Firefly, 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 debut title for the imprint, Fool King, was showcased at UKIE’s For One Night Only event earlier this year. Fool King comes from Loot Donkey, a studio making its first foray into commercial releases, 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, acknowledges that many indie studios are now wearing both developer and publisher hats, but he believes Firefly’s long‑standing expertise in the strategy niche gives it a distinct advantage. "We’ve spent years building and supporting strategy titles, so we understand the genre’s nuances better than most," he told GamesIndustry.biz. While heavyweight publishers such as Paradox Interactive and newer entrants like Hooded Horse have proven that strategy can be a lucrative space, Firefly is aiming for a more modest scale—fewer releases, smaller scopes, and a focus on quality over quantity. For Fool King, Firefly is providing the development funding and handling the marketing push, while its parent company Devolver is contributing a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance.
Tannahill notes that the plan is for Firefly to eventually bring those localisation and QA responsibilities in‑house, leveraging its existing 50‑person team. "We already run a small publishing operation, which is why we can take on this role," he explained. The studio’s publishing pedigree dates back to 2010, when it began self‑publishing its own games.
Over the years it has refined workflows for localisation, marketing, and platform relations, and it has cultivated strong ties with the platforms that host its titles. More importantly, Firefly’s deep experience with strategy mechanics allows it to offer hands‑on development assistance to the studios it partners with. "Being on the other side of the table gives us insight into negotiation and relationship management, but we can also roll up our sleeves and help with actual development challenges," Tannahill said.
Firefly has already been providing that kind of support to Loot Donkey. The partnership includes regular online calls to discuss the game’s asynchronous multiplayer component, UI design consultations, and multiple rounds of feedback on core gameplay. While such involvement diverts time from Firefly’s internal projects, Tannahill argues that a brief, focused conversation can dramatically accelerate a partner’s development timeline and improve the final product. The decision to move into publishing was encouraged by Devolver, which recognised its own limited experience in the strategy arena.
"After we acquired Firefly in late 2021, Devolver basically said, ‘You know strategy better than we do—why don’t you lead that effort?’" Tannahill recalled. The studio’s constant monitoring of upcoming strategy releases also positioned it well to spot promising indie projects. In fact, Tannahill discovered Fool King after reading a feature on Rock Paper Shotgun. To stay fresh, Tannahill plays a wide variety of smaller strategy titles on platforms like Steam and itch.io, using them as a source of inspiration for future Stronghold entries.
"I love digging into those niche games; they often spark ideas that can be adapted or expanded for larger projects," he said. When he encounters a game with potential, he considers whether it could benefit from funding, mentorship, or a partnership with Firefly. Devolver has given Firefly considerable autonomy over both sourcing and marketing, trusting the studio’s deeper connections within the strategy community.
"Devolver doesn’t have the same network of press contacts, content creators, and sub‑genre communities that we do," Tannahill explained. This relationship is especially vital in a genre where the audience expects developers to speak their language.
Firefly maintains a close feedback loop with its players by embedding short surveys into every demo it releases. The surveys ask respondents about pricing expectations, desired features, and future game ideas. "We typically receive around 6,000 responses per demo, which gives us a solid data set to guide our decisions," Tannahill noted.
The insights have revealed a surprisingly young demographic: a substantial portion of the audience falls between 18 and 25 years old. To reach this cohort, Firefly focuses on the social platforms where younger gamers congregate, aiming to funnel them into its existing IPs and upcoming releases. The studio sees the strategy genre as both massive and under‑served. "If you look at the top‑hundred wish‑listed games on Steam, a huge number are strategy titles," Tannahill observed.
Yet classic franchises such as Command & Conquer have faded from mainstream awareness, not because the intellectual property lacks appeal, but because few new entries have been produced. He views 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 charts," he said. "While platforms like Roblox explode and console sales face challenges, Steam remains a strong home for deep, systems‑driven experiences that reward long play sessions and emergent gameplay.
Developers like Hooded Horse have recently discovered just how large that audience can be." Firefly’s own portfolio reflects a broad strategy spectrum: from classic 2.5D isometric titles reminiscent of early Command & Conquer and Age of Empires, to fully 3D projects like Stronghold 4. The studio acknowledges that the current trend favors pixel‑perfect isometric aesthetics, but it remains cautious about over‑committing to any single style.
"You want to diversify your basket without loading it with too many eggs that could crack," Tannahill analogised. Wuselfaktory, the new label, currently has only Fool King in its catalogue, but the team hopes to add a few more modest‑sized projects over time. Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with additional titles in development.
Third‑party publishing will be part of the long‑term vision, but it must fit within the studio’s capacity. "We can’t announce a label and immediately have three fully baked games ready; we can only spin so many plates at once," Tannahill cautioned. "We’ll start with smaller titles, work in tight, sustainable teams, and grow from there."