per survey," Tannahill said.
The data not only informs design decisions but also revealed an unexpectedly young demographic: a significant portion of the audience falls between 18 and 25 years old. "We meet them where they hang out—on the right social platforms—to keep feeding interest into our IPs and the broader studio brand," he added. The strategy genre, according to Tannahill, is both massive and under‑served. A quick glance at Steam’s most wish‑listed titles shows a dominance of strategy games across a wide array of sub‑genres.
Yet classic franchises such as Command & Conquer have faded from the mainstream, not because the intellectual property lacks appeal, but because few new entries have been produced. This gap represents a clear opportunity for publishers willing to invest in high‑quality, systems‑driven experiences.
He also points out that while other gaming sectors face headwinds—think the ever‑expanding Roblox ecosystem or a console market that feels a bit stagnant—Steam remains a robust platform for deep, replayable titles. "Strategy isn’t flashy, but it quietly drives a huge portion of Steam’s revenue," Tannahill observed. Players who enjoy spending hours tweaking tactics and watching emergent outcomes are precisely the audience that studios like Hooded Horse have recently tapped, proving there is still untapped appetite for premium strategy experiences.
Firefly itself is diversifying its own portfolio within the genre. The studio continues to produce traditional 2.5‑D isometric titles reminiscent of early Command & Conquer or Age of Empires, while also developing fully 3D projects such as Stronghold 4. The resurgence of pixel‑perfect isometric visuals is currently fashionable, but Tannahill cautions against over‑committing to any single aesthetic trend. "You want a basket with many eggs, not just one," he said, acknowledging the need for flexibility as player tastes evolve.
Wuselfaktory’s launch may currently represent a single “egg” in that basket—Fool King—but the label is designed to grow organically. Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with several more in development.
Third‑party publishing will be part of the long‑term plan, but the studio intends to integrate new titles into its existing production schedule rather than overextend its resources. "We won’t announce a publishing arm and then dump three full‑scale games on it—we simply can’t spin that many plates," Tannahill explained. "Initially we’ll focus on smaller projects that fit our team size and keep the operation sustainable." In summary, Firefly’s foray into publishing through Wuselfaktory reflects a strategic bet on the enduring popularity of strategy games on Steam.
By leveraging its decades‑long experience, existing publishing workflows, and a keen ear to the community, the studio aims to nurture promising indie projects while continuing to expand its own legacy within the genre.