Firefly, the studio best known for the Stronghold series, has taken a decisive step into the publishing arena 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 is the brainchild of 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, the head of Firefly, acknowledges that many indie studios are now experimenting with publishing, but he argues that Firefly’s deep roots in strategy give it a unique advantage. "We’ve been making strategy games for decades, so we understand the genre’s nuances and the expectations of its community," he told GamesIndustry.biz.
While the market is already populated by heavyweight publishers such as Paradox Interactive and newer entrants like Hooded Horse, Wuselfaktory intends to operate on a more modest scale, focusing on a limited number of projects rather than trying to rival the larger houses in breadth. For Fool King, Firefly is providing the financial backing 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 label matures, Firefly plans to bring those localisation and QA responsibilities in‑house, leveraging its existing 50‑person team. "We already run a small publishing operation, which is why we can take this on," he said. The studio’s experience as a self‑publisher dates back to 2010, giving it a well‑honed pipeline for localisation, marketing, and platform relationships.
More importantly, Firefly’s long history of building strategy titles means it can also offer hands‑on development support. "Being on the other side of the table in negotiations is useful, but we can also roll up our sleeves and help with actual game development," Tannahill explained. Firefly has already been actively assisting the Fool King team. The game features an asynchronous online component, and Firefly’s staff have held calls to discuss that system, offered UI advice, and provided several rounds of feedback on the core gameplay.
While such assistance diverts resources from other internal projects, Tannahill argues that a brief, focused conversation can dramatically accelerate a partner’s development timeline and improve the final product. The decision to move into publishing was encouraged by Devolver, which recognised its own gaps in the strategy sector. "We were acquired by Devolver in late 2021, and they basically said, ‘You know strategy better than we do – why not build a label around that?’" Tannahill recalled.
The studio’s constant monitoring of emerging strategy titles also positioned it well to spot promising indie projects. In fact, Tannahill first learned about Fool King through a Rock Paper Shotgun article.
Playing smaller strategy games remains a source of inspiration for Firefly’s own Stronghold franchise. "I browse indie releases on Steam, itch.io, and other platforms to keep my ideas fresh," he said. "When I see a game I like, I think about how we could help it—whether that’s funding, mentorship, or marketing support." Devolver is comfortable allowing Firefly to lead both the discovery and promotion of new titles, acknowledging that the parent company lacks deep connections in the strategy community. "They trust us to know which press outlets, content creators, and sub‑genre communities to engage with," Tannahill noted.
In a genre where the audience expects developers to speak its language, those relationships are crucial. Firefly maintains a close feedback loop with its fans by embedding short surveys directly into game demos. Players are asked how much they’d be willing to pay, which features they’d like to see, and what future projects they’d enjoy. "We’ve run these surveys for three games now and consistently get around 6,000 responses," Tannahill said.
The data has proven invaluable for shaping both development priorities and marketing strategies. One surprising insight from the surveys is the relatively young demographic of strategy gamers. "We expected an older crowd, but a significant portion of our respondents are between 18 and 25," he explained. To reach these younger players, Firefly focuses on the social platforms they frequent, aiming to funnel them into the studio’s IPs and series.
Tannahill believes the strategy space is vast yet under‑served. "If you look at the most wish‑listed games on Steam, a huge number are strategy titles," he observed. Despite the genre’s popularity, classic franchises such as Command & Conquer have faded from the mainstream, not because the brand lacks appeal, but because few new entries have been produced. He sees this gap as an opportunity, especially as other high‑profile genres encounter headwinds.
"Strategy isn’t the flashiest genre anymore, but it quietly dominates on Steam. While Roblox continues to explode and consoles face challenges, Steam remains a strong platform for deep, systems‑driven experiences," Tannahill said. Players who enjoy sinking hours into intricate simulations and emergent gameplay are precisely the audience that titles from Hooded Horse and similar publishers attract.
Within Firefly itself, the team is spreading its bets across multiple sub‑genres of strategy. They continue to develop traditional 2.5D isometric games reminiscent of early Command & Conquer or Age of Empires, while also working on fully 3D projects like Stronghold 4. The resurgence of pixel‑perfect isometric aesthetics is evident, yet Tannahill cautions against over‑committing to any single trend. "You want a diversified basket without putting all your eggs in one spot," he said.
Wuselfaktory currently represents a single title—Fool King—but the label could soon add a few more releases. Since joining Devolver, Firefly has shipped four games and six expansions, with additional projects in the pipeline. Third‑party publishing will be part of the long‑term plan, but it must fit within the studio’s capacity. "We’re not going to announce a label and then flood the market with dozens of games; we can only spin so many plates at once," Tannahill emphasized.
"Initially we’ll focus on smaller projects that our lean teams can sustain, and that’s the most sustainable approach for us."