Firefly, best known for its Stronghold series, has taken a significant step beyond development by establishing a publishing label dedicated to strategy games. The new imprint, named Wuselfaktory, made its debut at UKIE’s For One Night Only showcase earlier this year with the announcement of its inaugural title, Fool King. Developed by the newcomer studio Loot Donkey, Fool King markets itself as a tactical autobattler that blends roguelike elements with strategic army placement, allowing players to set up their forces before watching automated combat unfold. Nick Tannahill, the head of Firefly, acknowledges that many indie studios are now exploring publishing as a natural extension of their operations.
"It's something every indie developer is considering these days," he told GamesIndustry.biz. However, he believes Firefly’s deep roots in the strategy genre give it a distinct advantage.
While established publishers such as Paradox Interactive and the newer Hooded Horse have proven the commercial viability of strategy titles, Wuselfaktory intends to operate on a more modest scale, focusing on a limited number of projects rather than a high‑volume slate. For Fool King, Firefly is providing both financial backing and marketing support. Devolver, Firefly’s parent company, has assigned a producer to assist with localisation and quality assurance.
Tannahill notes that the studio plans to bring those responsibilities in‑house over time, leveraging its existing team of roughly 50 staff members. "We already have a small publishing unit, which is why we can take on this role," he explained.
Having self‑published since 2010, Firefly possesses a well‑honed workflow for localisation, marketing, and distribution, as well as strong relationships with platform holders. More importantly, the studio’s decades‑long experience crafting strategy games enables it to offer development assistance beyond typical publishing duties. "We can sit at the negotiation table because we know the market, but we can also roll up our sleeves and help with actual game design," Tannahill said. Firefly’s support for Fool King has already included regular consultations on the game's online asynchronous battles, UI design, and iterative feedback on core gameplay.
While such involvement diverts resources from other internal projects, Tannahill argues that a brief, focused discussion can dramatically accelerate a partner’s development timeline, resulting in a smoother overall process. The decision to move into publishing was spurred by Devolver’s own recognition of a gap in its portfolio. "After Devolver acquired us in late 2021, they were clear: ‘You understand strategy; we don’t. Why don’t you fill that space?’" Tannahill recalled.
The studio’s constant monitoring of upcoming strategy releases positioned it well to spot promising titles—though he admits he first learned about Fool King through a Rock Paper Shotgun article rather than a formal scouting pipeline. Tannahill also emphasized the personal habit of playing smaller strategy experiments for inspiration.
"I browse indie releases on Steam, itch.io, and other platforms to keep my creative muscles warm for future Stronghold projects," he said. This habit led him to recognise that many indie developers could benefit from funding, mentorship, and exposure that a publisher like Wuselfaktory can provide.
Devolver trusts Firefly to handle both the sourcing of new titles and the associated marketing, acknowledging its own limited familiarity with the strategy niche. "They know the press contacts, content creators, and community hubs for each sub‑genre far better than we do," a Devolver representative confirmed.
Tannahill agrees that speaking the language of strategy fans is essential; the label routinely embeds short surveys into demos to gauge pricing expectations, feature priorities, and future game ideas. "We receive around 6,000 responses per survey, giving us a robust data set to guide our decisions," he noted. Analyzing that data revealed an unexpected demographic: a sizable portion of the audience falls within the 18‑25 age bracket.
"The strategy crowd is younger than we assumed, so we meet them where they hang out—on the social platforms they use—to keep them engaged with our IPs," Tannahill explained. Despite the genre’s massive presence on Steam’s wish‑list charts, many classic strategy franchises have faded from the spotlight. Tannahill lamented that titles like Command and Conquer, which shaped his childhood, are now largely absent not because the brand lacks appeal, but because few modern releases have revived the formula.
He sees this as a fertile opportunity, especially as other high‑profile genres confront market headwinds. "Strategy isn’t the flashiest genre any more, but it quietly dominates Steam’s sales," he observed. "While Roblox expands and console sales plateau, deep, systems‑driven games continue to attract players who love to spend hours tweaking tactics and watching emergent outcomes.
That’s why studios like Hooded Horse are discovering a huge, underserved audience for premium strategy experiences." Firefly’s own development pipeline reflects a diversified approach within the strategy space. The studio continues to produce retro‑style 2.5D titles reminiscent of early Command and Conquer or Age of Empires, while also delivering fully 3D experiences such as Stronghold 4.
This blend of nostalgic aesthetics and modern technology mirrors current market trends, though Tannahill cautions against over‑committing to any single style. "You want a varied basket without putting all your eggs in one niche," he said. Wuselfaktory’s launch currently represents a single “egg”—the Fool King project—but the team hopes to add a few more over time.
Since joining Devolver, Firefly has released four games and six expansions, with additional titles in development. Third‑party publishing remains a long‑term goal, but the studio acknowledges its capacity limits. "We won’t announce a label and then flood the market with dozens of games; we’ll grow organically, starting with smaller projects that fit our resources," Tannahill concluded.
"Sustainability is the key to lasting success."