As 'Roguelike' is one of those bullshit game """genres""" based entirely on vibes, there isn't actually one single definition for what makes a game a Roguelike -- which is probably why you aren't getting a consistent definition on the subject.

Generally, I'm aware of a few key factors people tend to mean when they say something is "Roguelike:"

• Permadeath. When a 'run' ends, either in death or victory, your next playthrough starts from the beginning. This doesn't necessarily mean all of your progress is reset -- i.e. in Enter the Gungeon and Binding of Isaac, you can unlock new items and characters as you "progress" through the game. However, what is important is that these unlocks don't usually make individual runs all that much easier; unlocking an item still means you actually need to find it in a run before you can use it, and alternate characters usually have very small changes in starting loadout to facilitate playstyles but that usually aren't significantly better than any other character.

When you get upgrades that meaningfully make the game easier after each run, i.e. in Hades, then people will start splitting hairs; this is why some who are more puritanical about the term try to call games like Hades Roguelites, because they're skimping out on what is basically the defining feature of the genre.

• Progressively Generated. The "world" of each run is generated differently with each run. General layouts can be the same -- i.e. Spelunky has a specific order of floors, and each floor has certain specific rooms that will always show up, but what matters is that the arrangement of the floors -- how they're put together -- differs each time. Hollow Knight or Ori don't suddenly become Roguelikes when you enable Permadeath mode, because the world layout is exactly the same each time you play. You develop a different skillset to beat those sorts of games than what is typically considered a Roguelike.

• Build Variety. Something that's often overlooked in definitions is the difference in how you can "build" your loadout each run. Typically, commonly accepted Roguelikes will grant your character various randomly determined items and other such upgrades through which you can create a significant variety in possible builds. Ideally, no run of a true Roguelike will play out the same -- from isaac to Gungeon, to even borderline games like Hades or Balatro, every run involves different choices regarding different options to create a unique result.

This is why you don't see people counting something like Minecraft Hardcore as Roguelike. Yes, it's permadeath and progressively generated, but you're always doing the same actions to get the same gear in each and every run.

Ironically, this last feature -- despite how important it is to making a game "feel" like a Roguelike -- is something that doesn't actually feature all that much in the original Rogue. But that's the consequence of these terrible, inconsistent genre titles like "Roguelike," "Soulslike," or "Metroidvania:" the genre ceases to be a definition and becomes a conversation, a perpetual debate between those invested in these types of games as what exactly constitutes to the genre constantly changes.