Simple MTB is nothing to do with the bike, it’s how to approach your riding.
My Jeffsy isn’t a simple bike, but I can use it for pretty much any riding. A hardtail isn’t significantly easier to manage. It’s not like you need to service shock bushes weekly. My SS with an EBB was a pain in the arse in comparison
Don’t worry about Strava, cameras and other accessories.
Don’t carry enough tools and spares to furnish a medium sized bike shop.
Don’t fret about vagaries of tyre pressure or shock pressures/settings, just set em up and forget about them.
Don’t worry about having to do X miles or burn X calories
Not riding at night means less faffing with lights and no worry about getting caught out.
Get out early on a weekend for a couple of hours.. back and showered by mid morning and crack on with the day.
Fretting about what bike you have got is the antithesis of simple MTB 🙂