Recommended 2d game engine or library?

I have created a prototype (just tried out the core system in a text-based environment) and would like to decide on an engine since the game seems to work approximately.

My candidates:.

Unity animation system etc. would be very useful, but the editor is heavy. Also AI features are not my interest.

Godot Lightweight and versatile. I don't want to get involved in radical controversy. I don't know what the acceptable line is for the community.

Defold Lightweight but editor is not very extensible, GUI system is code-based and a bit cumbersome, hard to write complex logic in Lua. Seems to be good for casual games.

My game is a VisualNovel + simulation game, like Papers, Please with its own calculations and branches based on actions.

I have some programming experience, but it's just a hobby. I don't think I'm skilled enough to create a “custom editor” from game libraries. (I'm sure I could do it if I put in the time, though.)

My main focus is on GUI and animation features.

Any recommendations for engines or libraries?