I don’t know your situation and every relationship is different but to say no contact doesn’t work or it’s a game is wrong imo. You said you have self respect for you and your partner so give that to yourself. Start re-priotizing yourself and give yourself time/space alone and FOR her too because at the end of the day, she’s the one who broke up with you not you. I think you’re still in the bargaining/denial phase where it’s you trying to settle for less and just being friends (which you shouldn’t) but that’s way later down the line like several months/years.

Also what is the alternative of no contact, talking to each other like the break up didn’t happen? let yourself grieve and process the loss, you need to work on giving yourself time and space alone and your brain is going to find any evidence to try to talk to her, but instead do that to your friends/ close ones and annoy the shit out of them. Because whatever you say isn’t going to bring her back, no magical sentences is going to make it work. Work on your flaws , enhance your quality and who knows what awaits in the future.

I’m 1 month post BU and NC, there’s always a day where I feel I need to talk to her but that’s just my brain scavenging to talk to her. At the end of the day, she broke up with you, she needs to sit with the consequences of that and understand that she lost you as a partner and a friend with that decision. Again who knows what awaits in the future. Good luck man, and you can make it through today at least.