Yeah, I agree. I would also much rather just sell the game and not have monetization compete with the game's experience.
I'm being told there's not really a market for paid games, unless you are a very known brand.
I would love to publish it in a paid subscription bundle like Apple Arcade for just that matter. No ads, no in-app purchases, just the game. Let's say they havem't responded to my application yet. 😅