Pixels and Plotlines in Solana NFTs

The Solana blockchain has been through ups and downs, taking in a bull market surge in the value of SOL to 260 USD on the upside, and multiple instances of the blockchain temporarily crashing out of action on the negative side.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Solana journey has been the evolution of its NFT ecosystem. When it comes to NFTs, Solana is now second only to Ethereum (by recent sales volume), and has become a JPEG degen’s playground, with more than its fair share of rug pulls to be wary of, but also some amazing illustration and graphic design, and numerous niche, interlinked communities.

One of these loose communities has built up around art, pixel animation, retro gaming vibes, and interactive storytelling, and the groups involved are gaining increased traction, so here are some key players and projects.

The Chimpions

Image credits: The Chimpions

This is an art community and DAO (called the CHIAO), which has released just 222 access NFTs, creating a tight-knit collective. In addition to providing network membership, Chimpions NFTs also redeemed a merch package for holders, and are themselves distinctive works of pixel art, with each NFT displaying a unique, animated design.

A growing number of artists have become part of the Chimpions network, and a section in the Discord called The Treehouse is dedicated to connecting collectors and buyers, and providing a stream of updates and information regarding what’s dropping and upcoming.

Some original Chimpions NFTs can be found on Magic Eden from 99 SOL, but there are only eleven items listed for sale at the time of writing, and only three of those are priced below 100 SOL.

Together We Stand

Image credits: RGB and The Chimpions

The core collection from The Chimpions is Together We Stand, which is working in collaboration with a variety of artists and projects from the Solana NFT space to create limited supply editions within the overall collection.

A recurring theme running through the different editions is the idea of Chimpions and their artistic partners standing together to defeat adversaries. NFTs from the editions also function as Treehouse access passes and are intended to combine utility and art.

You can actually find many NFT art projects that try to incorporate utility, it’s a concept that distinguishes the NFT art scene from traditional arts, and Together We Stand can be expected to further explore this idea.

Editions in the Together We Stand collection each consist of 222 pieces, some of which are airdropped to Chimpions NFT holders, and there have been three edition drops up to now.

The latest Together We Stand drop was a dystopian-but-cute sci-fi pixel illustration called The Fall of the Eradicator, and it was created in partnership with an artist known simply as RGB.

RGB and Suns Studio

Image credits: Suns Studio

A long-time, active presence in the Solana NFT community, RGB has established a distinctive style based around nostalgic, pixelated vibes that should appeal to anyone who has hazy memories of being immersed in 8 and 16 bit game worlds.

RGB, who has a background in architecture and other (non-digital) artistic disciplines, is the founder of an art studio called Suns Studio, which has created some beautifully evocative, classic sci-fi-referencing pixel art that can be found on the Exchange marketplace.

However, the RGB project that is the most substantial and expansive is Solsunsets, which has gradually grown in presence to become a low-key landmark in the Solana art environment.

Solsunsets

Image credits: Solsunsets

Launching back in November 2021, Solsunsets is a collection of 4,444 NFTs showing pixel art landscapes that come in two ratio sizes, including a banner style 3:1 scale.

Besides the core appeal, which is the artwork and ambience, holders have access to the SunDAO, and can claim Sun Studio’s Pixels tokens simply through connecting up their wallet once a week to the Solsunsets website, and without having to participate in any kind of pseudo-staking mechanism. Pixels tokens are earned at a rate of 1 per day for each NFT held.

Pixels tokens are being given real utility within the Suns Studio ecosystem, as they can be used to purchase whitelist spots and minting tokens (basically a whitelist spot combined with the cost of minting) for RGB’s upcoming Critters Cult project, which has been building considerable momentum.

Critters Cult

Image credits: Critters Cult

Minting on September 25th, Critters Cult, the much anticipated new project from Suns Studio, will drop 4,444 NFTs, and looks to be shaping up healthily.

There is currently hype and speculation in the NFT space (driven in large part by the manga-influenced Renga project) around the idea of storytelling NFTs, meaning projects that are connected to the creation of fictional worlds, characters and plotlines.

Critters Cult falls squarely into this storytelling category, revolving around themes of mystery, sci-fi, horror and adventure. Coupled with the distinctively blocky graphics, it’s reminiscent of early point-and-click games from the eighties and nineties home computing eras.

These are all elements that have significant appeal to a certain kind of NFT collector, and the timing of the Critters Cult launch seems optimal, considering the current surge of interest in plot-driven projects.