Firefly, best known for the Stronghold series, has taken its next step into publishing by unveiling a new strategy‑centric label called Wuselfaktory. The label’s debut title, Fool King, was showcased at UKIE’s For One Night Only event earlier this year. Fool King, developed by the newcomer Loot Donkey, bills itself as a "tactical autobattler" with roguelike elements: players assemble and position their forces, then sit back as the AI resolves the combat. Nick Tannahill, studio head, admits that moving into publishing is a path many indie studios are currently exploring, but he believes Firefly’s deep roots in strategy give it a distinct advantage.
"We’ve spent years building and supporting strategy games, so we understand the nuances of the genre better than most," he told GamesIndustry.biz. While the market is already dominated by veterans such as Paradox Interactive and newer entrants like Hooded Horse, Wuselfaktory intends to operate with more modest ambitions, focusing on a limited slate of titles rather than attempting to rival the output of those larger houses. For Fool King, Firefly is providing the development funding and handling the marketing push, while its parent company Devolver has assigned a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance. Tannahill notes that, as the publishing operation matures, Firefly plans to bring those localisation and QA responsibilities in‑house, leveraging its existing 50‑person team.
"We already run a small publishing unit, which is why we can do this," he explained. The studio’s publishing experience dates back to 2010, when it began self‑publishing its own titles. Over the years it has refined workflows for localisation, marketing, and platform relations, and it has cultivated strong ties with the major storefronts. More importantly, Firefly’s decades‑long focus on strategy equips it to offer technical assistance beyond the typical publisher duties.
"We can sit at the negotiation table, but we can also roll up our sleeves and help with actual development challenges," Tannahill said. Firefly’s support for Loot Donkey has already taken concrete forms.
The publisher has consulted on the game’s user interface, provided multiple rounds of feedback on core mechanics, and offered guidance on the online, asynchronous battler component. "We maintain three online titles ourselves, so we understand the networking side," Tannahill added.
"A single hour‑long call can accelerate a project dramatically, even if it pulls us away from our own work for a short time." The decision to enter publishing was sparked by Devolver’s suggestion. After Devolver acquired Firefly in late 2021, the parent recognised its own gaps in the lucrative strategy sector. "Devolver told us, ‘You know strategy, we don’t, so why not fill that space,’" Tannahill recalled.
The studio’s constant monitoring of emerging strategy games also positioned it to spot promising indie projects—though he admits he first learned about Fool King through a Rock Paper Shotgun article rather than a formal scouting pipeline. Playing smaller titles on Steam and itch.io is a habit for Tannahill, who says it keeps his creative juices flowing for future Stronghold installments.
"I love digging into tiny experiments; they often spark ideas for larger projects," he said. When he encounters a game that could benefit from extra funding, mentorship, or partnership, he sees an opportunity to help bring it to a broader audience. Devolver is comfortable handing over both sourcing and marketing responsibilities to Firefly because the latter knows the strategy community inside‑out.
"Devolver doesn’t have deep connections with the strategy press, streamers, or niche forums," Tannahill explained. "We speak the language of that audience, and that matters a lot in a genre where players expect 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 studio typically receives around 6,000 responses per survey, providing a robust data set that informs both design and business decisions. This feedback loop has revealed a surprisingly youthful player base; a large segment of respondents falls between 18 and 25 years old.
"We meet younger gamers where they hang out—on the social platforms they use—so we can keep feeding them fresh content and keep them invested in our IPs," Tannahill said. The strategy genre, according to Tannahill, is both vast and under‑served. He points out that many of Steam’s most wish‑listed titles are strategy games, yet classic franchises such as Command and Conquer have faded from mainstream awareness, not because the IP lacks appeal but because few new entries have been produced. "There’s a huge appetite for high‑quality, systems‑driven experiences," he argued.
"Even though the genre isn’t as flashy as battle‑royale or sandbox titles, it quietly dominates Steam’s sales charts." In a gaming landscape where Roblox continues to expand and console sales face headwinds, Firefly sees Steam’s strategy niche as a stable foundation for the future. Deep, replayable systems that reward long play sessions appeal to players who enjoy tweaking variables and observing emergent outcomes. This is precisely why companies like Hooded Horse have recently entered the space, discovering a sizable market for premium strategy experiences. Firefly’s own development slate reflects its diversified approach.
The studio continues to produce traditional 2.5D isometric titles reminiscent of early Command and Conquer or Age of Empires, while also working on fully 3D projects such as Stronghold 4. The resurgence of pixel‑perfect, isometric graphics is currently fashionable, but Tannahill cautions against putting all of the studio’s eggs in one basket. "We want a balanced portfolio—publishing, 2.5D, 3D—so we’re not overly exposed to any single trend," he said.
Wuselfaktory’s launch currently represents a single “egg,” with the potential to add a few more titles over time. Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, and more releases are in the pipeline. Third‑party publishing will be part of the long‑term strategy, but it must fit within the studio’s capacity. "We won’t announce a label and then flood the market with three big releases at once; we can only spin so many plates," Tannahill warned.
"Initially we’ll focus on smaller projects that our lean teams can handle sustainably—that’s the most important thing."