Firefly, best known for the Stronghold series, has taken its next step into publishing by unveiling a new label dedicated to strategy games, Wuselfaktory. The debut title for the imprint, 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 twist: players assemble and position their forces, then watch the combat resolve automatically.
Nick Tannahill, the studio head, admits that moving into publishing is “like every other indie studio doing it right now,” but he believes Firefly’s deep roots in the strategy genre give it a unique advantage. While giants such as Paradox Interactive and newer players like Hooded Horse have already proven the commercial viability of strategy titles on PC, Wuselfaktory aims to operate on a more modest scale—fewer games at a time and with more restrained ambitions regarding scope. For Fool King, Firefly is providing the development funding and handling the marketing push, while its parent company Devolver supplies a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance. Tannahill notes that the long‑term plan is for Firefly to bring those localisation and QA responsibilities 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 is not brand‑new. The studio has been self‑publishing since 2010, establishing its own pipelines for localisation, marketing, and distribution, and cultivating solid relationships with platform holders.
Moreover, decades of building strategy games have equipped the team with technical know‑how that can be shared with partner developers. “Publishers who are also developers can offer more than just a contract; we can sit at the negotiation table and also roll up our sleeves to help with actual game development,” Tannahill says. He cites concrete examples from the Fool King partnership: the studio offered advice on the game’s user interface, provided multiple rounds of feedback on core mechanics, and even assisted with the online, asynchronous battler component.
While such support consumes time that could be spent on Firefly’s own projects, Tannahill argues that a short, focused conversation can dramatically accelerate a partner’s development timeline. The decision to branch into publishing was heavily influenced by Devolver.
After Firefly’s acquisition in late 2021, Devolver recognised its own gaps in the strategy space and encouraged the studio to fill that niche. “They said, ‘You know strategy better than we do—why not turn that expertise into a publishing label?’” Tannahill recalls. The studio’s constant monitoring of emerging strategy titles also positioned it well to spot promising indie projects, even if the initial discovery of Fool King came from a Rock Paper Shotgun article rather than a formal scouting process. Tannahill stays inspired by playing a wide array of smaller strategy games on platforms like Steam and itch.io.
“I dive into tiny titles to keep my brain fresh and to harvest ideas for future Stronghold entries,” he says. Those experiences often reveal developers who could benefit from funding, mentorship, or partnership, prompting Firefly to reach out. Devolver is comfortable letting Firefly take the lead on both acquisition and marketing because the latter lacks deep knowledge of the strategy community. “They trust us to know which press outlets, content creators, and sub‑genre communities matter,” Tannahill notes.
In a genre where the audience expects developers to speak its language, that insider knowledge is crucial. 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 response rate is impressive—around 6,000 participants per survey—providing a reliable data set that informs both internal development and publishing decisions.
The feedback has revealed a surprisingly youthful demographic: a substantial portion of the audience falls between 18 and 25 years old. Consequently, Firefly tailors its outreach to the platforms where younger gamers congregate, aiming to grow the player base for its IPs and for partner titles alike. The strategy genre, according to Tannahill, is massive yet under‑served. A quick glance at Steam’s wish‑list charts shows that many of the most coveted games are strategy titles, spanning everything from grand‑strategy epics to tactical turn‑based experiences.
However, classic franchises such as Command and Conquer have faded from the mainstream, not because the brand lacks appeal, but because few new entries have been produced. Tannahill sees this as a fertile opportunity, especially as other high‑profile genres encounter headwinds.
“It’s not the flashiest genre any more, but it quietly dominates Steam’s sales,” he observes. In a market where platforms like Roblox are exploding and console sales are plateauing, deep, systems‑driven games that reward long sessions and emergent gameplay remain highly attractive. The recent success of studios like Hooded Horse underscores the existence of a sizable, hungry audience for high‑quality strategy experiences. Firefly’s own development slate reflects a diversified approach within the strategy space.
The team continues to create 2.5‑D 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 aesthetics is evident, yet Tannahill cautions against putting all eggs in one basket.
“We want a varied portfolio so we’re not overly exposed to a single trend,” he explains. Wuselfaktory currently represents a single published title—Fool King—but the label is designed to grow incrementally.
Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with more releases on the horizon. Third‑party publishing is part of the long‑term vision, but the studio acknowledges its capacity limits.
“We can’t announce a label and immediately roll out three full‑blown releases; we have to spin plates carefully,” Tannahill says. The initial focus will be on smaller projects that fit the team’s size and sustainable workflow. In summary, Firefly leverages its longstanding strategy pedigree, its self‑publishing infrastructure, and a data‑driven relationship with a youthful audience to launch Wuselfaktory. By offering funding, marketing muscle, and hands‑on development support, the studio hopes to nurture indie talent while expanding the reach of a genre that, though often overlooked, remains one of Steam’s most profitable corners.