I am OBSESSED with Bloon Tower Defense 5 (which I play on my iPad) . The goal of this game is to pop all of the balloons using monkeys that you pay for with cash (that you get by popping the balloons). In this game, the mechanics include choosing monkeys, placing monkeys, and and choosing targets. The primary dynamic of the game that these mechanics give rise to is trying to get your monkeys to pop all of the balloons before they leave the stage. This is a complex dynamic that is made more complicated by the fact that there are different monkeys that have different abilities to pop different balloons. This dynamic creates the aesthetic of challenge as a form of fun. This is obstacle course as a form of fun, the balloons being the obstacles you have to get through to complete the round. The small increase in difficulty between each round creates an enticing obstacle course that sucks you into the game.
