The reason I didn't do that is because of in-app purchases and cloud saving relying on it. Google play services isn't required for the game it is optional, so there is a simple solution. You can install the the apk and disable internet for the it. Would that be a viable solution for you?
I use Itch to avoid features like in-app purchases, I prefer a one-time payment for the full game. I don’t have Google Play installed, instead I use Mitch to download and update my games https://gardenapple.itch.io/mitch