Firefly, best known for its Stronghold series, has taken its next step into publishing by unveiling a new label dedicated to strategy games, Wuselfaktory. The label’s debut title, Fool King, was showcased at 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.
Studio head Nick Tannahill tells GamesIndustry.biz that the shift into publishing mirrors what many indie studios are doing today, but he believes Firefly’s deep roots in strategy give it a distinct advantage. The genre is one of the most lucrative on PC, consistently topping Steam’s wish‑list charts, yet it remains under‑served by publishers who truly understand its nuances.
While veteran publishers such as Paradox Interactive and newer entrants like Hooded Horse have proven the market’s viability, Firefly is approaching it with more modest ambitions—fewer releases at a time, but with a hands‑on, developer‑centric approach. For Fool King, Firefly is providing the financial backing and marketing muscle, while its parent company Devolver is contributing a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance.
Tannahill notes that the long‑term plan is for Firefly to bring those functions in‑house, leveraging its existing 50‑person team. "We already have a small publishing unit, which is why we can do this," he explains. Firefly’s publishing experience dates back to 2010, when the studio began self‑publishing its own titles. Over the years it has refined localisation pipelines, marketing strategies, and relationships with platform holders.
More importantly, the studio has spent decades crafting strategy experiences, meaning it can also offer development support. "Being on the other side of the table gives us insight into negotiations and relationships, but we can also roll up our sleeves and help with actual dev work," Tannahill says. The support for Loot Donkey extends beyond funding. Firefly’s team has consulted on the game’s user interface, provided multiple rounds of feedback on core mechanics, and offered guidance on its asynchronous multiplayer component.
While such assistance consumes time that could be spent on Firefly’s own projects, Tannahill believes a brief, focused conversation can accelerate a partner’s development dramatically, resulting in a smoother overall production. The decision to launch a publishing arm was encouraged by Devolver, which recognized its own limited expertise in the strategy sector. "We were acquired by Devolver in late 2021, and they basically said, ‘You know strategy, we don’t—why not fill that gap?’" Tannahill recalls. The studio’s constant monitoring of emerging strategy titles positioned it perfectly to spot promising candidates; in fact, Fool King first caught Tannahill’s eye through a Rock Paper Shotgun article.
Tannahill admits he regularly plays small, experimental strategy games on Steam and itch.io to keep his creative instincts sharp. "I love digging into tiny titles for inspiration for Stronghold and other projects," he says.
"When I see a game with potential, I think about how we could help it with funding, mentorship, or partnership." Devolver is comfortable letting Firefly handle both acquisition and promotion, trusting the studio’s deep connections with the strategy community. "Devolver doesn’t have the same network of press contacts, content creators, and sub‑genre communities that we do," Tannahill notes.
He emphasizes that speaking the language of strategy players is essential, as the audience expects a certain level of depth and communication. To stay close to its fans, Firefly embeds short surveys into every demo it releases, asking players about price expectations, desired features, and future game ideas. The responses—roughly 6,000 per title—provide a robust data set that informs design decisions and marketing tactics.
This feedback loop has revealed a surprisingly youthful demographic; about a third of respondents fall between 18 and 25 years old. Consequently, Firefly tailors its outreach to platforms where younger gamers congregate, hoping to nurture a new generation of strategy enthusiasts. Tannahill sees the strategy genre as both expansive and under‑exploited.
"If you look at the top‑hundred wish‑listed games on Steam, many are strategy titles," he observes. Yet classic franchises such as Command & Conquer have faded from mainstream awareness, not because the IPs lack appeal, but because few modern entries have been produced.
He views this gap as an opportunity, especially as other high‑profile genres face market headwinds. "Strategy isn’t glamorous, but it’s quietly one of Steam’s most successful categories," Tannahill says. In an ecosystem where games like Roblox dominate casual attention and console sales plateau, deep, systems‑driven experiences that reward long sessions and emergent gameplay remain in demand. The success of studios like Hooded Horse—who discovered a massive audience for high‑quality strategy titles—reinforces this belief.
Firefly’s own development slate reflects a diversified approach within the genre. The studio continues to create 2.5D isometric games reminiscent of early Command & Conquer and Age of Empires, while also delivering fully 3D experiences such as Stronghold 4.
The resurgence of pixel‑perfect isometric aesthetics is currently popular, but Tannahill cautions against over‑committing to any single style. "You want a diversified basket, not all your eggs in one niche," he advises. Wuselfaktory currently represents a single published title, but the label aims to add a few more modest projects 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 carefully to avoid overextending the small team. "We won’t announce a label and immediately have three big titles ready; we can only spin so many plates," Tannahill concludes.
"We’ll start with smaller games, keep the workload sustainable, and grow from there."