The best launcher, unless you’re using something like Steam Big Picture mode with a controller, is the Windows Start Menu.

Preferably using shortcuts that launch game executables directly, not through a launcher (or, worse, two or more launchers in sequence, as is the case with, e.g., EA games launched through Steam and games with their own launchers offering equal access to the game itself and other options you’re likely to use once or twice, if ever).

But in the absence of this, leaving one bloated storefront launcher running in the background is better than leaving two or more bloated storefront launchers open in the background, and Steam’s is the best of a bad lot.