Firefly, best known for its Stronghold series, has taken its next step in the games industry by founding a publishing label dedicated to strategy titles. The new imprint, called Wuselfaktory, was unveiled at UKIE’s For One Night Only event earlier this year, where it also showcased its inaugural publishing project, Fool King.
Fool King is the debut offering from Loot Donkey, a studio that describes the game as a tactical autobattler with roguelike elements: players assemble and position their forces, then watch the combat resolve automatically. The decision to move into publishing is, according to studio head Nick Tannahill, “a path many indie developers are following right now.” Yet Firefly believes its long‑standing expertise in strategy gives it a distinct advantage in a genre that consistently ranks among the most profitable on PC.
While heavyweight publishers such as Paradox Interactive and newer entrants like Hooded Horse have already proven the market’s depth, Wuselfaktory aims to operate on a more modest scale, focusing on a limited slate of titles rather than chasing massive releases. 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, as the label matures, Firefly intends to bring those localisation and QA responsibilities in‑house, leveraging its existing team of roughly fifty staff members. “We already run a small publishing operation,” he explains, “so we have the processes and relationships in place to do it ourselves.” Firefly’s publishing experience dates back to 2010, when the studio began self‑publishing its own titles. Over the years it has refined workflows for localisation, marketing, and distribution, and has cultivated solid connections with platform holders such as Steam. More importantly, the company’s deep roots in strategy development mean it can also provide hands‑on assistance to the games it publishes.
“Being a publisher isn’t just about negotiating deals,” Tannahill says. “We can actually help developers with the nitty‑gritty of game design.” In the case of Fool King, Firefly’s support has been multifaceted.
The studio has consulted on the game’s user interface, offered multiple rounds of feedback on core mechanics, and provided guidance on the asynchronous online component that defines the autobattler experience. While such involvement consumes time that could be spent on Firefly’s own projects, the team believes a brief, focused conversation can dramatically accelerate a partner’s development timeline and improve the final product’s polish. The move into publishing was encouraged by Devolver, which recognized its own limited experience in the strategy segment.
“After Devolver acquired us in late 2021, they basically said, ‘You know strategy better than we do—why not turn that into a publishing opportunity?’” Tannahill recounts. The studio’s constant monitoring of emerging strategy games 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 casual play and industry scouting often intersect. Firefly’s leadership draws inspiration from a wide range of smaller strategy titles, whether they appear on Steam, Itch.io, or other distribution platforms. “I play a lot of modest games to keep my creative juices flowing for the Stronghold series,” Tannahill admits. “When I encounter a game I like, I think about how we could help it—whether that means funding, mentorship, or partnership.” Devolver has given Firefly autonomy over both acquisition and marketing, trusting the studio’s deeper knowledge of the strategy community.
“Devolver doesn’t have the same network of press contacts, content creators, and niche forums that we do,” Tannahill explains. “In a genre where the audience expects you to speak their language, that connection is vital.” To stay close to its players, Firefly embeds short surveys into every demo it releases, asking participants about pricing expectations, desired features, and future game ideas. The studio typically receives around 6,000 responses per survey, providing a robust data set that informs design decisions and marketing strategies.
One surprising insight from this feedback loop is the demographic tilt toward younger players. “We thought our audience would be older, but a large chunk falls in the 18‑25 age range,” Tannahill notes.
Consequently, Firefly tailors its outreach to the social media platforms where that cohort spends time, aiming to funnel new fans into its existing IPs and upcoming releases. The strategy genre, according to Tannahill, is both vast and under‑served. A quick scan of Steam’s most wish‑listed games reveals a significant proportion of strategy titles, yet many classic franchises have faded from the spotlight.
“Command and Conquer was a personal favorite growing up, but it’s no longer relevant—not because the brand has lost its appeal, but because there haven’t been fresh entries,” he says. This gap presents an opening for studios that can deliver high‑quality, systems‑driven experiences. Despite the genre’s lack of mainstream hype, it remains a reliable revenue driver on Steam. “It’s not the flashiest category, but it quietly dominates the platform’s sales,” Tannahill observes, especially as other sectors like Roblox expand and console sales encounter challenges.
Deep, replayable systems that reward long play sessions appeal to a dedicated audience that enjoys tweaking strategies and exploring emergent outcomes. Firefly’s own development pipeline reflects this diversity.
The studio continues to produce classic‑style 2.5D isometric games reminiscent of early Command and Conquer or Age of Empires, while also working on fully 3D projects like Stronghold 4. The resurgence of pixel‑perfect isometric aesthetics has proven popular, but Tannahill cautions against putting all eggs in one basket.
“You want to diversify within strategy, but you also need to keep the workload manageable for a small team.” Wuselfaktory currently has only Fool King in its catalogue, but the label is poised to add a few more modest‑sized titles over time. Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with additional projects in various stages of development.
Third‑party publishing will be integrated into that schedule, but the studio emphasizes sustainability over rapid expansion. “We won’t announce a publishing arm and then flood the market with three big releases at once.
We’ll start with smaller projects that fit our capacity,” Tannahill concludes. In sum, Firefly’s foray into publishing leverages its decades‑long strategy pedigree, its established workflows, and a data‑driven relationship with a youthful, passionate community. By offering both financial backing and hands‑on development support, the studio hopes to nurture indie talent and enrich the strategy genre that continues to thrive quietly beneath the surface of Steam’s bustling marketplace.