Nottagen Guide | DQ7 Reimagined 7-Step Walkthrough: Save at the Right Time or Both Past and Present Are Ruined

Most Nottagen guides online make it sound too smooth—follow the arrows, beat the boss, done. But what actually trips players up isn't combat difficulty; it's a few details that aren't clearly explained: you can't find the monster in the church, there's a hidden battle in the well, and if you miss the save point before the boss, the present and past Nottagen will end up as two completely different outcomes.

Here's the flow in 7 steps, plus branching choices and easily missed content.

Why Nottagen Is So Easy to Mess Up

The core issue in Nottagen is the town church, where the story actively directs you to investigate. But many guides don't make it clear: if you can't find the monster inside the church, you need to check the well. There's no prompt for this, and many players end up walking back and forth inside the church for half an hour.

Another pitfall is timing. Nottagen spans both past and present, and your decisions in the past directly rewrite how the present looks. So the order of steps and when to save matter more than beating the boss.

Step 1: Enter the Nottagen Region from the Shrine of Mysteries

Nottagen is located on the northeast pedestal of the red pillar in the Shrine of Mysteries. After entering the new region, before reaching the main town, you'll first see a location you can enter: Hill Near Nottagen.

Step 2: Go to Hill Near Nottagen First and Pick Up the Yellow Fragment

There's basically only one thing worth grabbing at Hill Near Nottagen: the Yellow Fragment on the ground. Once you have it, you can leave and head straight to Nottagen town.

Step 3: Fight Two Babygoyles Before Entering Town

At the entrance to Nottagen, two Babygoyles will block your way and trigger a battle. This is a forced fight and isn't too hard, but remember to heal up before entering town.

Step 4: Investigate the Church; If You Can't Find the Monster, Check the Well

The story will lead you to investigate the church. This is where most players get stuck: the church seems to have no target, but you need to pay attention to investigation points; if you just can't trigger anything, go check the well in town.

The guide community generally notes that this point isn't clearly stated in many walkthroughs, but it's key to advancing the story.

Step 5: Agree to Help Buddy and Go with Him to Hill Near Nottagen

The villagers will try to deal with Wiggles on their own. During this time, go to Buddy and agree to help him, then head to Hill Near Nottagen with Buddy, talk to him to trigger a scene, and afterward you'll return to Nottagen.

When you step outside, you'll see a worm-like monster attacking villagers.

Step 6: Fight Malign Vine in the Dungeon, Get the Green Fragment, Then Evac

Follow the story into the dungeon, where you'll encounter Malign Vine along the way. Defeat it to get the Green Fragment. After obtaining it, use Evac to leave the dungeon and return to the present-day Nottagen—which is still in ruins at this point.

Step 7: Save Before the Boss—This Step Determines the Outcome

This is the most important step. Before returning to the past Nottagen, be sure to save, because the next major decision will affect the outcome of present-day Nottagen.

If you don't save here, you'll either have to replay from your last save or accept an outcome you didn't want.

Branching Choice: Help the Villagers Fight Wiggles, or Refuse?

At this point in the flow, you'll face a clear choice: help the villagers defeat Wiggles, or refuse and let the town survive in the present in another way.

Both paths can be completed, but present-day Nottagen will look different. That's why the save in Step 7 is so important—it lets you go back and try the other path without replaying the whole segment.

(Different guides spell this boss's name slightly differently; some sources call it Wiggles, others Moostapha. Go by what your game screen shows.)

After Returning: Wrecktor Hidden Battle and Missable Content

After beating the boss, don't rush to leave. There are a few spots that only appear when you come back:

• Hidden battle in the well: After defeating the boss, return to the well to encounter an optional battle with Wrecktor.
• Upstairs in Buddy's house: The second time you return to Nottagen, go upstairs in Buddy's house to get a free diamond. Many guides don't mention this.
• Present-day Nottagen: Back in the present, only a lone bard remains in town, and he'll mention that Buddy's descendant lives in Monster Meadows.

Completing the Nottagen segment unlocks the "Worst. Town. Ever." achievement (listed as Chapter 25).

3 Things to Know Before Using This Guide

1. Save first, then decide. The Nottagen branch isn't "win or lose"—it's "help or don't help." Put the save in the wrong spot and you'll pay by replaying the whole segment.
2. Nothing in the church doesn't mean a bug. The well is another official investigation point, not a hidden Easter egg. If you're stuck, check the well.
3. Beating the boss isn't the end. The Wrecktor in the well and the diamond upstairs in Buddy's house are both things you can only get by going back. Take a lap before leaving the area.

Summary

Nottagen isn't hard because of combat—it's hard because of incomplete information: the connection between the church and the well, the save timing before the boss, and the backtracking content after beating it. Follow the 7 steps above: grab the Yellow Fragment at Hill Near Nottagen first, handle the church and well investigations, get the Green Fragment from Malign Vine, and save before the major choice. Then you can clear it in one go and collect the "Worst. Town. Ever." achievement along with the missable content.

Sources

• Nottagen Walkthrough Guide | Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined (DQ7)｜Game8
• How to Beat Nottagen in DQ7 (2026): Complete 7-Step Walkthrough - Official Tinrec Blog
• Nottagen Cavern - Nottagen Scenario - Walkthrough | Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past | Gamer Guides®
• Monster Takeover - Nottagen Scenario - Walkthrough | Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past | Gamer Guides®
• Nottagen Past - Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Walkthrough - Neoseeker