Firefly, best known for the Stronghold franchise, has taken its next step in the gaming industry by establishing a publishing label dedicated to strategy games. The new imprint, called Wuselfaktory, was unveiled at UKIE’s For One Night Only showcase earlier this year, where it also announced its first external project, Fool King. Fool King is the debut title from indie studio Loot Donkey and bills itself as a "tactical autobattler" with roguelike elements: players assemble and position their forces, then watch automated battles unfold.
The decision to move into publishing mirrors a broader trend among indie studios, according to studio head Nick Tannahill, who told GamesIndustry.biz that many developers are now wearing both creator and publisher hats. What sets Firefly apart, however, is its deep‑rooted expertise in strategy titles. Tannahill believes that this background gives Wuselfaktory a distinct advantage in a genre that consistently ranks among the most lucrative on PC platforms.
While giants like Paradox Interactive and newer entrants such as Hooded Horse have already proven the viability of strategy publishing, Firefly’s ambitions are more modest in scale, focusing on a limited slate of games rather than a massive catalogue. For Fool King, Firefly is providing the financial backing and marketing muscle, while its parent company Devolver has assigned a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance.
Tannahill notes that as the publishing operation matures, Firefly intends to bring those localisation and QA responsibilities in‑house, leveraging its existing team of roughly 50 staff members. "We already run a small publishing unit, which is why we can take on this role," he explained. 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 platform relations, and it has cultivated strong connections with the major digital storefronts.
More importantly, the studio’s decades‑long focus on strategy games equips it to provide development assistance as well as business support. "A publisher who has been on the other side of negotiations can also lend real development help," Tannahill said. In practice, this means Firefly’s team is actively consulting with Loot Donkey on a range of issues. The publisher has offered advice on user‑interface design, delivered multiple rounds of feedback on core gameplay, and even provided guidance on the game’s asynchronous multiplayer component.
While such hands‑on support does divert resources from Firefly’s own projects, the studio believes that a short, focused conversation can dramatically accelerate a partner’s development timeline and improve the final product. The move 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, so why not lead that space?’" Firefly’s constant monitoring of emerging strategy titles also positioned it well to spot promising indie projects. In fact, Tannahill first learned about Fool King from a Rock Paper Shotgun article, underscoring the importance of staying plugged into the community. Beyond scouting, Firefly maintains a close relationship with its audience by regularly gathering direct feedback.
The studio embeds short surveys into every demo it releases, asking players about pricing expectations, desired features, and future game ideas. "We get around 6,000 responses each time," Tannahill said, noting that this data stream has become a valuable compass for both development and marketing decisions. One surprising insight from the surveys is the demographic skew of strategy gamers. While the genre is often associated with older, hardcore players, Firefly discovered a substantial segment of 18‑ to 25‑year‑olds who are actively seeking new titles.
To reach this younger cohort, the studio focuses its outreach on the social platforms they frequent, aiming to funnel them into its existing IPs and upcoming releases. Tannahill sees the strategy genre as both vast and under‑served. He points out that a large proportion of the most wish‑listed games on Steam belong to various strategy sub‑genres, yet many classic franchises receive little attention.
"Command and Conquer was a personal favorite growing up, but it’s largely absent from modern conversations," he observed, attributing the gap to a lack of fresh entries rather than a loss of interest in the brand. This perceived void represents an opportunity, especially as other high‑profile genres encounter headwinds. "Strategy isn’t flashy, but it quietly dominates Steam’s revenue charts," Tannahill said.
In an ecosystem where titles like Roblox are exploding and console sales are plateauing, deep, systems‑driven games that reward long sessions and emergent gameplay remain highly attractive to dedicated players. The recent success of studios such as Hooded Horse, which tapped into a previously overlooked audience for premium strategy experiences, reinforces this trend. Internally, Firefly is balancing multiple bets within its modestly sized team.
The studio continues to develop its own titles, ranging from nostalgic 2.5D isometric games reminiscent of the early Command and Conquer or Age of Empires, to fully 3D projects like Stronghold 4. While the retro‑style pixel art aesthetic is currently popular, Tannahill cautions against over‑committing to any single trend.
"You want a diversified basket without putting all your eggs in one niche," he explained. Wuselfaktory’s launch currently represents a single external egg—Fool King—but the label plans to add a few more titles over time. Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with additional releases in the pipeline. Third‑party publishing will be integrated into this schedule, but the studio is realistic about its capacity.
"We won’t announce a publishing label and immediately roll out three big games; we can only spin so many plates," Tannahill said. "We’ll start with smaller projects that fit our team size and keep the operation sustainable." In summary, Firefly’s foray into strategy publishing leverages its longstanding expertise, existing infrastructure, and close community ties to fill a niche that larger publishers have largely ignored. By supporting indie developers like Loot Donkey, offering both financial backing and hands‑on development guidance, and staying attuned to a younger, enthusiastic player base, the studio aims to nurture a vibrant ecosystem for strategy games on Steam and beyond.