Firefly, the team behind the acclaimed Stronghold series, has taken its next step into publishing by unveiling a new label dedicated to strategy games, called Wuselfaktory. The label’s debut title, Fool King, was showcased at UKIE’s For One Night Only event earlier this year. Fool King comes from first‑time developer Loot Donkey and bills itself as a “tactical autobattler” with a roguelike flavor: players assemble and position their forces, then sit back as the combat resolves automatically. Nick Tannahill, studio head, tells GamesIndustry.biz that moving into publishing feels “like every other indie developer right now,” but he argues that Firefly’s deep roots in the strategy niche give it a unique advantage.
While giants such as Paradox and newer entrants like Hooded Horse have already proven the market’s appetite, Wuselfaktory aims to operate on a smaller scale, both in terms of budget and the number of releases. For Fool King, Firefly is providing the development funds and handling marketing, while its parent company Devolver contributes a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance. Tannahill notes that the studio plans to bring those localisation and QA responsibilities in‑house as its team of roughly fifty staff members expands. “We already have a small publishing crew, which is why we can do this,” he says.
Firefly has been self‑publishing since 2010, so it possesses an established pipeline for localisation, marketing, and platform relationships. More importantly, the studio has spent decades building and supporting strategy titles, which means it can also lend development expertise to its partners. “One real benefit a publisher can offer is that we’ve sat on the other side of negotiations and relationships, and we can also help with actual dev work,” Tannahill explains. The partnership with Loot Donkey illustrates that approach.
“We maintain three online titles; Fool King includes an asynchronous auto‑battler component, so the developers can call us to discuss that aspect and learn from our experience. We’ve consulted on UI, given multiple rounds of feedback on the core game, and provided general guidance.” While such support diverts time from Firefly’s own projects, Tannahill believes a brief, focused conversation can accelerate a partner’s development and result in a smoother final product. The decision to branch into publishing was prompted by Devolver, which recognised its own limited experience in the lucrative strategy segment. “We were acquired by Devolver in late 2021,” Tannahill recalls.
“They said, ‘You know strategy, we don’t. Why don’t you lead that effort?’” The studio’s constant monitoring of emerging strategy titles also positioned it well to spot promising projects—though Tannahill admits he first learned about Fool King through a Rock Paper Shotgun article rather than a formal scouting process. Playing smaller indie strategy games on platforms like Steam and itch.io helps Tannahill keep his creative muscles fresh for future Stronghold entries. “I browse tiny titles for inspiration, and when I see something I like, I think about how funding, guidance, or partnerships could help them grow,” he says.
Devolver is comfortable letting Firefly handle both acquisition and promotion because the latter knows the strategy community far better. “They don’t have deep knowledge of the genre, so they trust us to know which press outlets, content creators, and community hubs matter,” Tannahill explains. In a genre where the audience expects developers to “speak the language,” that insider knowledge is crucial.
Firefly maintains a close relationship with its players through a simple but effective method: surveys embedded in every demo. After each trial, players are asked how much they’d be willing to pay, which features they’d like, and what future games they’d enjoy. “We get about 6,000 responses each time, which gives us a solid data set,” Tannahill notes.
The feedback has revealed a surprisingly youthful demographic, with a strong contingent of 18‑ to 25‑year‑olds. To reach them, the studio focuses on the social platforms where that age group spends time, aiming to funnel new fans into its IPs and broader studio portfolio. Tannahill sees the strategy space as both massive and under‑served.
“If you look at the top‑hundred‑plus wish‑listed games on Steam, many are strategy titles,” he observes. Yet classic franchises such as Command and Conquer have faded from mainstream relevance, not because the intellectual property lacks appeal, but because few modern entries have been produced.
He views this gap as an opportunity, especially as other high‑profile genres encounter headwinds. “It’s not sexy anymore, but it’s quietly one of the most successful genres on Steam,” he says.
While Roblox expands and console sales face challenges, Steam remains well‑positioned for deep, systems‑driven experiences that reward players who can spend hours tweaking strategies and watching emergent gameplay unfold. The success of studios like Hooded Horse, which discovered a sizable market for high‑quality strategy games, reinforces that belief. Internally, Firefly is spreading its bets across the strategy spectrum. The studio continues to publish its own titles, ranging from classic 2.5D isometric games reminiscent of early Command and Conquer or Age of Empires, to fully 3D projects like Stronghold 4.
The retro‑style 2.5D aesthetic is currently fashionable, but Tannahill acknowledges trends can shift. “You want to diversify your basket without putting all your eggs in one niche,” he cautions.
Wuselfaktory currently represents a single “egg” in that basket—Fool King—but the label could soon add a few more. Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with additional projects in development.
Third‑party publishing remains a long‑term goal, yet the studio must fit new titles into an already busy schedule. “We won’t announce a publishing label and immediately have three games ready; we can only spin so many plates,” Tannahill admits. “Initially we’ll focus on smaller titles, work in compact teams, and keep the operation sustainable—that’s the most important thing."