Pathways to human well-being in the context of land acquisitions in Lao PDR

•Archetype analysis of well-being impacts conducted on land deals in 294 villages in Lao PDR.•Land deals affect well-being through 18 pathways and five archetypical processes.•Most of the land deals affect well-being either with trade-offs or adversely.•Enhanced well-being arises in a limited number of villages shaped by preconditions.•To avoid adverse impacts, land-use rights should be protected, large-scale deals avoided.