A "
cabaret game" is a reference to an arcade game housing that's some place between a full upright game housing and a
cocktail table version (or sit down version). Cabaret versions of
arcade games, such as
Frogger, are played upright like the full-fledged arcade edition but, like the cocktail version, they tend to come in smaller generic housings. The cabaret editions require roughly 25% less area than the full blown version. Since the housings are generic, they lack the side art and a lot of the front panel art of the full fledged version. Controls are a bit lower, requiring one to
hunch over the game a bit more. As well, the monitors in a cabaret edition are typically smaller and tilted at a weird, upward-facing angle.
Cabaret games are universally decorated in a festive
fake wood paneling that would bring tears to the eyes of original
Atari 2600 owners.
The Cabaret game version is sometimes referred to as a "
mini upright".