i paid 20 bucks once, why do i have to pay 23 bucks now?
Viewing post in Crimson High v0.39.0 Now available in Early Access! comments
If I understand you correctly, then no. It never worked like that, either. Each update is 20 bucks, just like the respective tier on Patreon is - which btw is where the $23 came from, because I never realized that I went with $20 on itch.io but 20€ on Patreon, which converts to $23.
You might think it's greedy to ask for 20 bucks every update - and in some ways it probably is - but keep in mind that the game is free in general. You always have the choice of just waiting two weeks (or one week for 75% off).
The repeating 20 bucks every update are so that I can keep doing this as a full-time job, thus delivering full-time work. I.e. monthly updates of consistently increasing quality.
No one is required to ever pay anything for Crimson High. The early access is solely a way for me to fund the game.