What the fuck are you talking about?
1. We weren't talking about the subscription model. The person I was responding to played the demo, which is indeed free, and were upset that the rest of the game is locked behind a paywall.
2. If anyone is allowing people to pay up front on Itch.io for an incomplete product and expecting them to pay again every time the game is updated, I agree that is predatory and unethical. That doesn't seem to be what's happening with City of Broken Dreamers, though. You can't pay for the game on Itch.io, you can just download the FREE demo. Coincidentally, the game is up on Steam, and last time I checked, updates are free.
3. If you are suggesting that the subscription model itself is unethical, though, then we have a real disagreement.
It's not a scam if they're literally telling you what you're going to get. I'd be very surprised if anyone using Patreon or a similar website thought they'd get all the benefits with a one-time purchase, whether or not we're talking about a game in early access.