I'm totally digging this, it reminds me of pixel art from oldschool games, with a touch of Nordic mythology, but more dark, grimy and gothic. A bit like dungeon keeper, mixed with heroes of might and magic + throw in some old sweedish books depicting trolls. This is some art. And I cant wait to see what you do with all the tools the steam release might bring.
The main thing I want to point out tho, are the kobolds. Theyre good as far as size, and your choice of color is also looking right.
But (theres always a but), I personally think, compared to a lot of the other creature sprites, their faces don't look serious/gothic/dystopic? enough. I think its the snout that bothers me. Too round. Not gnarly enough, like the goblin/dwarf noses etc.
If it could be a bit slimmer and longer, more like a malnourished hyena/rat kind of thing, they would be the perfect NOT cutebold. (I hate cutebolds. Theyre not supposed to be cute. Theyre nasty, fierce looking, babyeating rathounds of the night. Deal with it)
As they are, they look more like they go: "mwehehehehe, im scheming cuz im evil" in a "villanous-rubbing-your-hands" kind of way, instead of just being animalistic, ragged, creepy and driven by instinct, with little idea of good or bad, right or wrong.
The reason I mention this is because, I actually love kobolds, and i want them to look dangerous, feral and wild.
Not that yours look silly, but they could look more.. slim faced? Cunning? Sort of like a rat, mixed with the eerie laughing fierceness of a hyena. More "feral" than "evil". More "creepy" than "relateable cute villain".
I think the kobolds of Warcraft 3 almost hits that spot for me, if you could mix them up with something a bit darker, like skavens from the Warhammer Fantasy universe, since kobolds in DF, are not as big as Warcraft 3 kobolds, and are generally giving off a more cunning/sneaky rat-like vibe (mixed with the tribal stuff).
That would be extra neat! And fit the generally 'serious/imperfect/gritty/dark/(grownup)/etc.' fantasy tone of the tileset.
You could also put a bit more emphasis on their legs having more of a curvature, to represent their canine like legs.
You could give them more of a hunch back too, and some might be snarling, showing teeth.
Maybe give them some unique facial hairstyles, not always full beard (tho sometimes would be cool), but more like the Huns, or some other kind of asian inspired (but more rough and unkempt) mystical hairdoos.
But its mostly their snout.
Im just shooting here, it all looks great, really.
PS: Did you make Orks yet? Im a big fan of Orks as well, they have such opportunity of being a unique looking culture, something inspired. I really love Games Workshops take on Orks as a whole, not only visually, but also their lore/culture. While I love the more tribal races, Orks are still more on the civilized side than kobolds.
Its a shame that both kobolds and Orks are so rare. They should be a more commonly encountered, and more integrated race, both in terms of lurking danger, and culture in the world.
I want to take a walk in the woods with my adventurerer, and be on guard because of the feral kobolds skulking the woods for a hurt and isolated adventurer, or stalking a lonesome caravan, travelling with shiny goods.
And the Ork slavers, pillaging nearby villages for cheap labor and loot, and trading it to other civilizations for coin.
Or a group of wild elves, eyeing you for trespassing on their sacred burial grounds, silently aiming at your chest with a poison tipped arrow, from the deep cover of the underbrush.
Last thing: The elves are pretty cool, I totally get your vibe here, the gothic setting, lots of fierce beauty. But I have to say, I see them more as a tribal style race as well, as in their clothing, and such. I cant recall if they're supposed to look like beautiful humans with long ears, or if they have some more distinctive features.
They eat humanoid corpses right?
It would be awesome to see them have some animal like features, like their nose being more fused with their mouth, their body pose being more "sprinting-through-the-forest-on-a-daily-basis-like", and their eyes being more oval or something. Also, more gender neutral, wearing less clothes, maybe showing some carved symbols on their skin + having male sprites, while still retaining the feral and athletic beauty.
Maybe not. I sincerely do like your gothic style take on it, but i would love to see them go more feral.
Thats my 25 cents. Great work, you're really creating a visual style, that i think fits the vibe of Dwarf Fortress, as i envision it.