I have a good idea: When I was checking out your new work, I noticed you mentioned a remake, and there's no doubt that the previous version has lost some of its appeal.
So you can try using Patreon or SubscribeStar to get people to keep subscribing so that their accounts can be connected to Itch, thereby obtaining these download permissions on Itch.
Please don't misunderstand, I am not hurting people's willingness to buy. Subscription is just a secondary promotion for those games that have lost their appeal. In fact, people are more willing to buy the remake version directly.
One more thing...
So far, my suggestion is not a good idea. You have been worried about the controversy over the appearance and age of the characters in your work. Perhaps you can distribute it through subscription.