Here's a workaround courtesy of Reddit that at least provides a more minimal UI without needing to load all of those game icons:
Also, here's a Youtube video with instructions on how to revert back to the old Steam UI in 30 secondsI:MiniUI Workaround
Step 1 - Create new Windows desktop shortcut.
Step 2 - Paste steam://open/minigameslist into where it says "Type the location of the item:"
Step 3 - Save the shortcut to wherever you normally have your Steam icon and use it to open Steam. (Optional: Change icon to the Steam icon)
Download link for the RevertSteam tool: https://github.com/zynerd/RevertSteam