Hi Darenn!
I really liked what you did with the "source material"! Really liked the illumination mechanic, and the end game is a lot more fun, can be challenging in the first run. The 64px limitation makes everything looks crammed, but that honestly works well with the darkness of the world that you've built.
For starting pixel art I think that looks quite good! I would advice you to look over at lospec.com for palettes and tutorials (artists Pedro Medeiros and Slynyrd are my recomendations). Even a tiny change, like applying a custom palette will breath a lot of live into the game.
Looking forward to the final version!