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Except for the DRM part where launching some games from their executable opens Steam whether you want it or not.

GOG has no such dickery

This only applies if the developer has implemented Steamworks. You can release a game on Steam without implementing it.

Ah. Some games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Caves of Qud run directly, but can they be copied to other computers that don’t have Steam?

You can check PCGamingWiki. They have a pretty good list of games that are DRM free on Steam.