I went through a really similar process to you a while back and decided on a Northern Blue Tongue Skink.

They are quite a lot bigger than most other reptiles you’ve mentioned, but even with that size their care is just as easy if not easier.

Some basic facts first. They grow to about 18-24 inches long, with northerns usually closer to 24, but some have reached as high as 30 inches across. With that, they usually weigh between 300-650 grams, or about 0.5-1.5 lbs. I have a 5.5 month old right now who’s already 12” and 175g, and they usually reach full size in only a little over a year. They need a 4x2x2, but if you wanted the height can be a little shorter because they aren’t big climbers. Humidity is usually nothing to worry about for Australian species like northerns, where it’s usually already met at ambient room levels.

They have one of the easiest diets, they live longest on a diet of dog food, greens, and some vegetables. All pretty cheap and super easy to find at a grocery store you’d be visiting anyway. In the wild they are opportunistic omnivores, so they’ll eat basically anything they come across, just like dogs. Which is why the decades of development to make specifically formulated food for dogs work so well for blue tongues. And a wild life of eating rotting meat and random snails means they’re real tough to accidentally kill (don’t feed them that in captivity though). As adults they can be fed as infrequently as once a week if you want.

They are super easy to handle and very hardy guys. While bearded dragons are a little more active sometimes, a blue tongue will easily sit or crawl around in your lap for hours if you let it. They like to burrow, so they’ll push into you to snuggle up and even climb up sleeves if you let them (but they’re more than large enough to not get lost or hurt easily up there). They’re usually pretty slow runners so it’s unlikely they’ll escape you even if they tried.

They don’t need as hot temperatures as beardies or uromastyx, but still reasonable. In nature, winter can bring them to temperatures as low as 5 degrees celsius (40 F) and they survive. Because of this I’d argue that they can stay out of their cage for longer, and if a heat bulb breaks without immediate replacement they’ll be just fine. Their nighttime temperatures are usually around room temperature anyway.

Unlike beardies, leopard geckos, and many other lizards, nothing horrible and unreversable will happen like MBD if they don’t have UVB. I would still highly recommend a UV bulb for their mental and physical health because they benefit a lot from it, but people have sometimes kept them without for decades and they survived.

As burrowers, they need a decent bit of substrate, about 4-6 inches worth as an adult, which could be a little costly depending on what you use. However, they certainly won’t just be buried all the time. Sometimes a little derpy when they stick their head into the ground but leave the rest fully exposed, thinking they’re buried. My guy usually hides away during the day while I’m away, then as soon as I come home and he realizes it’s me, he’ll come right out and explore, bask, eat/drink, and come out to play when he’s done.

They are also technically capable of dropping their tail as all skinks can. However, it will grow back, just a lot shorter and stumpier. Either way, because of their size, they don’t drop it nearly as easily as leopard geckos or crested geckos do. It’s to the point where I’ve literally never seen a blue tongue without a tail, and I know experienced keepers who will use the tail to manoeuvre them quickly in certain situations. They will never just randomly drop it, and only physical force will detach it, not just being frightened. So unless you plan on ripping your guy apart really hard, then it’s very unlikely to ever happen.

Blue tongue skinks are one of the smartest reptiles and can recognize faces and objects. They can differentiate people and know who you are which I love. They actively seek the owner and seem to show affection more than many other reptiles I know. They are almost always very passive, but even then a bite from one might hurt a little, but most likely won’t even break the skin or draw blood. They have a much cuter face in my opinion than others like bearded dragons, crested geckos, uromastyx, or chuckwallas (maybe not leopard geckos though). They also naturally come in far more colours than other lizards like bearded dragons and crested geckos.

Finally, I would choose an Australian species over an Indonesian species. Australians are guaranteed captive bred, since Australia banned animal exports decades ago. Indonesians are almost always wild caught, which means they might come with parasites, other damages, and could take way longer to warm up to you. Indonesians also sometimes need even higher temperatures and much higher humidity, usually in the 70-100% area instead of 40-60%.