Firefly, best known for the Stronghold series, has taken its next step into publishing by unveiling a new label dedicated to strategy games called Wuselfaktory. The debut project for the imprint is Fool King, a tactical autobattler with roguelike elements created by first‑time developer Loot Donkey. The game debuted at UKIE’s For One Night Only showcase earlier this year, offering players the chance to assemble an army, position units on a battlefield, and then watch an automated combat sequence unfold. Nick Tannahill, the head of Firefly, told GamesIndustry.biz that the decision to become a publisher mirrors a broader trend among indie studios seeking additional revenue streams.
“Every indie studio is looking at publishing these days,” he said, but he added that Firefly’s long‑standing expertise in the strategy genre gives it a unique advantage. While giants such as Paradox Interactive and newer entrants like Hooded Horse have already proven the commercial viability of strategy titles on PC, Firefly aims to operate on a more modest scale, both in terms of the number of releases and the scope of each project.
For Fool King, Firefly is providing development funding and marketing support, while its parent company Devolver has supplied a producer to oversee localisation and quality assurance. Tannahill noted that the studio intends to bring those localisation and QA responsibilities in‑house over time, leveraging its existing 50‑person team. “We already run a small publishing operation, which is why we can do this,” he explained.
Firefly’s publishing experience is built on a decade of self‑publishing, beginning in 2010. Over that period the studio has refined workflows for localisation, marketing, and distribution, and has cultivated strong relationships with platform holders such as Steam. More importantly, the company’s deep roots in strategy game development mean it can also act as a technical advisor. “One of the real benefits a publisher can bring is that we’ve been on the other side of the table – negotiating deals, managing community expectations – and we can also help with actual development tasks,” Tannahill said.
In practice, Firefly has already been providing hands‑on assistance to the Fool King team. The title features an asynchronous online component, and Firefly’s online‑games specialists have held calls with the developers to discuss networking, UI design, and overall gameplay balance. The studio has delivered multiple rounds of feedback on the core build, noting that even a brief, focused conversation can dramatically accelerate a project’s timeline and improve its polish. The move into publishing was encouraged by Devolver, which recognised its own lack of experience in the strategy space.
“We were acquired by Devolver in late 2021,” Tannahill recalled. “They basically said, ‘You know strategy inside‑out, we don’t, so why not lead that effort?’” Firefly’s constant monitoring of emerging strategy titles positioned it well to spot promising indie projects. In fact, Tannahill discovered Fool King after reading a feature on Rock Paper Shotgun, illustrating how the studio stays attuned to the community’s pulse.
Tannahill also highlighted his personal habit of playing small, experimental strategy games on platforms like Steam and Itch.io to keep his creative instincts sharp. “I browse tiny titles for inspiration for Stronghold,” he said.
“When I see something I like, I think about how we could help the creators with funding, guidance, or partnerships.” Devolver has given Firefly autonomy over both sourcing and marketing, trusting the studio’s deep connections with the strategy community. “Devolver doesn’t have the same network of press contacts, streamers, and niche forums that we do,” Tannahill explained.
“In a genre where you have to speak the language of the audience, those relationships are essential.” To maintain that closeness, Firefly embeds short surveys directly into its game demos, asking players how much they would be willing to pay, which features they desire, and what future titles they’d like to see. The studio has collected roughly 6,000 responses per demo, providing a robust data set that informs design decisions and marketing strategies.
The feedback has revealed a surprisingly youthful demographic: a significant portion of the audience falls within the 18‑25 age bracket. “We meet young players where they hang out – on the right social platforms – to bring them into our IPs and studio,” Tannahill said.
The strategy genre, according to Tannahill, is both massive and under‑served. A quick glance at Steam’s most wish‑listed games shows that strategy titles dominate the upper echelons of the list.
Yet many classic franchises have faded from the spotlight. “Command and Conquer was one of my childhood favourites, but it’s barely relevant today, not because the IP lacks appeal, but because new entries haven’t been made,” he observed.
He believes this gap presents a timely opportunity, especially as other high‑profile genres encounter headwinds. “Strategy isn’t flashy, but it’s quietly one of the most successful categories on Steam,” he noted. “While Roblox keeps expanding and consoles face challenges, Steam remains a strong platform for deep, systems‑driven experiences that reward long play sessions and emergent gameplay.” Firefly’s broader strategy involves diversifying within the genre. The studio continues to develop its own titles, ranging from classic 2.5‑D isometric games reminiscent of early Command and Conquer or Age of Empires, to fully 3D projects like Stronghold 4.
The resurgence of pixel‑perfect isometric aesthetics has proven popular, but Tannahill cautions against putting all eggs in one basket. “You want a varied portfolio so you’re not overly exposed to a single trend,” he said. Wuselfaktory currently represents a single published title, but the label could expand to a handful of additional projects as the team balances its workload. Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with more in development.
Third‑party publishing is part of the long‑term plan, but the studio will pace releases to match its capacity. “We won’t announce a publishing label and then flood the market with three big titles at once – we can only spin so many plates,” Tannahill concluded. “We’ll start with smaller games, work in compact teams, and keep the operation sustainable.”