Spider-Man Gravitrax – and more! Ravensburger’s Dennis Knissel talks design and imagination

GraviTrax! Dennis, I have to tell you: this is one of my all-time favourite products! I can’t wait to chat about it… For the uninitiated, what’s the elevator pitch?
GraviTrax is a mega marble run. Think catapults, ziplines, magnetic canons and so much more. It’s a system toy, and its modular design means that the only limits are your imagination…

Perfect! If I wasn’t sold on it, I would be now. What do you think makes it so great?
By its nature, GraviTrax offers unlimited possibilities – both in the tracks you can create and those who will love to get involved. It’s a toy that inspires every generation and we see it time and time again at events… Everyone just wants to get building – and the satisfaction of seeing that marble complete the run is the same whether you’re 8 or 88!

Also, alongside the fact that it’s a super-cool toy, there’s the integral STEM learning that goes hand-in-hand with it. Without necessarily realising it, GraviTraxers are learning and seeing all kind of STEM principles at play. It’s all about trial and error… Hit a snag? Work out why the marble is rolling too fast! Curious why something happens? Learn about magnets, kinetic energy and so much more! There’s also a free GraviTrax app which means you can take your tracks on-the-go and test marble run designs before you make the big builds.

It’s astonishing how much one can understand just by building a few tracks. Tell me, Dennis: How did GraviTrax come about?
Our dedicated innovation team is always looking at different toys and games that address emerging trends. GraviTrax was an idea born in-house as part of that process – so our passion for the brand is no surprise! We’re a team that’s been working with GraviTrax since the brand’s infancy… The first GraviTrax products launched in 2017 – and the range began winning awards from its very first year. We’re enormously proud of what GraviTrax has achieved and what it continues to achieve.

I’m curious… What was the biggest challenge with the original product?
Have I mentioned the endless possibilities?! Ha! Our biggest challenge was – and still is – containing our imaginations a little! But apart from that, we – of course – have to ensure that each and every component functions exactly as it should. The action-elements are a vital part of the GraviTrax play experience, so when creating additions like Ziplines and Trampolines, we need to make sure that they work perfectly…

That helps give our fans the experience they’ve come to expect and – hopefully – often surpass it. Sometimes this means going back to the drawing board with a concept a few times before we can deliver the experience we’re looking for. The original GraviTrax sets were in development from concept to store shelf for 18 months and, in that time, we saw plenty of trial and error in creating the perfect launch sets.

Oh, I can only imagine. Now… When my friend Bert was young, we were continually amazed at the line’s creativity… Tell me about some of the most popular add-on pieces.
The catapult has always been one of the most iconic additions to the GraviTrax system. Being able to fly marbles across tracks revolutionised modern-day marble runs! Over the years, we’ve also been able to refresh existing action-elements to further improve performance – the Zipline is a great example of how we were able to tweak the content to improve the GraviTrax experience.

No argument from me! People have to see one of the catapults working to believe it. But Since Gravitrax’s launch, there have also been several other versions… Spider-Man is the latest! Why is that a great fit for you?
2026 is a big year for Spider-Man. The new movie is coming out this summer, and – like GraviTrax – Spider-Man has multigenerational appeal. GraviTrax is all about action-packed tracks and Spider-Man brings that action to life. We’re excited to invite Spider-Man fans to the GraviTrax universe as the synergies between the two brands are so strong. We were able to transform the base plates to replicate the island of Manhattan, engrave the marbles, and bring the iconic villains to life as action-elements – including the Venom slide. The excitement of the Spider-Man franchise is fully captured in these sets.

I’ll be sure to include a picture of the Spider-Man set here because it’s stunning. What other versions came out between the original and Spider-Man?
Our previous licensed creation in the system, the limited-edition Star Wars Death Star, was a huge hit with fans… It really captured people’s imaginations. The design and development team worked closely with our licensing partners to devise a truly engaging play experience; one that immerses you in the famous and much-loved galaxy.
Elsewhere, we were also able to address the needs of our local markets. For example, we launched Starter-Set Bounce in 2023. That’s a great-value set including two action-elements, designed specifically for the UK market. Similarly, this year, we’re also introducing the Starter-Set G-Force in the UK. As you may know, this contains the brand-new Turbo-Lift and Transfer action-element.

And on that: what do you do to keep the brand so fresh?
Our in-house development team lives and breathes GraviTrax, and we welcome feedback from our brand community across the globe. The open-ended nature of the system means that there’s always something new to explore. We’re constantly looking at ways to open up the GraviTrax universe to new fans, as well as expanding the possibilities for dedicated GraviTraxers…

That’s how each and every new development has come about. For example, in 2023 we launched GraviTrax Junior, which welcomes preschoolers to the concept. Licensing plays its part here too – for example, later this year, you’ll see the new Paw Patrol sets coming through for GraviTrax Junior. Then, with the expansion of the system, we’ve recently refreshed our brand packaging and strategy to ensure clear communication for the consumer – and we’ve introduced Level BASE to sit alongside our PRO range.

Sounds like there’s plenty for fans to look forward to! Thanks, Dennis. To conclude, what’s the one question I could’ve asked you about Gravitrax today but didn’t?
You didn’t ask about the track we built with famous YouTuber Jelle’s Marble Runs…

Indeed, I did not! Tell me about it!
When we launched, we collaborated with YouTuber Jelle’s Marble Runs to build a track in a busy department store in Berlin… It contained over 20,000 parts.

20,000?! Gosh, that must’ve been enormous!
It was! There were over 246 metres of track and more than 100 action-elements and marbles! Since then, we’ve hosted regular builder events for our GraviTrax community… We invite GraviTraxers around the globe to come and build mega tracks. We also set the official Guinness World Record at one of these events in 2024, with over 350 action elements built into a single track. We’re looking forward to another world-record attempt soon!

I’ll be there! Mojo Nation will cover my expenses… Anywhere in the world; you just say when and where! In the meanwhile, I’ll include a link to one of the YouTube videos here:

Thanks for joining us, Dennis!