There's also a middle ground - using a framework that already abstracts away things like graphics, window, audio and input handling but acts as a "bring your ow

There's also a middle ground - using a framework that already abstracts away things like graphics, window, audio and input handling but acts as a "bring your own engine" base. This is probably the best if you have a specific type of game in mind where generic solutions wouldn't really work. Things like Raylib, SFML, Love2D and so on are a great compromise.